5 Benefits of the Alaska Airlines Credit Card

The card's signature Companion Fare alone can cover its annual fee, but that's not all you'll get.
Erin Hurd
Claire Tsosie
By Claire Tsosie and  Erin Hurd 
Updated
Edited by Erica Corbin
benefits-alaska-airlines-card

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Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card
NerdWallet rating 

For travelers who fly often on Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card can offer incredible value — but only if you’re able to take advantage of the card’s richest benefits.

Here’s a look at the card’s most important perks and how they work.

Companion Fare

With the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card, you get an annual Companion Fare on your cardmember anniversary date when you spend $6,000 or more in the previous cardmember year. This benefit gets you a traveling partner’s round-trip economy ticket on an Alaska flight for as little as $122 ($99 plus taxes and fees starting from $23), if the trip is booked on your reservation. You can squeeze more value out of it by redeeming it on some of Alaska Airlines’ otherwise pricey itineraries.

Say, for example, your Alaska flight costs $1,000 per person with taxes and fees. With the Companion Fare, you’d pay $1,000 for yourself, but just $122 for your traveling partner on the same reservation, effectively saving you almost $880.

You can redeem this benefit by logging into your Alaska Airlines account on desktop, looking under the label “Discount and companion fare codes” on the left rail, and clicking “Valid.” Click through on your valid Companion Fare code to book the trip.

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Note: If you've held the card since before January 2023, the $6,000 annual spending requirement for the Companion Fare might not apply. See here for more.

Sign-up bonus

The Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card offers a solid sign-up bonus: Get 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Priority boarding

Cardholders will no longer have to stress about overhead bin space. Effective January 2023, Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card will get priority boarding when they book a flight with their card. That means one less thing to worry about as you walk through the terminal.

Free checked bag

Most co-branded airline cards offer free checked bags for cardholders, and this one is no exception. With this card, you can check one bag free for yourself and up to six people on the same qualifying reservation when you pay for your trip with your Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card. Authorized users can also book a trip with their card and get a free checked bag. This benefit can be used on flights operated by Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, SkyWest or PenAir.

20% rebate on eligible in-flight purchases

With this card, you’ll get a 20% rebate on all in-flight purchases — including Wi-Fi, food and beverages — in the form of a statement credit. That could effectively make the fruit and cheese platter on Alaska’s menu almost $2 cheaper, once the credits hit your account. Rebates should post to your account within seven days of the transaction.

More about the card

Frequently asked questions

If you hold the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card, you can enjoy:

  • First checked bag free on Alaska Airlines flights for you and up to six other passengers on the same reservation.

  • In-flight savings: 20% back on in-flight purchases, such as food, beverages and Wi-Fi, made on flights owned and operated by Alaska Airlines.

  • Discounted lounge access: 50% off day passes for Alaska Airlines lounges.

An annual Companion Fare, which allows you to get a ticket for a traveling partner for as low as $121 ($99 plus taxes and fees) once a year.

The Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card offers a few travel protections through Visa Signature, like lost luggage reimbursement, rental car insurance, and travel and emergency assistance services. Check your benefits guide for more information.

Yes. Alaska Airlines is part of the oneworld® Alliance, that collectively flies to more than 1,000 destinations on 14 airlines, including American Airlines, British Airways, Japan Airlines and Qantas.

Yes. The Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card offers one free checked bag not just for you, but for up to six other passengers booked your same reservation.

This annual benefit allows you to cover a companion's airline ticket for as low as $121 ($99 plus taxes and fees) on any one coach flight on Alaska Airlines booked through alaskaair.com. Plus, this benefit renews automatically each year on your account anniversary, regardless of how much you spend on the account.

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