The
Alaska Airlines Credit Card (also known as the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa) is a good card for frequent flyers who have good credit (700+ credit score) and can commit to flying with Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and their many partners. It offers up to
3 points / $1 spent on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, along with a sizable initial bonus. Cardholders also get a discounted companion fare after each account anniversary, which helps make the card’s
$95 annual fee worth paying.
What I Like About the Alaska Airlines Credit Card
Nice initial bonus
If you charge at least
$2,000 to your
Alaska Airlines Credit Card within
90 days of opening an account, you’ll get
50,000 points. Those bonus points are redeemable for an average of
$735 in Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines airfare, according to WalletHub data. Additionally, you receive a companion fare ticket benefit with the offer.
That’s a pretty good deal. The
best travel credit cards typically offer 40,000 to 80,000 bonus points for spending $3,000 to $4,000 within the first three months.
Annual companion ticket
Spending at least
$2,000 in the first
90 days you have the Alaska Air Visa also qualifies you for a companion ticket the first year your account is open. Each year thereafter, you will receive another companion ticket, provided your account is in good standing and you spent at least $6,000 on purchases within the prior anniversary year. This annual perk can easily offset the card’s
$95 annual fee.
Lucrative rewards in bonus categories
You’ll get
3 points / $1 spent through Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, and 2 points / $1 spent on gas, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share). Considering that the points are worth about
1.37 cents each, your bonus earning rates translate to 2.94% to 4.41% cash back.
Those rates are way above average for a rewards card, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering that Alaska Airlines has one of the
best frequent flyer programs around. But it’s still important to remember that the more you use this card for its bonus rewards categories, the better it is.
Free checked bags
Each time you purchase Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines airfare with your Alaska Airlines Visa Card, you and up to six traveling companions will each get your first checked bag for free. That can reduce the overall cost of air travel considerably for some families.
More money-saving perks
Cardholders enjoy benefits such as 20% back on eligible inflight purchases, 10% extra rewards for having an eligible Bank of America bank account, and discounted airport lounge access. These perks could save you a bundle and increase your comfort when flying.
What I Don’t Like About the Alaska Airlines Credit Card
Not built for carrying a balance
It’s important to pay your Alaska Air Visa bill in full every month, as the card does not offer 0% intro rates or a low regular APR. Instead, the low end of the card’s advertised APR range is above the
17.11% average among credit cards for excellent credit, and the high end easily exceeds the
23.26% average among credit cards for good credit, according to
WalletHub research. So you’re likely to overpay on interest if you carry a balance from month to month.
Average rewards on most types of purchases
The
1 points / $1 spent that you will earn on most purchases made with the Alaska Air Credit Card is roughly the market average for a rewards card, according to WalletHub’s latest
Credit Card Landscape Report. That’s pretty much the only bad news rewards-wise.
$95 annual fee
The
Alaska Airlines Credit Card is more than three times as expensive as the average credit card offer, according to our research. Of course, it’s easily worth that fee if you take advantage of the valuable rewards. But it would be even more attractive without this fixed cost.
Good credit required
The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card requires good or excellent credit for approval. That means you need a 700+ credit score for good odds. As a result, it’s a good idea to
check your credit score before applying.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.
