When serious about cobranded airline playing cards, it is simple to solely take into consideration the playing cards from airways you often fly with. In spite of everything, among the key advantages of airline playing cards embody precedence boarding, free checked baggage and a quicker path to elite standing with the affiliated airline.
I usually encourage individuals to assume past a card’s airline or resort associate when deciding whether or not it is sensible for them.
Take the Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and costs), for instance. This card supplies a complimentary Admirals Membership membership to assist cardholders justify its $595 annual charge. On the floor, it looks like that may solely be helpful for American Airways’ greatest followers.
However an Admirals Membership membership provides one thing further: complimentary entry to Alaska Airways lounges. Here is how Alaska loyalists can maximize this card with out ever setting foot on an American Airways flight.
Alaska Airways lounge entry
By way of the Admirals Membership membership you obtain along with your AAdvantage Govt, you will take pleasure in complimentary entry to Alaska lounges everytime you’re flying on a same-day American, Alaska or Hawaiian Airways flight. Word that this entry is not prolonged to licensed customers, and you could have your bodily card with you to enter.
A typical Alaska Airways lounge membership prices $595 a yr, the identical as this card’s annual charge. By placing that cash towards the AAdvantage Govt as an alternative of a lounge membership, you will take pleasure in Alaska lounge entry plus all of this card’s different advantages.
No matter whether or not you are flying with American, Alaska or a Oneworld airline, you may also get into Admirals Membership lounges for no added charge.
To entry associate lounges with simply an Alaska Airways lounge membership, you’d must pay $795 every year for the Alaska Lounge+ membership, $200 greater than what the AAdvantage Govt fees.
Whereas an Alaska Lounge+ membership supplies entry to some lounges that the AAdvantage Govt would not, reminiscent of three United Golf equipment, the vast majority of its associate lounges overlap with what you may entry with this card.
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Each an Alaska Lounge+ membership and the AAdvantage Govt present entry to The Qantas Membership and Admirals Membership places. I see no cause to pay $200 extra every year for a sliver of additional lounges to entry.
You’ll be able to ebook Alaska Airways flights with American Airways miles
The AAdvantage Govt earns American Airways miles. Whereas which may initially appear ineffective to an Alaska loyalist, it is really the other.
American Airways miles can simply be used to ebook Alaska Airways flights, which means you could by no means even must step on American Airways steel to get extra worth out of this card past lounge entry. That stated, there are some nice itineraries that mix Alaska and American Airways flights.
For instance, you can ebook a one-way business-class ticket from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to Heathrow Airport (LHR) for 57,500 miles plus $5.60 in taxes and costs. When you had been to ebook this itinerary with money, you’d pay $3,483. That is a price of 6 cents per level.
When you usually fly domestically, there’s loads of availability there, too. You possibly can ebook a nonstop financial system flight on Alaska by way of American from Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS) to San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) for 12,500 miles plus $5.60 in taxes and costs.
When you had been to ebook with money, this flight would price $304, netting you 2.4 cents per level in worth. That is nice for a home financial system flight.
To study extra about what American Airways miles are value, try our full information to the AAdvantage program.
How you can earn American Airways miles
For a restricted time, you may earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first three months from account opening with the AAdvantage Govt. That is a ton of miles to make use of towards Alaska flights, and even an American flight or two if you happen to discover an amazing deal.
Apart from its welcome bonus, this card provides easy incomes charges that will help you rack up extra American miles. You will earn 10 miles per greenback spent on resorts booked by aadvantagehotels.com and automotive leases booked by aadvantagecars.com. Plus, you may earn 4 miles per greenback spent on different American Airways purchases and 1 mile per greenback spent on every little thing else.
When you spend $150,000 a yr or extra on this card, you will earn 5 miles per greenback spent on American Airways purchases as an alternative of 4 by the top of the calendar yr.
Whereas I usually do not advocate utilizing this card for non-American Airways purchases, if incomes miles towards award flights on Alaska is on the high of your precedence record, it could make sense to tug this card out for sure purchases. That is very true if you happen to’re making a purchase order that does not fall beneath a bonus class coated by considered one of your different playing cards.
Associated: How I exploit Seats.aero day-after-day to search out the very best airline award availability in seconds
Different helpful advantages
Regardless of being an American Airways-branded card, the AAdvantage Govt has extra advantages you should utilize with out reserving a flight.
When you usually lease vehicles in your holidays, you will take pleasure in this card’s rental automotive assertion credit score. You’ll be able to earn as much as $120 again yearly on eligible pay as you go leases from Avis or Funds. Simply remember that you will must ebook your rental on-line to obtain the credit score.
If renting a automotive is not one thing you often do, this card can nonetheless assist offset your transportation prices. You’ll be able to obtain as much as $120 again every year for Lyft rides. It’s important to take three rides to obtain your $10 month-to-month credit score, so this profit is greatest for many who naturally use Lyft a number of occasions a month.
Lastly, you may obtain as much as $10 every billing assertion for Grubhub purchases. That is nice for anybody who likes to order takeout, even simply from time to time. To make your credit score stretch additional, order pickup as an alternative of supply.
Whereas these credit are lifestyle-dependent, they’ll nonetheless present outsize worth for anybody who can simply reap the benefits of them.
A simple credit score for any traveler to make use of is that this card’s TSA PreCheck/World Entry utility charge credit score. Even when you have already got TSA PreCheck or World Entry, you should utilize your AAdvantage Govt to pay for another person’s utility.
Lastly, this card provides a variety of essential journey protections. You do not have to fly with American Airways to make use of these protections, to allow them to assist safeguard your subsequent flight with Alaska. Journey cancellation and interruption safety, misplaced baggage insurance coverage, and journey delay safety are a number of essential advantages that you would be able to depend on.
Backside line
To get Alaska lounge entry with a regular membership, you’d must pay $595 a yr. For a similar worth, you will get Alaska, Admirals Membership and Qantas lounge entry; American Airways miles to make use of for Alaska flights; assertion credit; and journey protections with the AAdvantage Govt.
It is a no-brainer for any Alaska loyalist to noticeably think about making use of for the AAdvantage Govt. It is an effective way to supercharge your subsequent Alaska flight, particularly because it’s at the moment providing an elevated 100,000-mile welcome bonus. Plus, if you happen to’re ever inquisitive about attempting American Airways, this card is prepared in your pockets that will help you out.
To study extra, try our full evaluation of the Citi / AAdvantage Govt.
Apply right here: Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard
