Alaska Airways Mileage Plan miles are fashionable amongst Alaska Airways and Oneworld loyalists — so getting one among their two cobranded bank cards may curiosity you.
These two playing cards are the Alaska Airways Visa Signature® bank card and the Alaska Airways Visa® Enterprise card.
Along with how helpful Alaska miles could be, one other good purpose to contemplate these playing cards is that they’re each issued by Financial institution of America. That is necessary as a result of when you’ve got reached your restrict with American Categorical playing cards or are affected by Chase’s 5/24 rule, seeking to different banks on your subsequent bank card might be a good suggestion.
Plus, with the just lately introduced Alaska MIleagePlan modifications, holding an Alaska card turns into much more helpful.
Alaska and Hawaiian Airways just lately merged, which additionally offers an attention-grabbing worth proposition for Alaska’s cobranded bank cards.
Let’s look at the small print of those two playing cards and focus on how they match up.
Alaska Airways Visa vs. Alaska Airways Enterprise Visa comparability
Alaska Airways Visa bank card | Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise card | |
---|---|---|
Annual charge | $95 | $95 ($70 per firm, $25 per card, so $95 for the primary card) |
Signal-up bonus | Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Well-known Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and charges from $23) after spending $3,000 inside the first 90 days of account opening. | Earn 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Well-known Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and charges from $23) after spending $3,000 inside the first 90 days of account opening. |
Incomes | 3 miles per greenback spent on eligible Alaska Airways purchases
2 miles per greenback spent on eligible fuel, electrical automobile charging stations, native transit (together with ride-hailing companies), cable and choose streaming companies 1 mile per greenback spent on different purchases |
3 miles per greenback spent on eligible Alaska Airways purchases
2 miles per greenback spent on eligible fuel, EV charging stations, native transit (together with ride-hailing companies) and delivery purchases 1 mile per greenback spent on different purchases |
Alaska advantages | Annual Companion Fare (every account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or extra on purchases inside the prior anniversary yr)
Free checked bag for you and as much as six further visitors on the identical reservation while you buy airfare along with your card 20% again on inflight purchases $100 off one Alaska Lounge+ Membership yearly when bought along with your card Precedence boarding while you pay on your flight along with your card |
Annual Companion Fare (every account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or extra on purchases inside the prior anniversary yr)
Free checked bag for you and as much as six further visitors on the identical reservation while you buy airfare along with your card 20% again on inflight purchases $100 off one Alaska Lounge+ Membership yearly when bought along with your card Precedence boarding while you pay on your flight along with your card |
Different advantages | 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from purchases when you’ve got an eligible Financial institution of America account
No overseas transaction charges |
10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from purchases if your organization has an eligible Financial institution of America account
No overseas transaction charges |
Alaska Airways Visa vs. Alaska Airways Enterprise Visa welcome bonus
The private Alaska Airways Visa is presently providing new cardholders the possibility to earn 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Well-known Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and charges from $23) after spending $3,000 or extra in purchases inside the first 90 days of opening their account.
Presently, the Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise can also be providing new cardholders 50,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Well-known Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and charges from $23) after making $3,000 or extra in purchases inside the first 90 days of opening an account.
Winner: Alaska Airways Visa Signature, because it earns extra bonus miles.
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Alaska Airways Visa vs. Alaska Airways Enterprise Visa advantages
You will not discover many variations between the 2 playing cards’ day-of-travel perks.
Each the Alaska Airways Visa bank card and the Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise card afford cardholders a free checked bag for themselves and as much as six visitors on the identical reservation after they pay with their card.
Cardholders additionally get pleasure from precedence boarding and $100 off one Alaska Lounge+ Membership yearly after they pay with their Alaska card.
Moreover, cardholders with both product obtain 20% again on Alaska inflight purchases, together with meals and Wi-Fi.
Each merchandise additionally reward cardholders with an annual Companion Fare, one of the beneficiant airline bank card companion certificates round. In impact, this can be a buy-one-get-one-discounted deal (plus taxes and charges). Nevertheless — and this can be a huge one — it’s a must to spend $6,000 or extra on purchases inside the prior anniversary yr to earn the Companion Fare on both card (other than any that include the welcome bonus).
