Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card review: Impressive rewards for frequent business travelers
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Snapshot
4.1
Bottom line
A low annual fee, top-of-the-line airline perks, and a fast track to elite status make the Alaska Airlines Visa Business credit card a top contender for business travelers. But the lackluster rewards rate on non-travel purchases may turn away some small-business owners.
Intro offer
70,000 bonus miles
Rewards Rate
1 mile - 3 miles
Annual fee
$70 for the company and $25 per card
Regular APR
20.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
4.1
Bankrate score
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Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card overview
If you need a business card for your travel spending, and you regularly fly Alaska Airlines, this could be the right card for you. It has several Alaska Airlines perks that can make it worthwhile, but you may want to supplement it with a general rewards card to pick up extra points or cash back on your other purchases.
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Rewards
- 3X miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
- 2X miles on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit
- 1X mile on all other purchases
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Welcome offer
- Get 70,000 bonus miles, plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Rates and fees
- Annual fee: $70 for the company and $25 per card
- APR: 20.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance transfer fee: 4 percent of each transfer
- Cash advance fee: 4 percent of each transaction
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Late payment fee: $0 if the balance is less than or equal to $100, up to $49 for balances greater than $5,000
Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
See our expert analysis -
Other cardholder perks
- 20 percent back on in-flight purchases on Alaska Airlines
- Free checked bags on Alaska Airlines flights
- Annual companion fare pricing opportunity
- Priority boarding on Alaska Airlines flights
- 10 percent rewards bonus on all miles earned when your company has an eligible Bank of America® small business account
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card pros and cons
Pros
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While it’s not free, the anniversary Alaska Airlines Companion Fare perk is easier to obtain than the companion fares you’ll find on many competing cards. You won’t need to wait as long or spend as much to earn it each year.
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You can receive a free checked bag on Alaska Airlines flights for up to seven people, which is higher than average.
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You'll have an easier time racking up the miles needed to qualify for elite status and earning additional benefits like preferred seating and priority boarding.
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The card offers some handy and valuable travel perks for its annual fee, including a discount on day passes to the Alaska Lounge and 20 percent off on Alaska Airlines in-flight purchases.
Cons
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Other business credit cards reward a wide variety of business expenses and provide free employee cards.
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Earned miles are non-transferable to other accounts.
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Requires excellent credit, unlike many competing travel cards of similar caliber.
Why you might want the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card
The Alaska Airlines Business card can be a good fit for businesses based in Alaska or that operate frequently within the state. Flight availability for Alaska Airlines is fairly limited on the East Coast and the Midwest, so you’ll need to consider how often you fly with Alaska Airlines. If you’re a frequent flyer, it can be a great way to earn rewards for your flights while taking advantage of exclusive perks for cardholders.
Rewards: Boosted rates for Alaska flights
As a cardmember, you’re automatically enrolled in Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, the airline’s loyalty program. This is considered one of the best airline loyalty programs around.
You can find plenty to like about the airline’s flexible redemption options. Options include several transfer partners, leading to chances to get more value when using your miles for travel. You can also take advantage of numerous perks, including a chance to reach elite status quickly, unlocking a variety of new benefits.
As a Mileage Plan member, you'll also qualify for additional ways to earn miles, including through car rentals and shopping at select retailers. For example, most of Alaska’s car rental options will earn 50 miles per day for a rental. Plus, when you enroll in Mileage Plan Dining, you can earn miles at eligible restaurants. Depending on how much you participate in the program, you can earn up to 5 miles for every dollar.
Welcome offer: Generous value for modest spending
New Alaska Airlines Business cardholders can get 70,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 or more in purchases in their first 90 days. If you meet the spending requirements, you’ll also get the Alaska Airlines Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from just $23). The Companion Fare gives you one round-trip coach ticket when you travel with another person on a paid published coach airfare on the same itinerary, booked at the same time.
Based on Bankrate’s latest points and miles valuations, Alaska Airlines miles are worth an average of 1.1 cents per point. So the Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card’s intro offer is worth around $770 by our estimates. Plus, the $4,000 spending requirement shouldn’t be an issue if you’re a frequent traveler.
The card previously offered 50,000 bonus miles and the Companion Fare after a $3,000 spend in the first 90 days, making the current offer more impressive. It carries plenty of value, especially since it comes with the Companion Fare, which is very valuable. Most airline credit cards that offer airline companion passes make it harder to get this perk in your first year. For example, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card makes you wait until your first anniversary — after you’ve paid your $650 annual fee — before you can get the companion certificate.
Perks: Standout travel perks for a low fee
You get a fair suite of perks with this card, including a fast track to elite status with Alaska Airlines, free checked bags on Alaska Airlines flights, companion fare pricing and lounge access discounts. Here is a breakdown of each notable perk on the card:
Fast track to elite status
With the Alaska Airlines Visa Business credit card, the more miles you fly with the airline, the faster you can reach one of the four different elite statuses:
MVP: Requires 20,000 eligible miles
MVP Gold: Requires 40,000 eligible miles
MVP Gold 75K: Requires 75,000 eligible miles
MVP Gold 100K: Requires 100,000 eligible miles
At each level, you’ll also need to fly a number of qualifying flights marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines. But once you do, you’ll unlock new perks, including:
Priority check-in and boarding
Additional free checked bags
Preferred seating
Complimentary same-day flight changes
Companion upgrades
Free checked bags on Alaska Airlines flights
Checked bags are free whenever you fly Alaska, so you’ll avoid the typical $35 fee for your first checked bag.
This perk is good for the cardholder and up to six others on the same reservation. This benefit alone could be worth more than $400 for a cardholder traveling with a group of six people with one bag each.
