Small business credit cards often provide excellent ways for cardholders to earn rewards on their business purchases. Many of the best business credit cards focus on travel rewards and benefits, which can help you save money on business-related travel expenses. Show
The Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card can fill a specific role for small business owners who frequently fly with Alaska Airlines or one of its partners. This Alaska Airlines Business credit card review will help you decide whether this card would be a good fit for you. Who should get the Alaska Airlines Business credit card?The Alaska Airlines Business credit card makes the most sense for business owners who often travel for work. This card offers rewards for your business purchases, which can be redeemed for award flights or hotel stays. Alaska Airlines has a large presence on the West Coast, so it’s easier to find nonstop flights in this region of the U.S. However, Alaska Airlines also partners with other major airlines to offer flexibility with your bookings. Still, if you aren't a frequent flyer on Alaska Airlines or its partners, you might consider one of the best airline credit cards that partners with a different airline to better suit your flying needs. If Alaska Airlines works for your flight destinations, consider applying for the Alaska Airlines Business credit card. Cardmember perks like free checked bags and an annual companion fare can help you save loads of money on flights you regularly plan to take. Card basics
Alaska Airlines Business credit card benefits and perks
Drawbacks to the Alaska Airlines Business credit card
Earning and redeeming Mileage Plan milesBest ways to earnThe most efficient way to earn Mileage Plan miles with this card would be to use it on any Alaska Airlines flights, though you’ll also earn a lower rate on other purchases. You can earn 3X miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases. 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 or dine through applicable Mileage Plan portals. So it’s possible to continue earning valuable Mileage Plan miles even when you aren’t purchasing Alaska Airlines flights.
Maximizing your redemptionsThe Alaska Airlines Business credit card earns miles within the Mileage Plan rewards program. This program offers multiple redemption options for your miles, including:
Using your miles for award flights will likely offer you the best value for your redemptions compared to the other available options. For example, a $99 one-way flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Portland, Oregon, could be only 5,000 miles, which is about 2 cents per mile ($99 / 5,000 = 0.0198). However, one night at the Hyatt Regency Denver could cost you $104 or 16,600 miles, which is about 6 cents per mile ($104 / 16,600 = 0.006265). The award flight offers much better value for your miles than the award hotel stay, so you can maximize your redemptions if you stick to award flights that offer good value. Alaska Airlines Business credit card transfer partnersThe Mileage Plan miles you earn with the Alaska Airlines Business credit card can be used to book flights with loads of Alaska Airlines transfer partners. This increases your redemption options for award flights to worldwide destinations. Many of the best travel credit cards earn rewards that can be redeemed with travel partners, which improves the flexibility of your points and miles. You can book most Mileage Plan award flights, including with partner airlines, online through the Alaska Airlines website. Award travel with Cathay Pacific and LAN must be booked through Alaska Airlines reservations at 1-800-252-7522. Here are Alaska Airlines’ global airline partners:
Alaska Airlines Business credit card FAQsThe Alaska Airlines Business credit card is an excellent card option for business owners who want to save money on business travel expenses. This card earns bonus miles on all purchases, though eligible Alaska Airlines purchases will earn the most miles. In addition, you also get benefits like free checked bags and an annual companion ticket after your cardmember anniversary. You likely need an excellent credit score to qualify for the Alaska Airlines Business credit card. An excellent FICO score is between 800 to 850, whereas an excellent VantageScore is above 780. Do you need a business to get the Alaska Airlines Business credit card?You need a legitimate business to get the Alaska Airlines Business credit card. However, many forms of earned income can be considered a business. This could include babysitting, selling items online, or doing freelance work on the side. How does the Alaska Airlines companion ticket work?The Alaska Airlines companion ticket allows eligible cardholders to add a round-trip companion fare to another identical Alaska Airlines itinerary being booked at the same time. The companion fare costs at least $121 ($99 plus at least $22 in fees and taxes). Companion fares cannot be used for award travel or combined with other discounts. Credit cards like the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card and Alaska Airlines Business credit card have the companion fare benefit. Does the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card have an annual fee?The Alaska Airlines Business credit card has an annual fee of $50 and an additional $25 every year for each employee card issued. Compared with many travel credit cards, this is a small price to pay. Especially when you consider benefits like free checked bags and an annual companion fare. Other cards to considerThe Alaska Airlines Business credit 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 the first $150,000 spent each year on travel, shipping, internet, cable, or phone services, and advertising purchases with social media and search engines. 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 transfer partners, like World of Hyatt and Southwest Rapid Rewards. 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 $295 annual fee, but it can offer plenty of value with its earning potential and benefits. You can earn 4X Membership Rewards points for the first $150,000 spent in two select categories each year (after that 1X), and 1 point per $1 spent on other eligible purchases. Also, if you book flights using Amex Travel and the Pay with Points option, you’ll get 25% of your points back. Author Details
Ben Walker, CEPF Ben Walker, CEPF, is a credit cards and travel writer at FinanceBuzz who loves helping others achieve their travel goals through financially sound decisions. For over a decade, he has been using credit card points and miles for the sole purpose of traveling the world. Ben is a Certified Educator of Personal Finance and has been featured in The Washington Post, MSN, Debt.com, and Finder.com. How hard is it to get the Alaska Air credit card?The Alaska Airlines Credit Card credit score requirement is 700 or better. That means people with at least good credit have a shot at getting approved for the Alaska Airlines Credit Card.
What does my credit score need to be to get a airline credit card?Airline cards — and travel cards in general — typically require good or excellent credit scores, meaning 690 or higher.
What Bank does Alaska Airlines use for their credit card?The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, issued by Bank of America®, stands out from much of the airline-card competition for one major reason: It offers an annual Companion Fare, which allows you to get a ticket for a traveling partner for just $121 ($99 plus taxes and fees from $22) once a year.
Are airline credit cards hard to get approved for?In general, co-brand airline credit cards are some of the easiest credit cards to get. For most cards, you need a credit score in the mid 600s, but 670 or above is best. Even if your score is only above 600 but not quite 670, you still have good approval odds for cards that don't have an annual fee.
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