Alaska Airlines Business credit card Review 2023

Packed with more meat than a bear at an upstream salmon run, small business owners who frequently fly Alaska Airlines’ routes should hightail it to the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card
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The information for the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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Alaska Airlines Business credit card basics

• Annual fee: $70 per company and $25 per card. 
• Welcome bonus: 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. 
• Rewards: 3 miles per $1 on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles per $1 on eligible gas, shipping and local transit including rideshare purchases and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. 
• APR: 21.24% to 29.24% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of 4% of the amount of each transaction applies. 
• Recommended credit score: Excellent.
• Other benefits: Annual access to Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 base fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $6,000 on purchases within the prior anniversary year, free checked bag for the cardholder and up to six guests on the same reservation, priority boarding for cardholders, discount on an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership. 

Alaska Airlines Business credit card review

The Alaska Airlines Business card is a match for a small business owner who flies several times a year around the West Coast. The card’s companion fare perk alone will likely make the card’s $70 per company and $25 per card annual fee worth it to those who frequently fly the routes served by the airline. 

Other valuable extras include a free checked bag for the cardholder and up to six guests when flights are booked on the same reservation and paid for with your card, priority boarding for any cardholder when you pay for your flight with this card, $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership and 20% back on Alaska Airlines inflight purchases when you pay with the card. 

The card earns rewards at a just-ok rate of 3 miles per $1 on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles per $1 on eligible gas, shipping and local transit including rideshare purchases and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. The real star of the show with this card is the annual companion fare benefit each account anniversary, which allows you to take a companion on a round trip domestic flight for as low as $122 ($99 base fare plus taxes and fees from $23), after spending at least $6,000 on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Cardholders who have an eligible Bank of America® small business account will also get a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases. 

But due to the limited flight routes for people not based on the West Coast, this card falls flat for anyone outside of the West Coast or who doesn’t travel frequently to an Alaska Airlines hub. 

Where the Alaska Airlines program really shines is when it comes to mile redemptions, which allow for domestic one-way fares as low as 4,500 miles. This means if you live near an Alaska Airlines hub you could use the miles earned just from the card’s welcome bonus for multiple round-trip domestic flights.

If you’re in the market for an airline credit card and can fly Alaska’s routes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option in this price range with as many valuable benefits and features.

Pros

• Companion fare: Get Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare each account anniversary if you’ve spent $6,000 or more on your card within the prior anniversary year — which allows you to have a companion fly with you round trip in coach for a $99 fare plus taxes and fees starting at $23. 
• Free checked bag: Cardholders and up to six of their guests booked on the same reservation qualify for a free checked bag, worth $30 (increasing to $35 in 2024) per person, per trip.
• Excellent redemption rates: Alaska Airlines’ mileage redemption program, known as Mileage Plan, holds a lot of value as redemption fares start as low as 4,500 miles. 

Cons

• Limited routes: This card will be of very limited use to someone to flyers in the Midwest, South or on the East Coast.
• Low base rewards rate: Outside of Alaska Airlines purchases, the rewards rate on spending is mediocre.
• No status boost: Unlike many other airline status programs, you won’t get a status boost with Alaska Airlines from holding the card or meeting a minimum spending requirement.

Alaska Airlines Business credit card rewards

The welcome bonus for the Alaska Airlines Business credit card is 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

For ongoing rewards, cardholders earn:

• 3 miles per $1 on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 on eligible gas, shipping and local transit including rideshare purchases.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a business in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has around $25,087 in annual expenses that can be charged to a credit card. Here’s how our sample business’ rewards could break down:

For putting your business spending on the Alaska Airlines Business card you’d earn 30,472 miles in rewards annually, based on our estimates. 

So, what could you get for those rewards? At the time of this writing, that’s almost enough for three round-trip domestic flights per year.

If you’re based in Seattle, you could use 13,000 miles to escape the cold and spend a week in sunny Phoenix in January. Using your miles on this flight would cost you $11.20 in taxes and fees, but you’ll save $216.59 by using your miles instead of paying cash. 

Next, you could book another flight that summer for a weekend getaway to San Francisco for 10,000 miles and $11.20 in fees. This would save you $206.60 by paying with your miles instead of cash.

In this example, you’ve now gotten two round-trip flights for a cost of 23,000 miles and $22.40 in fees. You’ve saved a total of $423.19 compared to paying cash and you still have 7,472 miles left over which you can use for a one-way flight or save up for another round-trip flight. 

In addition to redemptions through Alaska Airlines, you can also redeem your miles with airlines in the oneworld® alliance, including:

• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Fiji Airways
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• SriLankan Airlines

Alaska Airlines also partners with a number of additional airlines beyond oneworld.

