In December 2024, Alaska Air Group announced plans to launch a new premium credit card as of the summer of 2025. While we’re still awaiting all the official details of the new card, the company has announced that it will be launching in August 2025, so we’re just weeks from this new card coming to market.
Let’s cover everything we do know about this new premium credit card, as some of the perks have been revealed over time.
In this post:
What we know about Alaska’s new premium credit card
Alaska Airlines and Bank of America have a co-branded credit card portfolio, which currently consists of one personal card and one business card. That will be expanding as of August 2025.
Alaska Mileage Plan will launch a premium credit card with a $395 annual fee. The card is described as being built for the global traveler, and perfect for those looking to get the most out of the expanded Alaska Air Group network (with Alaska having acquired Hawaiian). While details are limited, Alaska has dropped some hints about what we can expect:
- The card will offer a brand new annual Global Companion Award Certificate just for having the card, and a second one for completing spending on the card
- The Global Companion Award Certificate will be valid for travel on Alaska and partner airlines in any class of service; there will be a cap on the value, though it’ll be possible to top it off with mileage
- Cardmembers will receive one Global Companion Award Certificate just for having the card, and can earn a second one for completing a certain amount of spending
- The card will offer waived award fees; we’re talking about the $12.50 partner award booking fee, and not fuel surcharges
- The card will offer 3x miles on all eligible foreign purchases and dining purchases; foreign purchases include purchases made in a foreign currency, and US dollar transactions, if processed outside the United States
- The card will offer a faster path to Mileage Plan elite status
- The card will offer Alaska Lounge passes and inflight Wi-Fi passes
- The card will offer same-day confirmed fee waivers
There’s also lots to like about redeeming Mileage Plan miles. The introduction of a premium credit card is in addition to previously implemented Mileage Plan changes for 2025, like being able to earn elite status for partner award flights.
I’m excited about Alaska’s premium credit card
While there are still more questions than answers about Alaska’s new premium credit card, I’m very excited based on what we know so far. This seems like a truly innovative product — I can’t say I’m surprised, as Mileage Plan is a well run program. A few things stand out to me about the card:
- The Global Companion Award Certificate is perhaps the most exciting development here; while there will be a cap on the value, even a fairly low cap would more than offset the annual fee for most people
- 3x miles on all foreign purchases is potentially incredibly lucrative, and is making my mind race with all the possibilities; we’ve never seen a card bonus foreign purchases in this way
- I redeem a lot of Mileage Plan miles for travel on partners (particularly American), so being able to save $12.50 per award will quickly add up
- Alaska is increasingly leaning into offering elite status through credit card spending, so I’m curious how good the card’s value proposition is for that
We should learn all the details soon, but based on what we know so far, it sounds like the card could have quite a strong value proposition.
Bottom line
In late 2024, Alaska Airlines announced plans to launch a premium credit card, with a $395 annual fee. We now know that this card will launch as of August 2025.
The card should offer a variety of unique benefits, from a global companion award certificate, to 3x miles on foreign purchases, to a faster path to elite status, to waived award fees, and more. I’m really excited to learn the exact details of the new card, as the folks at Alaska (and particularly at Mileage Plan) are a bright and innovative bunch…
What are you expect from Alaska’s new premium credit card?
@ Ben Schlappig, any idea if earning mileage will get more benefits? I currently earn quite a bit with my HA card and will apply for one with AS as soon as the new ones are offered, just wondering which one will benefit someone who flies only once a year but earns tons of miles? Mahalo
I wonder if the benefits will be worth it or the lower card would be better. Many premium cards recently are less appealing than the lower end cards. Usually the companion certificate requires you to pay full fare which often makes it less or no value.
1. Does the companion award pass work on partner airlines assuming the inventory is available?
2. On AS/HA metal will they make the inventory available at the same rate?
@ Watson -- It's supposed to be valid for travel on partner airlines. I don't imagine they'll open extra award space on AS/HA metal, though. As far as the details go, we'll have to stay tuned!
"I redeem a lot of Mileage Plan miles for travel on partners (particularly American), so being able to save $12.50 per award will quickly add up"
Fantastic. Now remind us how high some of the redemptions are such as Starlux as an example.
