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This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as American Express, Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.
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If you’re a small business owner (or a freelancer like myself), you’re probably always looking for ways to save money. With dozens of business credit cards available, it might be hard to cut through the noise and find the right small business credit card.
The Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card is a surprisingly valuable card for small business owners, and currently offers a welcome bonus of 40,000 Alaska Airlines miles after meeting minimum spending requirements. But is the card worth the annual fee? For frugal small business owners, especially those who frequently travel with Alaska Airlines, yes — the card is definitely worth it.
The Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card is worth it if your goal is Emirates first class aboard the Airbus A380. (Photo by Dmitry Birin/Shutterstock)
Is the Alaska Airlines Visa Business credit card worth the annual fee?
The Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card comes with a 40,000 Alaska Airlines miles, plus a Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare, plus taxes and fees from $22) after making $2,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
One major reason the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card is worth it for most small business owners is thanks to the card’s low annual fee. At $75 a year for the fee, it’s hard to find a similar card with this level of sign-up bonus and travel benefits at a lower annual cost. Here are a few reasons why small business owners will find the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card to be worth that fee.
Straightforward earning rates
The Alaska Airlines Visa Business card might not feature dozens of earning categories, but I would argue this is actually a benefit of the card. There are only two earning categories:
3 miles per dollar spent directly with Alaska Airlines including tickets, cash upgrades, mileage purchases and other fees incurred over the course of a trip with the airline
1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases including at gas stations, major retailers and at restaurants
Alaska Airlines Companion Fare benefit
Another fantastic benefit that makes The Alaska Airlines Visa Business card worth the $75 annual fee cost is the Alaska Airlines Companion Fare. You will earn the Companion Fare when you open the card and meet the minimum spending requirements, and then each following year you renew your card (AKA, pay the annual fee).
The Alaska Airlines Companion Fare allows you to bring along a guest on any Alaska Airlines flight from just $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22). For their ticket, you’ll pay the $99 Companion Fare fee and any taxes and fees, and the regular price for your own. There aren’t any blackout dates, and it’s good for any Alaska Airlines flight in coach. The ticket will be booked into coach but all flights are eligible for upgrades.
The Alaska Airlines Companion Fare easily justifies the annual fee as you could potentially get over $1,000 in value.
Bring a friend or family member along for free with the Alaska Airlines Companion Fare. (Photo by TZIDO SUN/Shutterstock)
Numerous ways to redeem miles for travel
With lots of partners,Alaska Airlines miles allow you to redeem miles for travel to all six inhabited continents. Here are just a few examples of ways to redeem miles earned with Alaska Airlines.
Fly From New York City to Sydney in business class for just 55,000 miles
Domestic award travel starts at just 5,000 miles
Here’s a full list of Alaska Airlines’ partners you can redeem miles to fly with:
Aer Lingus
American Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Condor
Emirates
Fiji Airways
Finnair
Hainan Airlines
Icelandair
Japan Airlines
Korean Air
LATAM
Qantas
Singapore Airlines
PenAir
Ravn Alaska
We’re still awaiting the ability to redeem Alaska Airlines miles for flights with El Al, though that should be available in the near future. Also to watch for, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines are having a fallout. Don’t expect Alaska Airlines miles to be a handy way to fly American Airlines for much longer.
Alaska Airlines miles are particularly valuable when redeemed on partners for first and business class tickets that would typically cost thousands of dollars. That said, I’ve been able to get four flights out of one sign-up bonus when traveling in coach.
Travel benefits
The Alaska Airlines Visa Business card comes with a few travel benefits. The benefit you will use the most is probably the free first checked bag for you and up to six guests traveling on the same itinerary.
The card also has secondary travel insurance. This includes coverage for travel accidents, on car rentals, for emergency ticket replacement, and in the event of lost luggage. Likely one of the more valuable aspects of the card’s travel insurance coverage is car rental insurance.
Bottom line
Is the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card annual fee worth it? Yes, it’s definitely worth the $75 annual fee, partly thanks to the fantastic bonus of 40,000 Alaska Airlines miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
The card comes with added benefits including:
Straightforward earning rates
Alaska Airlines Companion Fare after qualifying spending the first year, and each year you renew your card
The option to redeem miles for travel on numerous airline partners, including travel in premium cabins
Travel insurance when your trip doesn’t go as planned
The Alaska Airlines Visa Business card’s valuable bonus and ability to earn an unlimited number of miles easily justifies the card’s low annual fee.
Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Intro APR on purchases
N/A
Regular APR
16.24% – 23.24% Variable
Annual Fee
$95
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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