Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business Card Review [2024]: It’s Not Just for Alaska Airlines

Card basics

The Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business card is a simple business credit card that allows business owners to earn points toward over 1,000 destinations with no blackout dates. I like the easy-to-understand categories and the extra perks, like one free checked bag per guest on your reservation for up to six guests. At a value of $70 per person roundtrip, it takes only one trip with two people to make up the annual fee and the cost of one card.

Most small business owners can easily earn the welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus miles as it requires only $3,000 spent in the first 90 days, which is easy for most business owners. While I think that’s a pretty standard welcome bonus, what sets this card apart is the addition of the Companion Fare™ offer, which allows you to purchase a companion ticket for $99 plus taxes and fees, which start around $23.

Don’t worry; you can earn an additional Companion Fare™ ticket annually on your card’s anniversary, as long as you spend $6,000 in the previous year, which is fairly easy for most business owners.

Who should get the Alaska Airlines Business credit card?

The Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business card makes the most sense for business owners who often travel for work on the West Coast as this card offers rewards for your business purchases, which you can redeem for award flights or hotel stays.

Because Alaska Airlines has a large presence on the West Coast, it’s easier to find nonstop flights in this region of the U.S. Alaska Airlines also partners with other major airlines to offer flexibility, including American Airlines. If you prefer American, you may want to consider which credit card is best for American Airlines and if you don’t use Alaska Airlines or its partners often, consider one of the best airline credit cards that partner with a different airline to better suit your flying needs.

Benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles 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.
• Earning potential: This credit card offers 3X miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, 2X miles on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping, and local transit (including rideshare) purchases, and 1X miles on all other purchases.
• Annual companion fare: Receive Alaska’s famous Companion Fare™ every year after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. This fare is valid on Alaska Airlines flights booked on AlaskaAir.com.
• Free checked bag: Any cardholder and up to six other guests on the same Alaska Airlines reservation can receive a free checked bag when they pay for the flight with their card.
• No blackout dates: Award redemptions using miles and annual Companion Fare™ tickets have no blackout dates.
• Alaska Airlines Hotels: Receive exclusive access to award redemption offers for hotel stays at more than 400,000 properties.
• Alaska Lounge membership and in-flight purchases: Cardmember perks include $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership when purchased with your Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card. You also get 20% back on Alaska Airlines in-flight purchases when paying with your Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card.
• Travel insurance and coverages: Receive complimentary insurance and protection benefits when you use your card on eligible purchases, including travel accident insurance, car rental insurance, emergency ticket replacement, lost luggage assistance, and referrals for legal or medical help.
• Transfer partners: You can earn and redeem miles to over 1,000 destinations worldwide by transferring miles to other oneworld Alliance member airlines.

Earning and redeeming Mileage Plan miles

Best ways to earn

The most efficient way to earn Mileage Plan miles with this card is to use it on any Alaska Airlines flights, but you can also earn a lower rate on other purchases. You can earn 3X miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, 2X miles on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping, and local transit (including rideshare) purchases, and 1X miles on all other purchases. If your business requires a lot of shipping or you take advantage of local transit, you can reward yourself with airline miles and various benefits.

I like that you can also earn Mileage Plan miles when you fly with Alaska Airlines global partner airlines (more on partner airlines below), reserve car rentals with certain car rental agencies, and shop at 1,100+ stores in the Mileage Plan portal. While this is a co-branded card, it’s possible to continue earning valuable Mileage Plan miles even when you aren’t purchasing Alaska Airlines flights. Of course, you’ll get the most out of the card if you use it frequently on Alaska Airlines purchases.

Maximizing your redemptions

The Alaska Airlines Business credit card earns miles within the Mileage Plan rewards program. This program offers multiple redemption options for your miles, including:

• Award flights with Alaska Airlines and its partners
• Award hotel stays at over 400,000 Alaska Air hotels worldwide
• Alaska Air car rentals
• Experiences and events with Alaska Air Extras

Like most airline credit cards, using your miles for reward flights usually has the best value. For example, at the time of writing, a one-way flight from Las Vegas to Seattle costs $94 for the Main Cabin or 7,500 miles plus $6. This gives you a value of 1.2 cents per mile.

However, a one-night stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Denver currently costs $142 or 22,600 miles. This gives you a value of 0.6 cents per mile, so you get a much higher value from using your miles on reward flights. Points values fluctuate — the actual value of your points will depend on when you search and what you choose to redeem your points for.

Alaska Airlines Business credit card transfer partners

You can use the Mileage Plan miles earned with the Alaska Airlines Business credit card to book flights with many Alaska Airlines transfer partners. This allows more flexibility rather than focusing your flights on the West Coast and is a feature many of the best travel credit cards offer.

You can book most Mileage Plan reward flights, including with partner airlines, online through the Alaska Airlines website, although some airlines may require you to go directly through their website or contact them by phone.

Your best bet is to earn and redeem miles using Alaska Airlines oneworld® partners to get Mileage Plan™ elite status:

• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific Airways
• Fiji Airways
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• SriLankan Airlines

You can also earn and redeem points, but not get elite status at any of the following airlines:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Tahiti Nui
• Condor
• Hainan Airlines
• Iceland Air
• Korean Air
• LATAM Airlines
• Porter Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• STARLUX Airlines

FAQs

Other cards to consider

The Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business card can be a great option, but it won’t make sense for everyone. For other business credit card options, consider the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card and the American Express^® Business Gold Card.

The Chase Ink Business Preferred has a higher $95 annual fee, but its rewards and benefits help offset this cost. You can earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points on common business expenses, including 3X on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year.

In addition, your points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel through the Chase Travel℠ Portal. You can also transfer your points to more than a dozen Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, like World of Hyatt and Southwest Rapid Rewards, so it offers much more flexibility than the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card.

If you want to earn Amex Membership Rewards points and gain access to Amex transfer partners like Marriott Bonvoy and Delta SkyMiles, consider the American Express Business Gold. This card has a steep $375 annual fee , but it can offer plenty of value with its earning potential and benefits.

You can earn 4X Membership Rewards Points on purchases in the two eligible categories with the most spend each month from 6 eligible categories (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, after that 1X), 3X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked at amextravel.com, and 1 point per $1 spent on other eligible purchases. However, this card’s steep annual fee requires you to determine if your spending and redemptions make the annual fee worth it.

Bottom line

If your business requires you to travel frequently on the West Coast and Alaska Airlines or a oneworld® airline is your preferred airline, the Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business card can be a good option. Just be sure to watch the number of cards you order, as they cost $25 each per year, which can add up quickly, and to ensure you meet the spending requirements to earn a free Companion Fare™ annually.