Alaska Airlines Card Changes Announced
If you have the personal Alaska Airlines credit card in your wallet then you probably have received an email listing several changes. Some of these changes are already live, while other with happen in March.
The annual fee is going up and the free bag benefit now requires you to use the card. On the other hand, there are new bonus categories, a 10% miles bonus for having a bank account and the Companion Fare is not changing. Let’s take a look at all the changes.
Increased Annual Fee
Effective March 2023, the annual fee will increase to $95. That’s a $20 increase from the current annual fee of $75.
If you apply before March you will pay the lower annual fee. If you already have the card, then you will pay the new fee on your next anniversary date.
New Bonus Categories
The Alaska Airlines credit card is getting new bonus categories where you can earn 2x miles for every dollar you spend. That includes gas, transit, cable, and select streaming services. These new categories are already live.
You will also continue to earn 3x miles on Alaska Airlines purchases an 1x on all other purchases.
10% Relationship Bonus
You can earn even more with a new relationship bonus. Alaska Airlines cardholders can now earn an extra 10% reward bonus on all miles earned from purchases if they have an eligible Bank of American account. This bonus is also live already.
Free Checked Bag
The free checked bag benefit is changing for the worse. Effective March 2023, you’ll only get a free bag when you pay with the Alaska Airlines credit card.
Previously this benefit applied as long as you were an Alaska Airlines cardholder. That meant that you could book your trip using another credit card with travel insurance and protections such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
This benefit will extend to authorized users as well. It works for the cardholder and up to 6 other passengers traveling on the same reservation.
More Changes
- Priority boarding when you use your card to book. Effective immediately.
- $100 off Alaska Lounge+ Membership (regular price is $550 for Elites and $650 for non-Elites). It will go in effect in march. It will replace the current 50% off day pass benefit.
What’s Not Changing
Alaska Companion Fare will not change. There were rumors that a spending requirement would be introduced in order to earn the Alaska Companion Fare, and thankfully they weren’t true.There’s now a $6,000 spending requirement.- 3X on Alaska purchases
- 20% Inflight Rebate
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You say that there will not be a spending requirement, yet when I click through the offer on Alaska’s website, it is definitely there. $6,000 annual spend to earn the Companion Ticket.
In the first release of card changes it didn’t show the spending requirement for the Companion Ticket. I updated it to reflect the change. Thanks!