Link: Apply now for the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card
The Alaska Airlines Business Visa Card, issued by Bank of America, has a nice welcome bonus and fantastic perks for holding onto the card.
While you can read my detailed review of the Alaska Airlines Business Card, below I wanted to share eight reasons you should consider applying for this card.
In this post:
1. Welcome bonus of 40K Alaska miles
The Alaska Visa Business Card offers a welcome bonus of 40,000 Mileage Plan miles after spending $2,000 within 90 days. That’s just part of the bonus, and I’ll talk about the rest of the bonus below.
That is a nice chunk of miles, but I consider Alaska Mileage Plan miles to be the single most valuable mileage currency in terms of the value per mile. I value Alaska Mileage Plan miles at 1.7 cents each, so those 40,000 miles are worth $680.
Mileage Plan miles are so valuable thanks to the ability to redeem them for travel on a unique selection of airline partners, and also since you’re allowed a free stopover even on one-way tickets. For example, I’ve redeemed just 70,000 Mileage Plan miles for a first-class Japan Airlines ticket from Tokyo to Chicago. With the world increasingly starting to open up again to global travel, partner redemptions and stopovers are once again practical.
2. Alaska companion certificate as part of bonus
In addition to a welcome bonus of 40,000 Mileage Plan miles, the Alaska Visa Business Card also offers an Alaska companion fare the first year upon completing minimum spending. Historically you only start receiving this on the first anniversary, but with this offer, you get one in the first year as well.
You’ll just have to pay $99 plus taxes and fees, which start at just $22.
3. Alaska companion certificate every year on anniversary
Every year on the account anniversary of the Alaska Visa Business Card you’ll receive an Alaska companion certificate. You’ll just have to pay $99 plus taxes and fees, which start at just $22, so you’re looking at a $121+ fare for the second passenger.
The card has just a $75 annual fee (if you have a single cardholder — $50 for the business and $25 per cardholder), and so in the end, you’re paying under $200 per year for a companion certificate, which is an excellent deal.
Here’s the thing — there are quite a few airlines that offer companion certificates in one form or another, but in my opinion, the Alaska companion certificate is by far the most generous:
- It’s valid on any Alaska Airlines economy fare
- You can use it for a one-way, roundtrip, multi-city, etc.
- The companion earns miles and can even be upgraded
- The cardholder doesn’t even have to be the one to use it; you can use it for someone else, as long as you pay for the ticket with a card in your name
This benefit alone should be a reason to hold onto the card long term, in my opinion.
4. Applying for the Alaska Business Visa doesn’t count toward 5/24
Chase has the 5/24 rule, which is a restriction whereby you typically won’t be approved for a Chase card if you’ve opened five or more new card accounts in the past 24 months. If this is a limit you’re trying to stay under, applying for most business cards, including the Alaska Visa Business Card, shouldn’t count toward that limit.
That’s because the card won’t show up on your personal credit report, which is another reason to consider this card.
5. Free checked bag on Alaska Airlines
If you fly Alaska Airlines with any frequency, the Alaska Business Visa offers a free checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six other passengers on the same reservation. Alaska charges $30 per checked bag, so this could save you up to $420 per roundtrip itinerary.
6. Buy Alaska Lounge access for $25
Just for having the Alaska Business Card you can receive a 50% discount on an Alaska Lounge day pass. This ordinarily costs $50, so you’re paying just $25 for a pass to an Alaska Lounge, which is a very good deal. These lounges have snacks, complimentary drinks, and more. A couple of drinks at an airport bar could easily otherwise cost you more than $25.
For someone who only flies Alaska Airlines once in a while, this could be a much more economical option than buying an Alaska Lounge membership.
7. 20% back on Alaska Airlines inflight purchases
For having the Alaska Visa Business Card you can receive 20% back on Alaska inflight purchases, including for the purchase of food, drinks, and Wi-Fi. If you fly Alaska with any frequency, the value of this could quickly add up.
8. 3x miles on Alaska flights
The Alaska Visa Business Card offers 3x miles for every dollar spent on Alaska Airlines purchases.
While there are some other credit cards that offer up to 5x points for airfare purchases, I’d note that Alaska miles are a special currency that many find to be extremely valuable, and the program doesn’t partner with the major transferable points currencies.
