Pros
- High rewards rate
- 70,000 points initial rewards bonus
- No foreign fee
Cons
- Membership fees
- No intro APR on purchases
- No intro APR on balance transfers
- Requires good/excellent credit
Alaska Airlines Credit Card
- Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases and 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else with no limit on points earned.
Rewards Details
- Limited Time Online Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare™ (plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days.
- Get a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights within North America booked on AlaskaAir.com.
- Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases and 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else with no limit on points earned.
- Free checked bag on Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines flights for the cardholder and up to six other passengers on the same reservation. Plus, enjoy preferred boarding on Alaska Airlines flights when you pay for your flight with your card.
- Redeem points with no blackout dates on any Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights when booking with points or a companion fare or choose from thousands of destinations worldwide with oneworld® Alliance member airlines and 30+ global partners.
- Enjoy 20% back on all Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines inflight purchases when you pay with your new card.
- Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America® account.
- Get $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership purchased with your card.
Additional Info
- Security Benefits: $0 Liability Guarantee, Overdraft Protection and Paperless Statement Option.
- Add your card to your mobile device and enjoy the convenience to shop and pay in-store or in-app using Apple Pay®, Google Pay™ or Samsung Pay.
- Mobile banking, text or email alerts to keep you on top of your finances, quick access to your account information with text banking.
- More Details & Reviews About Alaska Airlines Credit Card
Is the Alaska Airlines Credit Card Worth It?
The Alaska Airlines Credit Card is worth it for travelers with at least good credit who regularly fly with Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and its network of 30+ partner airlines, both domestic and international. It offers 1 - 3 points per $1 spent on purchases and has a $95 annual fee.
The regular earning rate breaks down like this: 3 points per $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, 2 points per $1 spent on gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share), and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. In addition, you can get an initial bonus of 70,000 points and a $99 companion fare ticket after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.
The Alaska Airlines Credit Card comes with some other valuable perks, too. For example, you can get free checked bags on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights for you and up to six other passengers on the same reservation, 20% back on in-flight purchases, and $100 off an Alaska Lounge+ membership.
What You Need to Do to Make the Alaska Airlines Credit Card Worthwhile
To make the Alaska Airlines Credit Card worthwhile, you should make sure to earn the initial bonus of 70,000 points and a $99 companion fare ticket after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days. That will cover the $95 annual fee for a few years.
If you disregard the initial bonus, you’d have to spend around $2,800 to $7,900 in a normal year to break even on the annual fee, depending on what you purchase. Alaska Airlines points are worth up to 1.76 cents each when redeemed toward flights. Ideally, you’ll want to spend at least $6,000 on the card each year, though, because that will allow you to purchase a companion fare for just $99 (plus taxes and fees) after each account anniversary.
So, if you spend a lot on Alaska Airlines, its credit card should prove worthwhile. But if you don’t, the card’s annual fee will skew the offer against you.
Alaska Airlines Credit CardHighlights
70,000-Points plus a Companion Ticket Initial Bonus
Spending at least $3,000 within 90 days of account opening earns you 70,000 bonus points— redeemable for roughly $959 in airfare, according to our calculations — plus a companion ticket. That’s not quite as much as some other travel rewards cards currently offer, but they tend to have far higher spending requirements. And that makes this bonus particularly helpful to relatively light-spending travelers as well as those who’d rather not put all of their monthly expenses on card, even for just a few billing cycles.
Up To 3 Points Per $1 Spent
This maximum earning rate applies on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines tickets, baggage fees, in-flight purchases and vacation packages. You'll also earn 2 points per $1 spent on gas, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share). On all other purchases, you will earn the industry-standard 1 point per $1 spent.
Free Companion Ticket Each Year
Let’s say you and your significant other enjoy taking a yearly trip to Alaska or Hawaii. Well, as far as your wallet’s concerned, only one individual will be on the itinerary. That’s because your card entitles you to a free round-trip ticket, which covers a base fee of at least $99 and $23 in fees, for one companion each year. And your travel partner will still earn points for the trip. Pretty nice.
All you have to do to qualify the first year is spend at least $3,000 in the first 90 days, which covers a $99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23. And you merely have to keep your account in good standing to earn this bonus in subsequent years. If your account is closed or changed from a Visa Signature, you will lose the benefit.
Free Checked Bags
Each time you fly Alaska Air or Hawaiian Air, you and up to six companions won’t have to worry about your first checked bags. All of the tickets must be on the card’s bill, however, so getting reimbursed by your travel companions (if you require it) will be on you. Nevertheless, this single feature could save a frequent flyer hundreds of dollars each year, not to mention the points you’ll earn for picking up the tab. But it still shouldn’t be overstated given that other airlines extend similar generosity to customers, cardholders or not.