Anniversary companion fare pricing
Each year on the anniversary of opening your account, you can also earn a Companion Fare starting at $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from just $23) after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the anniversary year. There are also no blackout dates, meaning you and your companion can travel whenever you’d like.
Lounge access discounts
You’ll also enjoy 50 percent off day passes at the Alaska Lounge and 20 percent back on all eligible Alaska Airlines in-flight purchases when you pay with your Alaska Airlines Visa Business Credit Card. The lounge access is a nice perk if you can take advantage of it, but currently, Alaska Airlines only has nine lounges — eight on the West Coast and one in New York at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Why you might want a different business card
Although it can be a rewarding option for frequent Alaska Airlines flyers, this card carries a somewhat limited reward category variety. Unless you spend routinely on Alaska Airlines flights, you may struggle to offset this card’s annual fee with rewards earnings from everyday spending.
Fees: A high annual fee for lackluster rewards
This card’s APR is fairly typical for most credit cards, with the low-end rate close to the national average credit card APR. There are no foreign transaction fees, which is helpful when traveling abroad or making purchases with foreign merchants.
But the Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card has an annual fee of $70 and charges an extra $25 per card. Offering free employee cards is a standout perk that you can find with many business credit cards, including Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card. Both cards come with no annual fee and numerous business and travel perks that will appeal to small-business owners looking for more versatility with their business cards.
Categories: Viable for Alaska Airlines and not much else
You won’t earn boosted rewards for everyday purchases like those made at grocery stores or at restaurants with this card. It earns a decent rate for gas, EV charging, shipping and local transit, but these spending categories make up a small portion of the average consumer’s spending. Without rewards for dining and groceries, you’ll lag behind the value the other cards can offer, particularly consumer cards that might be a solid stand-in as a business card.
For instance, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, a consumer travel card with a comparable annual fee, offers 2X points on all purchases and a welcome offer that’s potentially of higher value than the Alaska Airlines Business card’s offer. You’ll earn a solid flat rate for every purchase you make, which could quickly outpace the base rewards on the Alaska Airlines card.
How the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card compares to other business cards
Most good business credit cards offer rewards, sign-up incentives and generous benefits. This chart shows how the Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card stacks up against two popular business travel card options — the United℠ Business Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. One is an airline credit card for small-business owners, and the other is a general-purpose business card. Both stand out because they have versatile rewards programs and benefits that many businesses will find appealing.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Get 70,000 bonus miles and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Rewards rate
Earn 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) purchases. Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Debut Offer: Earn 125,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Rewards rate
2x miles on United® purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting. 1x mile on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases – with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
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The United℠ Business Card has a lot going for it, offering more perks that will appeal to a wider business audience. Standout features that top Alaska’s business card include free employee cards and a broader rewards program.
Compared to Alaska’s 3X miles on purchases made with the airline, the United Business card only earns 2X miles on purchases at United. United’s MileagePlus miles are worth 0.9 cents according to Bankrate's latest valuations.
But the United Business card also earns 2X miles in other common spending areas, including gas, restaurants, office supply stores, transit and commuting. Businesses with expenses in these areas can quickly rack up more miles per dollar spent than they would with a card that earns largely on airline purchases.
Additional United perks include a chance to earn a travel credit each year, an anniversary bonus if you own a personal Chase United card, 25 percent off United inflight purchases and priority boarding.
Which card offers you the better value ultimately comes down to how often you travel with each airline and how each card's bonus categories line up with your business spending.
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The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a general-purpose business credit card that tries to give more value to small-business owners compared to the standard airline credit card. It offers 3X points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories (including shipping, internet and advertising done through social media and search engines). All other purchases earn 1X points.
The Ink Business Preferred’s rewards program is the big selling point.Your points increase in value by 25 percent when you redeem for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal. That means your points will at least be worth 1.25 cents, though the right transfer partner could get as much as 2 cents per mile, based on our valuations.That means the Ink Business Preferred’s sign-up bonus (90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening) could be worth up to $1,800 with the right transfer partner compared to Alaska’s $770 value.
When you add up the potential short-term value gained through the sign-up bonus and the potential long-term value you get with a broad rewards program, the Ink Business Preferred comes out far ahead of Alaska’s Business card. Those rewards and numerous other perks will go a long way to make up for many of the airline perks you won’t get with the Ink Business Preferred.
Best cards to pair with the Alaska Airlines Visa Business Credit Card
Since the Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card is an airline credit card, it could pair nicely with a co-branded hotel credit card. With access to both airline and hotel perks, you can make the most of exclusive perks that you won’t find on non-branded cards.
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The Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express card offers a fairly decent rewards rate for Marriott stays along with some extra perks to help you find added value as a cardholder. It has a somewhat high annual fee, but it won’t put your combined annual fees for both cards above $200. Plus, you can transfer Marriott points to Alaska Airlines at a 3:1 ratio. Marriott even adds 5,000 miles for every 60,000 points you transfer to airline miles.
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Pairing your Alaska Airlines Business card with a consumer hotel card could be a strategic way to reduce your overall annual fees while still making the most of brand-exclusive perks, like award nights and boosted rewards rates. This card also rewards generously for grocery store purchases, giving it solid everyday value that most business cards lack.
Bankrate’s Take — Is the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card worth it?
For businesses with significant airfare expenses that travel with Alaska Airlines often, this card may be worth it. The annual fee is reasonable, the perks are solid and the companion fare is generous, especially since you can potentially earn one at a special price each anniversary year. Still, a general business travel credit card may offer better value if you don't have easy access to Alaska Airlines flights or your business simply doesn't travel often.
*The information about the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit, British Airways Visa Signature Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
How we rated this card
We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.
Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest).
We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