Many may prefer to put their Alaska spending on this card because earning 3x Alaska miles is a very solid return.
Bottom line
The Alaska Visa Business Card has a reasonable annual fee, and offers a welcome bonus of 40K miles plus an Alaska companion certificate, making this a nice card to consider applying for.
This is also a card worth holding onto long term, given the companion certificate you get every year. I consistently get value out of that, and it’s why I like always having an Alaska Airlines credit card.
If you have the Alaska Business Visa, what has your experience been with the card?
I applied for the card back in November and got immediate approval. Since I really do have a business, we spent $3,600 by January. Still waiting for the points to post here in April. Alaska blames BofA, BofA blames Alaska and I am still battling to get these points awarded.
I flew Alaska Air 2 weeks ago, and they were doing a promo where if you pick up their credit card application inflight, with an employees ID on it, you can get a signup bonus of 62k (extra 2k). You don't physically need to take the flight, just need to know the employee and their ID to put on the application.
Is the fact that the Chase 5/24 limit does not apply because it is a B of A credit card?
@ Roger McManus -- Generally speaking business card applications don't count toward the Chase 5/24 limit, if you're hoping to pick up a Chase card in the future. That's because business cards typically don't show on your personal credit report, and that's how the number of new accounts you've opened in the past 24 months is determined. Hope that makes sense, and let me know if you have any other questions.
are these companion passes able to be used for flights to Alaska and Hawaii?
@ Victor -- Yep, they sure are, so you can travel quite far with them.
I find Alaska miles to be really hard to use effectively these days with the ongoing lack of flights to Asia, crazy surcharges on BA metal, and award capacity limitations on AA metal. Also, their website has a nasty habit of displaying multi-segment itineraries with the long-haul segment in coach when you search for a business award. Even Delta tends to offer better long-haul award options lately.
@ Joe -- I hear you, though with Australia having reopened, with much of Asia reopening, and with both Japan and Hong Kong now allowing transit passengers, I do think that Mileage Plan miles are more valuable than they've otherwise been in the past two years. You can't beat the redemption values on Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Qantas.
Just got instant approved. BoA has given me problems in the past.
i usually use miles to fly. How can I pay for then use with FF ticket or give to someone to use. Do they have to fly with me??? Can they fly with someone else? I assume I can buy the tickets with my card and they can reimburse me???
At any rate. Love Alaska.
@ J R Stewart -- Congrats! Are you talking about the companion certificate or the miles as such? If you're talking about redeeming miles, you can redeem those for others, and you don't have to be traveling. If you're talking about the companion certificate, you can redeem it for others out of your Mileage Plan account, as long as you're paying for the ticket with your card.
Re: "Just for having the Alaska Business Card you can receive a 50% discount on an Alaska Lounge day pass." - Does this mean that I don't have to use the card to get the 50% discount?
@ TravelerMike -- You do have to pay for lounge access with the card in order to get the 50% discount.
BofA is hard to tell about approvals although Alaska cards seem easier maybe?
No limit on # of cards or recent ones at BofA.
BofA Business division difficult; few data points and hard to locate your business card online with BA site.
@ tassojunior -- Personally I've found Alaska cards are fairly easy to get approved for, whether business or personal. Sometimes seems easier than other Bank of America cards.
Lucky - as a suggestion, can you start including the card issuer on all your cr card reviews? Helps a lot to know if folks can even qualify for the card (e.g. I thought this was Chase, but unsure... and had to scroll down to the 5/24 section to know for sure. Whereas, if it was in the first line i.e. Alaska Airlines Business Visa Card, issued by Chase, .... I would have known straight away that I couldn't get it for a few months!
@Khati, the card is issued by Bank of America and not Chase. Therefore, if you are over 5/24 you could still be eligible as long as you meet Bank of America's credit card rule limits which are dependent on whether you have a banking relationship with them or not.
@ Khatl -- Useful feedback, and will make sure I include that going forward. Thanks. This is a Bank of America card.
I think the Alaska Lounge perk on these cards is oversold. In Seattle, signs are out often that no day passes are being offered due to crowding.