Airline credit cards allow us to earn flights on airlines when we make purchases with the card. One such card that has been beloved by many over the years is the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Credit Card. With its recent overhaul in March 2023, we decided to update you on the features of this credit card in this article. Let’s get right into it…
Welcome Bonus
Airlines are known for offering welcome bonuses to their new customers, and Alaska Airlines is no different. When you get the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Credit Card, you get a bonus of 60,000 miles plus the Companion Fare™ (which starts from $122). You can only get this bonus if you spend at least $3,000 within the initial 90 days of opening your account.
The Companion Fare mentioned above allows you to travel with someone on any of the airline’s flights for just $122. The actual fare is $99 including taxes and then an additional fee that begins at $23. Previously, you had to wait for a year after opening your account to get the Companion Fare. However, with the recent card refresh, once you spend $3,000, you can earn the Companion Fare automatically.
Benefits of the Card
The refresh in the first quarter of 2023 came with a lot of benefits. So, there are several reasons to opt for this card if you don’t have one. Let’s look at these benefits one after the other to help you make up your mind.
The Companion Fare™
If you think the Companion Fare can only be earned during the account sign-up, then you’re in for a shock. You can still earn this bonus on your annual account anniversary. The only requirement is that you must have spent at least $6,000 in the last account year before the renewal.
This requirement comes with the refresh. In the past, cardholders didn’t have to meet any requirement to earn the Companion Fare annually. You can read this article to learn more about the Companion Fare. While this might look like a major downgrade, when you compare this airline’s requirement to the companion passes provided by other airlines via their credit cards, the latter is cheaper.
Free Checked Bag
Anytime you book a flight with Alaska Airlines with the card, one of your bags is checked for free. Not just that, if you travel with six companions, each of them also gets one bag checked for free. However, for them to enjoy this, you must have booked them using your reservation.
An addition that came with the refresh is that co-applicants and authorized users of the card can also enjoy this benefit. This is a major plus because you can now add such users without paying any additional fee. So, it’s a great way to save money.
Priority Boarding
With this card, anytime you fly Alaska Airlines, you’ll be given priority boarding. This feature is something other airlines provide when you use their credit cards. While this benefit was not available in the past, the new refresh has made it available.
Alaska Lounge+ Membership Discount of $100
Another benefit that came with the refresh is a discount of $100 you can get if you have an Alaska Lounge+ membership. With this membership, you get access to 9 Alaska Lounges. In addition, you also get access to over 90 lounges that have partnered with the Airline. The lounges include Qantas Club, American Airlines Admirals Club, as well as a few United Club Lounges.
Members of the Alaska Mileage Plan are required to pay for their annual membership. The amount is $500 and that’s after the discount of $100. Bear in mind that the discount doesn’t cover the basic membership fee for the Alaska Lounge.
In-Flight Purchases Savings of 20%
As a cardholder, you save 20% whenever you board Alaska Airlines and make in-flight purchases. This purchase also includes food, spirits, wines, and beers. It even extends to Wi-Fi for folks that want to stay connected.
No Fee for Foreign Transactions
This has been in place even before the refresh. Other airlines also have this benefit. Therefore, it would have been strange for the Alaska Visa Card to be exempted.
How to Earn Miles
As we mentioned earlier, you get to enjoy a welcome bonus with the card. You can also get Mileage Plan miles whenever you spend. You can visit https://www.alaskaair.com/ to learn more about the mileage plan. Here’s a breakdown of how you can earn:
- When you make Alaska Airlines purchases, you get 3x miles
- When you pay for eligible cable, electric vehicle charging stations, gas, local transit, streaming services, trains, etc. you get 2x miles
- When you make other purchases, you get 1x mile
Conclusion
The Alaska Visa Card got a refresh in March 2023. Although the annual fee is a bit higher (now $95), it has brought about benefits that cardholders didn’t have access to in the past. To ensure you’re well-informed about these benefits, we’ve discussed them in this article.