Guide
Ryan Smith
Contributor
Ryan is a former TPG credit cards writer who has been around points and miles for several years and has published content at Miles to Memories, AwardWallet and The Points Guy. His wife joins him on many of his trips, and they enjoy snowboarding, diving, and seeing animals in the wild. When not traveling, Ryan is probably answering questions from his family about how he travels so much and whether this points & miles stuff is illegal.
Jan. 10, 2023
•
8 min read
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Before booking your next Alaska Airlines flight, you might wonder which credit card to use. Is the one that reads "Alaska" on the front your best option, or should you pay with a different card?
Alaska Airlines has two credit cards — both issued by Bank of America — that could make sense. However, you may be better off with a general travel rewards card.
Let's compare these credit cards to see what your best option is for booking Alaska flights.
Comparing credit cards for Alaska Airlines flights
Here's a look at some popular credit card options for Alaska flights, including what you would earn from these payment methods and any benefits they offer during the flight:
| Card name | Earning rate on Alaska Airlines flights | Value of the rewards earned* | Alaska-related benefits from the card | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card | 3 miles per dollar. | 4.59 cents. | First checked bag free for you and up to six companions on the same reservation. 20% back on inflight purchases when paying with your card. | $95 |
| Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card | 3 miles per dollar. | 4.5 cents. | First checked bag free for you and up to six companions on the same reservation. 20% back on inflight purchases when paying with your card. | $70 for the company and $25 for each card issued. |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | 5 points per dollar (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). | 10 cents. | None, but you can choose Alaska Airlines as your preferred airline to cover up to $200 per year in airline incidental credits for things like checked baggage or preferred seat fees. | $695 (see rates and fees). |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | 3 points per dollar (or 5 points per dollar if booked via the Chase travel portal). | 6 cents (or 10 cents). | None, but you can offset some of your purchases with the $300 in annual travel credits offered on the card. | $550. |
| American Express® Green Card | 3 points per dollar. | 6 cents. | None. | $150 (see rates and fees). |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | 2 miles per dollar (or 5 miles per dollar if booked in the Capital One Travel portal). | 3.7 cents (or 9.25 cents). | None, but you can offset some of your purchases with the $300 annual credit available when booking with Capital One Travel. | $395. |
* Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer.
The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Which card should you use for Alaska Airlines flights?
Alaska's own credit cards have traditionally offered few incentives for booking Alaska-operated flights. Sure, you'd earn 3 Alaska miles per dollar spent. However, you wouldn't enjoy priority boarding, and the checked bag benefit is associated with your Mileage Plan account, not the Alaska credit card. This means that you could use another card for the flight — like one with trip delay reimbursem*nt or baggage delay insurance — and still enjoy a free bag for you and up to six travel companions on the same reservation.
(The lone exception is Alaska's Companion Fare, which does require you to purchase the ticket with your Alaska Visa.)
Related: How my unused Alaska Companion Fare saved a co-worker nearly $700 on summer travel
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However, this will change on March 1, 2023. In order to use the checked bag benefit after that date, you must use your Alaska card for the ticket.
That said, it isn't all bad news. This benefit will now extend to authorized users on the Alaska Visa, even when they're not traveling with the primary cardholder. In addition, both the primary cardholder and authorized users will enjoy priority boarding on Alaska-operated flights — though again, the Alaska card must be used to purchase the ticket to invoke these perks.
Note that the Alaska card also comes in handy for inflight purchases, as you'll receive 20% back as a statement credit when you use it for these transactions.
So what (exactly) do these changes mean?
If you're booking an Alaska flight and plan to check a bag, the Alaska Airlines Visa may be the best option. Doing so will also activate the new priority boarding perk on the card.
On the other hand, if you never check a bag with Alaska and don't care about priority boarding, a general travel card may be a better option. This also holds true for anyone with elite status on Alaska, American Airlines, or really any Oneworld carrier. That's because you're entitled to free checked bags and priority boarding (along with other perks, depending on your tier of status) — regardless of the card you swipe for the ticket.
Related: Your complete guide to Oneworld alliance benefits
Bottom line
Alaska Airlines miles are worth 1.53 cents apiece according to TPG's latest valuations — one of the highest-valued airline mile in our estimations. Earning these miles on purchases can represent a great return on spending, which is why the Alaska Airlines Visa card could be a great option for booking Alaska flights.
In addition, starting March 1, 2023, you'll need to use this card for your trip in order to check a bag for free and enjoy priority boarding.
However, if these perks aren't of value to you or you'd otherwise prefer earning flexible, transferable points on these purchases, you may want to use a travel rewards credit card that isn't affiliated with Alaska — especially if it offers additional travel protections for your trip.
Also in this series:
- Which credit card should you use for Wyndham stays?
- Which credit card should you use for American Airlines flights?
- Which credit card should you use for United flights?
- What credit card should you use for IHG stays?
- Which credit card should you use for Hyatt stays?
- Which credit card should you use for Hilton stays?
- Which credit card should you use for Marriott stays?
- Can I cash out my points, and is it worth it?
- Should my partner get their own card or be added as an authorized user?
- Which card should I use for flights in case things go wrong?
- Does paying the taxes and fees on award flights trigger trip protections?
- The best airline credit cards
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Green card, click here.
Updated as of 4/18/2024.
Featured image by
CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
