Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card review

With a generous intro bonus and 3x rewards rate on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases along with 2x rewards on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit including rideshare purchases, the Alaska Airline Visa Business card is a great business rewards card option for small-business owners trying to boost their travel rewards. The annual companion fare (after spending $6,000 in purchases within the anniversary year) and free checked bag for you and six other guests on the same reservation make this card a great choice for group travel, despite its higher-than-average annual fee.

Modest sign-up bonus

The Alaska Airlines Business card recently changed its sign-up bonus, making it slightly less lucrative for new cardholders. New Alaska Airlines Business cardholders can get 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in your first 90 days as a cardholder. Previously, this offer was 50,000 miles and a $100 statement credit with the same spend amount and time frame.

However, the new offer still comes with Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™, which allows you to purchase one round-trip coach ticket when you travel with another person (on a paid published coach airfare on the same itinerary, booked at the same time) starting at $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23). This welcome offer has been as high as 70,000 miles in the past, so now may not be the best time to apply if you’re looking for a new travel card. Still, if you’re a loyal Alaskan Airlines customer, the card is certainly worth its weight with the Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare alone.

Typical rewards rate

After the intro bonus, the rewards rate on the Alaska Airline Visa Business card is comparable to other airline cards. You’ll earn the most rewards by choosing Alaska Airlines flights, so frequent flyers of the airline have the most to gain from choosing this card.

The good news is the card has no miles limit, and your miles don’t expire on active accounts. So even with an average reward rate, you’ll have time to save up for larger redemptions.

Redeem rewards with airline partners

When you are ready to redeem miles for flights, the Alaska Airline Visa Business card allows you to choose flights available from multiple travel partners, including British Airways, American Airlines, Emirates and Korean Air.

However, there are a few limitations to this perk. You’ll only be allowed one partner airline per ticket and can’t combine to hunt for a better deal. The booking fee is also slightly higher with partner flights, and you don’t get the free checked bag.

If you’d rather use your miles to book your hotel stay, the mileage plan includes over 400,000 properties, and you’ll get a bit of a discount.

Bring a friend with the annual companion fare

Each year on the anniversary of opening an account, business owners can earn an additional reward of a discounted companion fare, starting at $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) after spending $6,000 in purchases within the anniversary year. The fare is valid for any Alaska flight booked on alaskaair.com. Furthermore, it comes with no blackout dates and adds extra rewards value to your miles.

This can be a great option if you often bring someone along on work trips. But keep in mind that miles can’t be transferred to other accounts, so if sharing miles is a priority this might not be the best card for you.

Larger annual fee with each employee card

The $70 base annual fee for the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card is not bad for its class, but you’ll add an additional $25 per employee card. So, if you need to issue cards even to just a few extra employees, your fee will quickly skyrocket.

This card can still be a great deal for a business owner, but if you have more than one employee who needs their own card, you’ll want to consider a business card with a smaller authorized user fee. Some, like the Capital One Spark Miles for Business and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express don’t charge you anything for additional cards.

Additional business benefits

To help you build your business credit, manage spending and prevent fraud, the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card also protects users against unauthorized purchases by employees. You’ll be able to customize spending limits for each employee to ensure your money is secure. Plus, you’ll get a free FICO credit score each month to ensure your credit is on track.

The card also comes with no foreign transaction fees, a great bonus for international business travel.

Why get the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card?

• You are a frequent flyer on Alaska Airlines and can maximize rewards.
• You live on or frequently travel to the Pacific Coast.
• You often bring a group on business travel and will use the companion fare every year.
• You will benefit from tools for customizing employee spend limits.
• You don’t need to add many authorized users to your account.

How to use the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card:

• Book flights with Alaska Airlines to earn the most rewards.
• Issue as few cards as possible to keep down the annual fee.
• Take advantage of the checked bag benefit to save on group business travel.