This HNL-based flyer is highly interested! The current companion fare is a bust for me because most flights I find that are eligible are more expensive and/or require 1+ layovers when there might be direct flights that are not eligible for the companion fare.
What’s on offer for solo travelers ?
I have been holding on to applying for AMEX Platinum Card. I checked this afternoon my Bonus was 150K points. No Thank you to that after reading about Alaska Premium Card.cannot wait!
Alaska plans to merge Mileage Plan and Hawaiian Miles into the new Atmos program in October, which considering the remarkable and relatively new lack of BA and JL premium award seats when AA has them available (and at lower price points in almost all markets) is Atmos-t a waste of time, money, and loyalty.
What are the good Mileage Plan redemptions and sweet spots?
@ Atlflyer -- See here:
https://onemileatatime.com/guides/redeem-alaska-mileage-plan-miles/
Thank you!
Realistically, domestic flights on AA. Award availability on international business class is almost non existent.
I was just thinking about this card today and wondering when it would get launched. So I was glad to come across this.
I've never had a BoA card or account but I'm familiar with their 2/12 rule. I'm currently at 1/12 and wondering if opening an account with them would help my approval odds or not.
Looks like no priority pass or TSA Pre?
@ polarbear -- Hasn't been announced, though that's not to say it won't be offered. I'd speculate that Priority Pass is unlikely, while TSA PreCheck/Global Entry is more likely.
I was more surprised it didn't include lounge membership, just "passes", which sounds very limiting. Another reason to stick with the AA Exec card instead...
Any idea what bank will hold the card?
@ BG -- Bank of America, just like the existing portfolio.
Do you have new intel re the launch date?
Heard it might get pushed back a month.
@ Ralph -- During Alaska's Q2 2025 earnings presentation, the airline announced the August 2025 launch.
3x foreign miles is a game-changer. Would probably even offer the benefit I get from 5x flights on Plat.
3x foreign is a game changer only if there are no foreign transaction fees for the card. Might be the card to buy foreign airline miles with if they are sold outside the points.com monopoly?
Yes, I noted the conspicous absence of any mention of foreign transaction fees. It would be very disappointing if they offset the 3x benefit with a 3% FTF.
Hopefully it will be launched with a huge sign on bonus, like 100K AS miles.
And a pony.
@Tom Got me laughing with that one!
Any idea what the cap on the companion would be? Great that they are allowing any class of service (the companion cert on the current card is worthless to me since its Y only). Depending on what they cap it at this could be a no-brainer card.
@ Ryan -- We don't know yet, but we should find out soon!
@Ben - Does the global companion pass work for both cash and award redemption?
@ Al -- It'll be usable exclusively on award flights.
I'm mostly curious about the lounge access.. Will the lounge passes be separate from Alaska Lounge and Lounge+ membership? If so, how many passes will be given?
And I wish there were an option to upgrade to Lounge+ with an extra fee. None of Alaska lounges have a shower which I take as the priority after a long-haul or redeye flight.
@ S_LEE -- Those are all great questions, but sadly nothing along those lines has been revealed just yet. We should learn more soon!
I don't see anything saying that the card won't have FX fees. So having bonus points on foreign purchases would be a way of offsetting those fees, albeit with a different psychology. That structure seems to be more common in other countries.
@ JG -- While nothing has officially been stated, I would bet with 99.9999999% certainty that a new premium credit card launching in 2025 won't have foreign transaction fees, especially when the less premium version of the card doesn't have them.
Looks promising. Certainly an upgrade on the previous card.
Ben, on a slightly related note, are you booking most of your transatlantic AA metal flights with AA or AS points these days?
@ Redacted -- Great question! The short answer is that I don't fly American that much across the Atlantic, so most of my Alaska redemptions on American are domestic or short haul international.
When I do fly American across the Atlantic, I typically use Alaska miles if I'm just flying American, and I use American miles if mixing partners.
@Ben, that makes sense, thank you! Trying to decide the best way to check out the new 787 cabin. Last-minute seat availability with AS seems decent right now.
@ Redacted -- Yep, availability does seem pretty good, and Mileage Plan has very good pricing, so I think that's the way to go.