Alaska Airlines Business Card Review: More Value for the Most Loyal

The Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card offers a valuable set of perks in exchange for an annual fee that's in line with other airline cards for business flyers.

Alaska’s partnership with American Airlines and its new membership in the Oneworld airline alliance as of Mar. 2021 makes Alaska miles go farther — literally. Still, loyal Alaska Airlines flyers stand to get the most out of this card since some of the benefits apply to Alaska Airlines flights only.

Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card: The basics

Card type: Small business and airline.

Annual fee: $70 for the company and $25 per card.

Sign-up bonus: Get 50,000 bonus miles, $100 statement credit and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Rewards:

• 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases.

• 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) purchases.

• 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

Foreign transaction fee: None.

Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 21.24%-29.24% Variable APR.

Other benefits:

• Earn an additional Companion Fare on each account anniversary after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within the anniversary year. Companion fares are priced from $122 ($99 plus taxes and fees, which start at $23).

• Free checked bag for cardholder and up to six guests on Alaska Airlines flights.

• Get 20% back on inflight food, beverage and Wi-Fi purchases when you pay with your card.

Why you might want the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card

If you're a regular Alaska traveler, or could be, the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card has a lot to recommend it.

Sign-up bonus

Depending on your itinerary, the miles earned from this card's bonus offer could cover the cost of a round-trip domestic flight on Alaska or its partner American. That's in addition to the Companion Fare portion of the bonus, which lets you take someone with you on an Alaska Airlines flight for $99 plus taxes and fees when you buy a ticket for yourself and make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Annual companion fare

Every year, you'll earn another Companion Fare starting at $122 ($99 plus taxes and fees, which start at $23) after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within the anniversary year. It’s valid for a one-way or round-trip coach seat on Alaska flights booked on alaskair.com. There are no blackout dates.

Comparatively low annual fee

Airline cards for small business commonly charge annual fees of $95 or more. With its annual fee of $70 for the company and $25 per card, the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card lines up with the bottom of that range.

Free checked bags

The first checked bag is free for you and up to six companions traveling on the same reservation on Alaska Airlines flights, including those operated by Horizon Air, SkyWest or PenAir. That’s a savings of $60 per person on a round-trip flight. Keep in mind that you won’t get this benefit on a code-share flight operated by another airline.

Why you might want a different card

Fewer flight options for some cities

Although Alaska Airlines flies to destinations across the United States, its focus remains on the West Coast. If you don’t live in a city with a lot of route options, you won’t get much value out of the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card. Consider an airline card for the airline you fly the most. Or, if you aren’t committed to any single airline, a general-purpose travel rewards card like the Capital One Spark Miles for Business will give you significantly more flexibility. You’ll earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all purchases, plus 5 miles per $1 on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One’s travel portal. Miles are redeemable for any travel expense — including airfare, hotels, trains, rental cars, taxis, travel agents and more — at a rate of 1 cent per mile. The annual fee is $0 intro for the first year, then $95. You start with a good bonus offer, too: Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Lacks the mega-bonus of other business cards

A free flight is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but some business cards offer truly remarkable sign-up bonuses. Take the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Not only can you redeem points for a variety of travel expenses at a value of 1.25 cents per point when booked through Chase, but you can also transfer points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners. The annual fee is $95.

Excellent credit is required

The Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card is intended for applicants with excellent credit, corresponding to a FICO score of 720 and up. The Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business is an option for entrepreneurs with average credit of 630 to 689. While it doesn’t offer travel rewards, you’ll earn 1% cash back on all purchases.

Should you get the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card?

Because the benefits of the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card are so Alaska Airlines-focused, it’s a contender for a specific audience of Alaska frequent flyers. Anyone who needs more wiggle room out of their travel card should look elsewhere.