* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG\u2019s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.<\/em><\/h6>\n
\nAlaska Airlines has one of the best airline loyalty programs in the world, which makes the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card a surprisingly valuable credit card to carry.<\/p>\n
Alaska Mileage Plan is one of the few frequent flyer programs left where you still earn miles based on the distance flown<\/a> rather than on the price of your ticket, and where you can add free stopovers<\/a> on award flights, even one-way tickets. So you don\u2019t have to purchase expensive first- and business-class fares to rack up a lot of miles.<\/p>\nOn top of that, some of the award prices to fly the airline\u2019s partners are outstanding, like flights to Asia from 70,000 miles in Cathay Pacific<\/a> or Japan Airlines first class<\/a>.<\/p>\nThese factors are why TPG values<\/a> Alaska Airlines miles higher than the miles you can earn with any other major airline. Alaska Airlines is also a part of the Oneworld alliance<\/a> and has an exclusive partnership with American Airlines<\/a>, meaning Alaska miles might come in handy on more than just the airline itself.<\/p>\nIf you don\u2019t already have an Alaska Airlines cobranded credit card, you might want to think about picking one up.<\/p>\n
And right now, you earn 70,000 bonus miles on this card, plus an Alaska Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23), after spending $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. This is the card’s best-ever offer.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a closer look at this card and why you might want to consider applying for it.<\/p>\n
Who is this card for?<\/h2>\n\nHERO IMAGES\/GETTY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nThis is a good business credit card for anyone who travels heavily to or throughout the West Coast or can take advantage of Alaska\u2019s solid network of partner airlines. I have this card and plan on keeping it for the long term because of its valuable ongoing benefits, which I\u2019ll discuss below.<\/p>\n
However, if you\u2019re looking to earn the most rewards for business expenses, there are better options available<\/a>.<\/p>\nAnother nice side benefit of the Alaska Airlines business card is that it won\u2019t limit your ability to get approved for the top Chase credit cards<\/a>. That\u2019s because, as a business credit card, it won\u2019t add to your Chase 5\/24 count<\/a>. You will need a business to qualify for this card<\/a>, but you could qualify as a freelancer<\/a> or independent contractor. That means that driving for Uber\/Lyft, pet sitting or working for a food delivery service<\/a> could make you eligible. And if you\u2019re a sole proprietor, you can use your name as your business name and your Social Security number as your business tax ID.<\/p>\nRelated: Join TPG\u2019s community for small-business owners and leaders<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nSign-up bonus<\/h2>\n\n![\"(Photo](\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.freetls.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2019\/09\/20190924_Alaska-Airlines-A321neo-Economy-SFO-JFK_WCotton-58.jpg\")
WALLACE COTTON\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nAfter spending $4,000 or more in the first 90 days from opening the account, you\u2019ll earn 70,000 Alaska miles and an Alaska Airlines Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23).<\/p>\n
This is the highest publicly available offer we\u2019ve seen on this card. TPG pegs<\/a> Alaska miles at 1.8 cents each, making these miles worth $1,260 in value.<\/p>\nYou can save a few hundred dollars more if you maximize the Companion Fare part of the introductory offer. This companion certificate is valid on all Alaska Airlines flights; you pay just $99 plus the taxes and fees for a companion who is booked on the same round-trip economy reservation as you. When you add that this card has a very reasonable $95 annual fee ($70 for your company and $25 per card), the bonus and benefits start to look even better.<\/p>\n
Related: How my unused Alaska Companion Fare saved a co-worker nearly $700 on summer travel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMain benefits and perks<\/h2>\n
The Alaska Airlines Visa Business<\/a> comes with all of the standard perks you\u2019d expect from a cobranded airline card<\/a> and a few extra benefits.<\/p>\nFirst, the cardholder and up to six guests on the same reservation will get a free checked bag on Alaska Airlines flights when you pay with a card. That\u2019s savings of $60 per person for each round-trip flight. In addition, you\u2019ll get 20% back on inflight purchases<\/a>, including food, beverages and Wi-Fi.<\/p>\nThe card earns 3 miles per dollar on Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on gas, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.<\/p>\n
You’ll also enjoy priority boarding when using this card to pay for your flight and $100 off one Alaska Lounge+ Membership annually.<\/p>\n
Lastly, you’ll earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from purchases if your company has an eligible Bank of America small-business account.<\/p>\n