Alaska Airlines Credit Card Lowlights
$95 Annual Fee
The annual fee that is charged starting with the first year is nearly four times higher than the market average of $27.85, according to WalletHub’s latest Credit Card Landscape Report, and is the primary negative against which you must weigh the card’s positives.
In other words, will this card prove to be worth at least $95 more than the best no-annual-fee card you could get? Does it beat out other offers that also come at a cost but sport different types of rewards? The answers to those questions depend on your credit standing and spending habits, and we’ll do our best to help you fill in the blanks throughout the remainder of this review.
No Low Intro Financing Offer
Many credit cards, even some obviously geared toward travel rewards, offer 0% introductory interest rates applicable to new purchases, balance transfers or both. The Alaska Airlines Credit Card is not among them. That means the ability to always pay your monthly bill in full should be a prerequisite for applying.
Other Things To Consider About Alaska Airlines Credit Card
30+ Airline Partners
Don’t worry; it’s not exclusive. Getting the Alaska Airlines Credit Card doesn’t marry you to the carrier or its route schedule. In fact, you have the ability to earn and redeem your points to most of the 30+ partner airlines airlines – including oneworld® Alliance member airlines and 30+ global partners. For example, you could use 70,000 points for a flight on American Airlines or any other partner airline.
Points Usually Don’t Expire
The only two scenarios in which your points can expire are if you don’t use the card at all for the first two months your account is open or if there is no account activity for 24 consecutive months. Otherwise, you can redeem your points at will. Just bear in mind that the number of points needed to book a given ticket could rise in the future, thus making your points worth less. It’s called rewards devaluation.
Potential For Above-Average APR
Depending on your creditworthiness, you could get approved for an interest rate befitting someone with excellent credit or one more suited to someone with fair credit, according to our latest Credit Card Landscape Report. More specifically, it could be between 19.49% to 27.49% (V). That means you shouldn’t count on carrying a balance with this card, which is wise considering that any finance charges would eat away at your rewards earning.
No Foreign-Transaction Fee
Sure, Alaska’s a domestic carrier, so a foreign-transaction fee wouldn’t be horribly out of place, but it’s certainly nice to know there isn’t one. Many of the card’s partner airlines are internationally based, after all, and you never know where your travels will take you.
Overdraft “Protection”
You have the option of signing up for overdraft protection to cover the cost of transactions that exceed your available credit, which would ordinarily be declined. But don’t. Maxing out your credit line is quite harmful to your credit score, and the overdraft amounts are treated as cash advances. That means they will immediately begin to accrue interest. A $12 fee will also apply when the amount covered by overdraft protection is at least $12.
Alaska Airlines Credit Card VS the Competition
Which airline credit card flies the highest? You can check out our editors’ picks for the best airline credit cards to get the complete story, but here’s a quick snapshot of how the Alaska Airlines Credit Card compares to some of its most popular peers:
annual fee$95 | annual fee$149 | annual fee$95 |
rewards rate
| rewards rate
| rewards rate
|
bonus offer 70,000 points | bonus offer 50,000 points | bonus offer LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel |
Purchase Intro APRN/A | Purchase Intro APRN/A | Purchase Intro APRN/A |
transfer intro aprN/A | transfer intro aprN/A | transfer intro aprN/A |
Regular APR19.49% - 27.49% (V) | Regular APR19.24% - 27.74% (V) | Regular APR19.49% - 28.49% (V) |
SponsoredApply Now | SponsoredApply Now | SponsoredApply Now SponsoredApply Now |
Alaska Airlines Credit Card Review Methodology
This Alaska Airlines Credit Card review is based on WalletHub’s proprietary 100-point credit card rating system. By using a consistent methodology to evaluate the Alaska Airlines Credit Card and all other cards, WalletHub’s credit card experts make it easy for people to compare their options and find the best credit cards for their needs.
The WalletHub rating system uses 16 key metrics grouped into seven categories: Fees, Rewards, Two-year Cost, Interest Rates, Approval Requirements, Special Features, and Reviews. Each metric has a maximum number of points allocated to it, based on the metric’s importance as determined by our editors. The points are added up to create an overall rating for the Alaska Airlines Credit Card out of a maximum of 100 points, which is then converted to a 5-point scale.
Ratings for each category reflect how close Alaska Airlines Card is to WalletHub’s definition of a 5-star credit card, which is based on market conditions and what we believe are reasonable terms. We compare Alaska Airlines Card to that standard to give a numerical approximation of how reasonable and competitive its terms are compared to other cards.
To learn more about how WalletHub rates credit card offers, check out our full credit card review methodology.
About the Author
John S Kiernan
WalletHub experts are widely quoted. Contact our media team to schedule an interview.