Companion fare perk

In addition to valuable flight redemptions, Alaska Airlines Business cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening and can continue to earn another companion fare at every account anniversary as long as they spend at least $6,000 on purchases within the prior anniversary year.

The companion fare allows you to fly with the companion of your choice on the flight of your choice on any domestic round trip coach fare. This can be incredibly valuable depending on the flights you want to take someone on.

A round trip flight from Seattle to Hawaii for Christmas vacation would cost $1,637 per passenger at the time of writing, for example. You can book a companion fare for someone to go with you for as low as $122 ($99 base fare plus taxes and fees from $23). The companion fare alone can more than cover the annual fee on this card, as long as you’re able to use it. 

How the Alaska Airlines Business credit card compares to other business cards 

Alaska Airlines Business credit card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
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The information for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Alaska Airlines Business credit card and the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
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The information for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

(terms apply) both come with annual fees under $100 making either card a solid choice for business owners who travel frequently — but not frequently enough to justify an expensive, premium travel card.

The Delta SkyMiles Business Gold carries a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 annual fee and earns 2 miles per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Delta, on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media, U.S. shipping purchases and restaurants and 1 mile per $1 on other purchases. Effective 1/1/24, the U.S. shipping and U.S. advertising categories will have a cap of $50,000 in eligible purchases per category, per year. The welcome offer is 50,000 miles after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first three months of card membership.

Both cards offer a free first checked bag, but Delta flies significantly more routes, which makes it a clear winner for people who fly all over the country. However, Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare makes it a better value, as long as you’re flying routes where you’ll be able to use it. Which card is right for you depends more on where you live and where you fly, due to Alaska Airlines’ smaller route footprint. 

Alaska Airlines Business credit card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The $95-annual-fee Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

making it price-competitive with the Alaska Airlines Business credit card. 

The Ink Preferred earns 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

The Ink Preferred has a higher spending requirement to earn the welcome bonus, but it also awards a generous amount of points if you can hit that spending target: 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

A feature that makes the Ink Business Preferred particularly valuable to travelers who aren’t tied to one specific airline or alliance is that it earns transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. Chase partners with more than a dozen popular airline and hotel loyalty programs, and cardholders can transfer their points at a 1:1 rate.

Unless you’re loyal to Alaska Airlines and want perks specific to that airline, the Ink Business Preferred is probably a better choice for your business. 

Alaska Airlines Business credit card vs. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
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The information for the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
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The information for the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

(terms apply) and the Alaska Airlines Business credit card are both business cards with relatively low initial spending requirements for a welcome bonus, but the similarities end there. 

The Amex Blue Business Cash card earns straight cash back: 2% cash back on all eligible purchases (automatically rewarded via statement credits), up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Plus, the card charges no annual fee.

Business owners who need to finance a big-ticket purchase can appreciate the Blue Business Cash card’s intro APR offer, which the Alaska Airlines Business card lacks: 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, then a 18.49% to 26.49% variable APR.

Finally, new applicants opening the Blue Business Cash can earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first three months of card membership. It’s not as generous a welcome bonus as the Alaska Airlines Business card offers, but may be more useful if your business does not require travel very often.

If you’re not sure how often you’ll fly and would rather have more cash to reinvest back into your business, go with the American Express Blue Business Cash. This card keeps things simple by automatically redeeming your cash-back rewards as statement credits. If you live near an Alaska Airlines hub and would like to earn some free or nearly free flights through your business spending, go with the Alaska Airlines Business credit card. 

Is the Alaska Airlines Business credit card worth it?

The Alaska Airlines Business credit card has an annual fee of $70 per company and $25 per card. That fee is clearly worth it if you do any of the following: 

1. Check a bag at least four times a year on Alaska Airlines. You’ll get your first checked bag free and the first checked bag of up to six companions free when traveling under the same reservation. That’s a value of $30 (increasing to $35 in 2024) per person, per bag ($60 round trip, or $70 round trip in 2024).
2. Travel with a companion on a round trip coach flight that would cost at least $217. With Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare, your companion’s fare is as low as $122 ($99 base fare plus taxes and fees from $23). Factor in the annual fee you’re paying and as long as the flight they’re joining you on would have cost at least $217, you’re breaking even. 
3. Take one domestic redemption flight annually on an Alaska Airlines route. With one-way redemptions starting as low as 4,500 miles, your welcome bonus could in theory cover as many as five domestic round-trip flights and still have a few miles left over. This alone has the potential to make the card well worth the annual fee. 

The Alaska Airlines Business credit card is right for you if:

• You’re a business owner who lives on the West Coast or frequently travels to an Alaska Airlines hub and usually needs to check a bag. 
• You want to fly with a companion on an Alaska Airlines route. 
• You’re willing to put all of your business spending on the card and plan to take at least one domestic reward flight annually on an Alaska Airlines route.