Related: How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nWhat really makes this card shine, though, is the Companion Fare<\/a> (yes, you get one every year you renew the card and pay its annual fee, not just as part of its sign-up bonus). You get one as part of the current sign-up bonus and another each year after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within your anniversary year.<\/p>\nWith the Companion Fare, you can bring a guest along on any coach Alaska Airlines fare for only $99 plus the taxes and fees (from $23). The cardholder doesn\u2019t need to be one of the travelers, but the flights must be paid for with your Alaska Airlines card<\/a>. Both travelers will earn Alaska miles<\/a> for the flight and are eligible for upgrades, which is great if you have Alaska Airlines elite status<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe fact that you\u2019ll earn a companion certificate every year without having to meet huge minimum spending requirements, and that both flyers are still eligible for mileage earning and upgrades, make this one of the better airline card companion tickets<\/a>. If you travel internationally, it\u2019ll come in handy that this card charges no foreign transaction fees<\/a>.<\/p>\nHow to earn miles<\/h2>\n
When you use the Alaska Airlines business card to make direct Alaska Airlines purchases, you\u2019ll earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible purchases. You’ll also earn 2 miles per dollar on gas, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.<\/p>\n
Because Alaska miles are so valuable, that\u2019s like getting a return of 5.4% on Alaska purchases, 3.6% on those specified categories and 1.8% everywhere else, based on our valuations. That\u2019s a decent rate, but you can do better on airfare purchases<\/a> and everyday spending<\/a> with other cards.<\/p>\nHow to redeem miles<\/h2>\n
For most flights on Alaska Airlines itself, you\u2019ll pay 5,000-12,500 miles each way in economy. This can be a good value, but you can really maximize your Mileage Plan miles<\/a> by redeeming them for flights on Alaska\u2019s partners.<\/p>\n\n![\"(Photo](\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.freetls.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2019\/07\/20190712_Japan-Airlines_First_777-300ER_New-York-Tokyo_SRosen-53.jpg\")
SAMANTHA ROSEN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nAlaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles are a great option if you book an award to Asia or the South Pacific (including Australia and New Zealand).<\/p>\n
You can fly from the U.S. to\/from Asia from only 50,000 miles each way in business class with Cathay Pacific, and you can add in a free stopover (in a hub city) on that ticket. For example, I flew Cathay Pacific business class from Japan to the U.S. and added a free stopover in Hong Kong for a few days.<\/p>\n
Related: Australia has reopened: How to book a trip to Sydney with points and miles<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nThere are also plenty of ways to use Alaska miles to book some of the most difficult awards to find: premium-cabin flights to Australia or New Zealand. You can fly nonstop on American Airlines or Qantas (to Australia) or you can route through Asia on another partner. You could even book Fiji Airways business class from 55,000 miles one-way to New Zealand or Australia and add a free stopover in Fiji<\/a>.<\/p>\nFinally, Singapore Airlines is among the airline\u2019s non-Oneworld alliance partners to look out for. Premium-class award space is hard to come by, but economy awards are plentiful.<\/p>\n
Alternatives to the Alaska Airlines Business card<\/h2>\n
You can also earn Alaska miles with the personal Alaska Airlines Visa Signature\u00ae credit card<\/a>. If you don\u2019t qualify for a business card, the personal version<\/a> might be a good alternative.<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re determined to earn Alaska miles, your options are limited outside of the two cobranded cards. The only flexible points that transfer to Alaska at a reasonable rate are Marriott Bonvoy points<\/a>, and even then the transfer ratio is 3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus when you transfer 60,000 Marriott points at a time. So Marriott credit cards<\/a> can be a good backup option if you want to amass Alaska miles, but they might not be your main tools for doing so.<\/p>\n\n![\"(Photo](\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.freetls.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2019\/02\/Puerto-Rico-Jan-2019_American-Express-Amex-Business-Gold-Credit-Card-11.jpg\")
ISABELLE RAPHAEL\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nAs for travel cards<\/a> not specific to Alaska Airlines that help you maximize your business spending, there are better options. The American Express\u00ae Business Gold Card<\/a>, for example, earns 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar (worth 2 cents each according to TPG valuations<\/a>) on two of the following categories (whichever you spend the most on each month):<\/p>\n\n- Airfare that is purchased directly from airlines.<\/li>\n
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio).<\/li>\n
- U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software and cloud solutions.<\/li>\n
- U.S. gas stations.<\/li>\n
- U.S. restaurants.<\/li>\n
- U.S. shipping.<\/li>\n
- Terms and Limitations Apply<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The 4-points-per-dollar earning bonus is limited to $150,000 in combined purchases from the two categories each calendar year (then 1 point per dollar).<\/p>\n
If the majority of your business expenses fall outside of those specific spend categories, a card such as the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card<\/a> (1.5% back on all purchases) or The Blue Business\u00ae Plus Credit Card from American Express<\/a> (2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) are popular options.<\/p>\nBottom line<\/h2>\n
The Alaska Airlines Visa Business card has a valuable sign-up bonus, a low annual fee and lucrative ongoing perks. For most people, it\u2019s a card that\u2019s easy to justify opening and keeping long-term, but only if you\u2019ll take advantage of the Companion Fare.<\/p>\n
On the downside, this isn\u2019t a great card for rewards on your business spending since it only earns 1-2 miles per dollar for all purchases outside of Alaska Airlines purchases, so make sure you consider that if you\u2019re looking for a higher earn rate across all spend categories.<\/p>\n
Official application link: The Alaska Airlines Visa Business<\/a> card with 70,000 bonus miles, plus an Alaska Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
On top of that, some of the award prices to fly the airline\u2019s partners are outstanding, like flights to Asia from 70,000 miles in Cathay Pacific<\/a> or Japan Airlines first class<\/a>.<\/p>\n These factors are why TPG values<\/a> Alaska Airlines miles higher than the miles you can earn with any other major airline. Alaska Airlines is also a part of the Oneworld alliance<\/a> and has an exclusive partnership with American Airlines<\/a>, meaning Alaska miles might come in handy on more than just the airline itself.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t already have an Alaska Airlines cobranded credit card, you might want to think about picking one up.<\/p>\n And right now, you earn 70,000 bonus miles on this card, plus an Alaska Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23), after spending $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. This is the card’s best-ever offer.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a closer look at this card and why you might want to consider applying for it.<\/p>\n This is a good business credit card for anyone who travels heavily to or throughout the West Coast or can take advantage of Alaska\u2019s solid network of partner airlines. I have this card and plan on keeping it for the long term because of its valuable ongoing benefits, which I\u2019ll discuss below.<\/p>\n However, if you\u2019re looking to earn the most rewards for business expenses, there are better options available<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another nice side benefit of the Alaska Airlines business card is that it won\u2019t limit your ability to get approved for the top Chase credit cards<\/a>. That\u2019s because, as a business credit card, it won\u2019t add to your Chase 5\/24 count<\/a>. You will need a business to qualify for this card<\/a>, but you could qualify as a freelancer<\/a> or independent contractor. That means that driving for Uber\/Lyft, pet sitting or working for a food delivery service<\/a> could make you eligible. And if you\u2019re a sole proprietor, you can use your name as your business name and your Social Security number as your business tax ID.<\/p>\n Related: Join TPG\u2019s community for small-business owners and leaders<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n After spending $4,000 or more in the first 90 days from opening the account, you\u2019ll earn 70,000 Alaska miles and an Alaska Airlines Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23).<\/p>\n This is the highest publicly available offer we\u2019ve seen on this card. TPG pegs<\/a> Alaska miles at 1.8 cents each, making these miles worth $1,260 in value.<\/p>\n You can save a few hundred dollars more if you maximize the Companion Fare part of the introductory offer. This companion certificate is valid on all Alaska Airlines flights; you pay just $99 plus the taxes and fees for a companion who is booked on the same round-trip economy reservation as you. When you add that this card has a very reasonable $95 annual fee ($70 for your company and $25 per card), the bonus and benefits start to look even better.<\/p>\n Related: How my unused Alaska Companion Fare saved a co-worker nearly $700 on summer travel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The Alaska Airlines Visa Business<\/a> comes with all of the standard perks you\u2019d expect from a cobranded airline card<\/a> and a few extra benefits.<\/p>\n First, the cardholder and up to six guests on the same reservation will get a free checked bag on Alaska Airlines flights when you pay with a card. That\u2019s savings of $60 per person for each round-trip flight. In addition, you\u2019ll get 20% back on inflight purchases<\/a>, including food, beverages and Wi-Fi.<\/p>\n The card earns 3 miles per dollar on Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on gas, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.<\/p>\n You’ll also enjoy priority boarding when using this card to pay for your flight and $100 off one Alaska Lounge+ Membership annually.<\/p>\n Lastly, you’ll earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from purchases if your company has an eligible Bank of America small-business account.<\/p>\n Related: How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n What really makes this card shine, though, is the Companion Fare<\/a> (yes, you get one every year you renew the card and pay its annual fee, not just as part of its sign-up bonus). You get one as part of the current sign-up bonus and another each year after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within your anniversary year.<\/p>\n With the Companion Fare, you can bring a guest along on any coach Alaska Airlines fare for only $99 plus the taxes and fees (from $23). The cardholder doesn\u2019t need to be one of the travelers, but the flights must be paid for with your Alaska Airlines card<\/a>. Both travelers will earn Alaska miles<\/a> for the flight and are eligible for upgrades, which is great if you have Alaska Airlines elite status<\/a>.