While you ebook a round-trip economic system ticket on Alaska Airways, you should utilize the Companion Fare to order a second ticket on the identical reservation from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and charges from $23).
The Companion Fare have to be redeemed inside 12 months of the problem date, although the precise journey can happen after that — extending its usefulness to almost two years. Even higher, each vacationers accrue full mileage credit score for his or her flights and are eligible for upgrades.
The cardholder would not even must be flying however should use their Alaska card to pay for the tickets. Relying on the way you redeem your Companion Fare, it may be price a whole bunch of {dollars}, particularly on a number of the airline’s dearer routes, like these to Hawaii, and may greater than offset both card’s annual charge every year.
Winner: Tie. Each playing cards supply the identical advantages.
Associated: Maximizing the Alaska Airways Visa Companion Fare
Incomes miles on the Alaska Airways Visa vs. Alaska Airways Enterprise Visa
Incomes charges are comparable: Each playing cards earn 3 miles per greenback spent on eligible Alaska purchases, 2 miles per greenback spent on fuel, EV charging stations and native transit (together with ride-hailing companies) and 1 mile per greenback spent on all the pieces else.
The private card additionally earns 2 miles per greenback spent on cable and choose streaming companies, whereas the enterprise card gives 2 miles per greenback spent on delivery purchases.
Winner: Tie. Each playing cards supply related incomes charges.
Associated: earn miles with the Alaska Airways Mileage Plan program
Redeeming miles on the Alaska Airways Visa vs. Alaska Airways Enterprise Visa
Regardless of the devaluation of Alaska’s award charts in late 2022, there are quite a few methods to maximise Alaska miles.
For brief-haul flights like TPG editor Emily Thompson prefers, similar to Seattle to San Francisco, you may redeem as few as 5,000 Alaska miles for every leg of the journey. Even for longer flights, economic system awards usually begin at 12,500 miles.
In case you favor a first-class expertise, longer home flights usually require 40,000 miles, however shorter flights can start as little as 15,000 miles for every leg in first-class.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, Alaska cardholders can now earn elite qualifying miles on award flights and even partner-operated award flights booked by Alaska. This addition could make it simpler for cardholders to earn Alaska MVP Elite standing.
Alaska Airways additionally offers entry to a number of companion airways, permitting you to cowl your journey wants throughout numerous locations worldwide. Notable companions embody British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Singapore Airways.
Whereas it is necessary to notice that Alaska could not at all times supply the bottom mileage reserving charges for these companions (relying on the particular route), the airline’s distinctive advantage of allowing one free stopover on one-way award tickets can create distinctive itineraries. This function allows vacationers to maximise their journey by exploring a number of locations inside a single journey, profiting from their Alaska miles.
These choices reveal that regardless of changes to the award charts, there are nonetheless engaging alternatives to make the most of Alaska miles successfully.
Winner: Tie. Each playing cards earn Alaska miles and supply the identical redemption choices.
Ought to I get the Alaska Airways Visa or the Alaska Airways Enterprise Visa?
For the reason that playing cards are so related, your choice could merely relaxation on whether or not you are eligible for a enterprise card. In case you are, you may be free to decide on the cardboard with the higher welcome supply while you’re making use of. Be mindful each playing cards are separate merchandise so you may apply for the private Alaska Airways Visa card and the enterprise model when you’re a enterprise proprietor.
Backside line
Each the Alaska Airways Visa bank card and the Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise card are price including to your pockets, given the excessive worth of Alaska miles and the Companion Fare. Each include lower than $100 in annual charges and precious Alaska Airways advantages. Due to their similarities, your selection could come all the way down to which one gives the next welcome bonus.
Study extra in our full evaluation of the Alaska Airways Visa and our full evaluation of the Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise.
Apply right here: Alaska Airways Visa bank card
Apply right here: Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise card