Travel credit cards, including the Alaska Airlines card, provide rewards and perks that can add up to hundreds of dollars each year.
Consider whether the benefits of travel credit cards make them worthwhile for you, along with your spending habits, and whether a co-branded or specialized card might make more sense for your spending needs.
Bonuses
Travel credit cards provide many rewards, from airline and hotel bonuses to airport lounge access, travel insurance coverage, and no foreign transaction fees. The value of these bonuses can help offset annual card fees, so it pays to compare sign-up offers and redemption rates across various travel cards before selecting one for yourself.
Some credit cards offer bonus points in specific spending categories, like dining or ridesharing services, while others provide complimentary elite status in hotel or airline frequent flyer programs as a complimentary perk.
Travel credit cards differ from other reward cards in that they can often earn you a rebate on airfare when redeeming points or miles through their booking portal. Furthermore, these cards often include other perks to make traveling more comfortable such as airline boarding pass priority and the option to bypass baggage lines at busy airports; plus, they may even cover lost or delayed luggage!
Extra perks
Some travel cards provide extras such as free checked bags and priority boarding that more than offset their annual fees, while some even include an annual statement credit for airline incidentals.
Cardholders have the choice between general travel cards and co-branded travel cards, both of which offer flexible ways of earning and redeeming reward points. Co-branded cards give cardholders access to loyalty programs which may increase the value of rewards earned.
Consider what features matter most to you when choosing a travel card. Cardholders can benefit from features like no foreign transaction fees and up to $100 of travel credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck membership and lounge access.
In addition, many cards provide purchase protection, extended warranties, and other insurance policies as well as extra features that make traveling simpler – like offering free checked bags or in-flight snacks & drinks; you can compare each card’s list of add-ons. This can make traveling more comfortable. You can visit this site for the top travel destinations in the US for ideas on where to visit next!
Annual fee
Many travel credit cards provide generous sign-up bonuses that can be applied toward free flights or hotel stays, but interest charges could devalue these bonuses over time. To maximize the potential of your card, pay your balance off completely each month to maximize its use.
Bonus categories, redemption options, and benefits differ between cards; choose one that best meets your spending needs. Airline cards may earn reward points in your desired airline’s program while hotel cards may enhance your travel experience by providing complimentary stays or upgrades in accommodations.
As much as travel credit cards with annual fees may seem costly, they can offer significant returns on your investment.
Not for everyone
Travel credit cards may offer great rewards, but they might not be suitable for everyone. If you do not plan on flying often or using airline or hotel card benefits like free checked bag benefits or anniversary night certificates, cash-back cards could be more suitable options.
Premium travel cards typically require good to excellent credit, defined as having a FICO(r) score of 670 or above. If your score falls below this mark, consider taking steps to build or improve it before applying for one of these credit cards. Click the link: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/what-is-a-credit-score to learn more about credit scores.
You also must ensure you can meet minimum spending requirements on welcome offers of hundreds or even thousands of dollars; so, it is essential to know your budget and travel habits before selecting one.
One such option is the Alaska Airlines card; below, we will look at some of the benefits of this travel card.
Unique Perks
The Alaska Airlines Visa card provides an impressive sign-up bonus and a range of additional benefits, including three miles earned for every dollar spent directly on Alaska flights and two earned on gas, cable TV, streaming services, and local transit (including ride-hailing apps) purchases.
This is not the only benefit of this card. The Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card provides one complimentary checked bag per cardholder plus up to six guests as well as the chance of earning targeted bonus miles by booking award flights through partner airlines. It also offers generous expiration policies in comparison with some competitors’ offerings.
Alaska Airlines credit cards offer exceptional value to frequent Alaska Airlines flyers, and its new rewards rates are particularly advantageous to West Coast residents who fly at least occasionally with Alaska.
However, Alaska Airlines credit cards do have some drawbacks that should be considered when considering them as a viable travel credit option. They only cover certain airline routes so it may not be beneficial if your travel takes you outside Alaska’s route network.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles can be redeemed for flights on Alaska Airlines and partner airlines.