<\/p>\n The fact that you\u2019ll earn a companion certificate every year without having to meet huge minimum spending requirements, and that both flyers are still eligible for mileage earning and upgrades, make this one of the better airline card companion tickets<\/a>. If you travel internationally, it\u2019ll come in handy that this card charges no foreign transaction fees<\/a>.<\/p>\n When you use the Alaska Airlines business card to make direct Alaska Airlines purchases, you\u2019ll earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible purchases. You’ll also earn 2 miles per dollar on gas, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.<\/p>\n Because Alaska miles are so valuable, that\u2019s like getting a return of 5.4% on Alaska purchases, 3.6% on those specified categories and 1.8% everywhere else, based on our valuations. That\u2019s a decent rate, but you can do better on airfare purchases<\/a> and everyday spending<\/a> with other cards.<\/p>\n For most flights on Alaska Airlines itself, you\u2019ll pay 5,000-12,500 miles each way in economy. This can be a good value, but you can really maximize your Mileage Plan miles<\/a> by redeeming them for flights on Alaska\u2019s partners.<\/p>\n Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles are a great option if you book an award to Asia or the South Pacific (including Australia and New Zealand).<\/p>\n You can fly from the U.S. to\/from Asia from only 50,000 miles each way in business class with Cathay Pacific, and you can add in a free stopover (in a hub city) on that ticket. For example, I flew Cathay Pacific business class from Japan to the U.S. and added a free stopover in Hong Kong for a few days.<\/p>\n Related: Australia has reopened: How to book a trip to Sydney with points and miles<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n There are also plenty of ways to use Alaska miles to book some of the most difficult awards to find: premium-cabin flights to Australia or New Zealand. You can fly nonstop on American Airlines or Qantas (to Australia) or you can route through Asia on another partner. You could even book Fiji Airways business class from 55,000 miles one-way to New Zealand or Australia and add a free stopover in Fiji<\/a>.<\/p>\n Finally, Singapore Airlines is among the airline\u2019s non-Oneworld alliance partners to look out for. Premium-class award space is hard to come by, but economy awards are plentiful.<\/p>\n You can also earn Alaska miles with the personal Alaska Airlines Visa Signature\u00ae credit card<\/a>. If you don\u2019t qualify for a business card, the personal version<\/a> might be a good alternative.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re determined to earn Alaska miles, your options are limited outside of the two cobranded cards. The only flexible points that transfer to Alaska at a reasonable rate are Marriott Bonvoy points<\/a>, and even then the transfer ratio is 3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus when you transfer 60,000 Marriott points at a time. So Marriott credit cards<\/a> can be a good backup option if you want to amass Alaska miles, but they might not be your main tools for doing so.<\/p>\n As for travel cards<\/a> not specific to Alaska Airlines that help you maximize your business spending, there are better options. The American Express\u00ae Business Gold Card<\/a>, for example, earns 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar (worth 2 cents each according to TPG valuations<\/a>) on two of the following categories (whichever you spend the most on each month):<\/p>\n The 4-points-per-dollar earning bonus is limited to $150,000 in combined purchases from the two categories each calendar year (then 1 point per dollar).<\/p>\n If the majority of your business expenses fall outside of those specific spend categories, a card such as the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card<\/a> (1.5% back on all purchases) or The Blue Business\u00ae Plus Credit Card from American Express<\/a> (2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) are popular options.<\/p>\n The Alaska Airlines Visa Business card has a valuable sign-up bonus, a low annual fee and lucrative ongoing perks. For most people, it\u2019s a card that\u2019s easy to justify opening and keeping long-term, but only if you\u2019ll take advantage of the Companion Fare.<\/p>\n On the downside, this isn\u2019t a great card for rewards on your business spending since it only earns 1-2 miles per dollar for all purchases outside of Alaska Airlines purchases, so make sure you consider that if you\u2019re looking for a higher earn rate across all spend categories.<\/p>\n Official application link: The Alaska Airlines Visa Business<\/a> card with 70,000 bonus miles, plus an Alaska Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\nWho is this card for?<\/h2>\n
Sign-up bonus<\/h2>\n
![\"(Photo](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/thepointsguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/20190924_Alaska-Airlines-A321neo-Economy-SFO-JFK_WCotton-58.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024px&ssl=1\")
Main benefits and perks<\/h2>\n
How to earn miles<\/h2>\n
How to redeem miles<\/h2>\n
![\"(Photo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thepointsguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/20190712_Japan-Airlines_First_777-300ER_New-York-Tokyo_SRosen-53.jpg?fit=1410%2C1058px&ssl=1\")
Alternatives to the Alaska Airlines Business card<\/h2>\n
![\"(Photo](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/thepointsguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Puerto-Rico-Jan-2019_American-Express-Amex-Business-Gold-Credit-Card-11.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024px&ssl=1\")
\n
Bottom line<\/h2>\n