Alaska airlines Mileage Credit card

[2rocky]

So to finance my hunt applications and expenses in 2022, I took out a Alaska air mileage card with an introductory 0% APR. I'm getting ready to pay it off before the Interest charge starts, and I'm wondering if I should keep the card.

My Mileage points is about 13,000. It's not a lot. A room in Reno for one night would use that up
The annual fee goes up to $95 per year in March. I can Refuse the Fee, and the card would close.

I have a Southwest Mileage card which i have used many times and redeemed a great deal of mileage. Southwest is a nonstop carrier to the City where I have family and will be going soon. I will keep that card for all my Autopay bills...

Thoughts on the Value of a CC with miles or cash back ? I have seen a Citibank card with $0 fee with Costco, and 4% back. I spend about $3600 a year at costco...

 

[MarvB]

We keep one “travel related” CC that gives an extra kicker to travel related expenses like hotels and flights. Everything else goes on the Costco card like yours. I can always use the $$ back to chip in on the travel expenses the other might not cover.
Our fee I believe on the travel card is $90 and I think it’s money well spent and we come out ahead on the 2-3 major trips we take each year

 

[BackofBeyond]

Against my gut instinct, wifey talked me into getting a Costco card this year. Between the 4% back at Costco, 4% back on Costco gas (which is the cheapest around here by a fair margin) and 2% back on everything else it more than pays for itself. Hell, just getting the 4% back on our Costco grocery bill every month makes it pencil, especially if you have the money back membership.

 

[44hunter45]

YMMV


I use the Alaska Air card because Alaska is where I want to travel the most. Being in the PNW, they also go most places I would want to go.
Are the points earned worth the annual fee? Because of the baggage perks, I save that much in baggage fees in one flight. This is especially true when flying with a tote or fish boxes.

We put virtually everything on this card and I have over a 100k miles. So the math works out for me.

If I were more likely to be chasing Coues Deer in AZ, I might go with the SW card if the perks were right.

I also carry the IHG (Holiday Inn) rewards card. $70/ per year guarantees me a free room per year, plus points, and it keeps me at their Platinum membership clip level.
That guarantees a room with 24 hours notice. Since the average Holiday Inn room for the places I go is more than $100, the card pays for itself.

Against my gut instinct, wifey talked me into getting a Costco card this year. Between the 4% back at Costco, 4% back on Costco gas (which is the cheapest around here by a fair margin) and 2% back on everything else it more than pays for itself. Hell, just getting the 4% back on our Costco grocery bill every month makes it pencil, especially if you have the money back membership.

Did that back when they had the Amex card. Now that they take VISA, all the Costco stuff goes on the Alaska Air CC.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Flying to AK in April on my miles. Love that card. I punted that useless Cabelas card 15 years ago and never looked back. Flown to AK a bunch on the new card.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Like others have said AK card shines if you’re flying to AK a bunch.

Last summer I think I saved ~$3000 by having the card, baggage fees, companion fair, points for a ticket.

So worth the $95 for me… probably not all that great for lots of folks.

But if you don’t fly a lot I’d get a card that gives you benefits on stuff you use… get rewarded for spending money at places you already going to spend money. Nerd Wallet has great card reviews.

 

[David58]

The $95 on the card pays for itself very quickly when you consider that you get a free bag for each of the folks in your party if the tix are bought with the card. Paid for in one round trip, one suitcase.
If you have the annual $99 companion fare, you are doing even better - once a year you can haul someone along with you for $99. Pencils out well for us since kids live in the NW, and we can fly direct from Albuquerque.
Those two benefits pay for the card.

David
NM

 

[ashersdad]

Fly me and my boys every summer to Alaska to fish on points for next to no $. Come home with several coolers of fish every year for no baggage fee.

My wife has the card as well so one trip a year we use the companion fare and the four of us fly for the price of two plus a little.

For where we travel the card is well worth it.

 

[Bambistew]

The wife and I both have one, mostly have it for the companion ticket and other last minute discounted ticket (20% off)s. I think with the fees the companion ticket is like $120 plus the annual fee you're into a ticket for $200 which is usually 1/3 of a normal ticket for us. I fly quite a bit for work, and purchase tickets with it for that to get the bonus 50% or what ever it is. At times when they're running specials I'll pony up another $100 and get the 2 for one miles or what ever it is at the time.

We used to use it a lot, but use a Costco card now. the 4% back is worth more than the airline miles, but also have the AA card, just don't use it much. I think they're offering 70k miles with it now, not sure how much you have to spend, but its probably not that much.

 

[Dave N]

Wife and I both have it. We've used the companion fare a couple times, it's a pretty good deal. Free baggage is a nice perk. Flown for free a couple times. Only cost around $12 I think for fees. Signed up for the Mileage Plan Shopping and going through that site got more miles from various stores when I bought stuff. They have different multiples of miles per dollar awarded. Refer a friend gets you bonus miles when they are approved. I've done that a few times with other Hunttalkers who wanted the card.

 

[belshawelk]

I am almost a 2mm flier with Alaska. In their top 2% of fliers. I have had the card since day one. iMO it’s the best mileage card out there if you want to be on one airline. Bank of America sucks so I put everything on the card except any hunting or gun related stuff.

 

[homers]

Here's my credit card strategy; I charge almost all daily purchases to my cards and pay off the balance in full each month. I sign up for cards to get their points bonuses, like Chase Sapphire Reserve, preferred, Capital One Venture and Venture X, etc. Yes, they all have annual fees, but the freebies benefits usually include free TSA precheck, $200 annual hotel credit, $300 annual travel credit, etc. which brings the annual fee down to less than $50 in most cases. The sign on bonuses require to spend $3k or so in the first 3-6 months (depending on card), you get easily $600 - $2000 return on those points. Can transfer to airline programs or hotel programs to book using those points. I cancel and move on to other cards to keep those bonuses coming in multiple times throughout the year.

 

[JEL]

We have it just for the companion fare. Easily pays the fee.

 

[NEWHunter]

So to finance my hunt applications and expenses in 2022, I took out a Alaska air mileage card with an introductory 0% APR. I'm getting ready to pay it off before the Interest charge starts, and I'm wondering if I should keep the card.

My Mileage points is about 13,000. It's not a lot. A room in Reno for one night would use that up
The annual fee goes up to $95 per year in March. I can Refuse the Fee, and the card would close.

I have a Southwest Mileage card which i have used many times and redeemed a great deal of mileage. Southwest is a nonstop carrier to the City where I have family and will be going soon. I will keep that card for all my Autopay bills...

Thoughts on the Value of a CC with miles or cash back ? I have seen a Citibank card with $0 fee with Costco, and 4% back. I spend about $3600 a year at costco...

Consider buying $500 Alaska Air gift cards at Costco for $450 with the Costco CC

Also, if you don’t like to hassle with multiple cards, the Citi Double Cash Card is good. We run six or seven cards in our house to maximize rewards . . .

 

[COEngineer]

I just converted my AK Air CC to a non-fee card (they have several options) because I haven't flown in 3 years.

 

[MtnElk]

Really depends on your lifestyle. For me the United Mileage Plus is a no brainer. I'm in a United hub city and my family lives in the other big United hub. Also, they offered a huge kicker of miles to sign up my business as well. With the travel I do for work and combined monthly personal and business spending, the wife and I should have plenty of miles to fly first class back and forth to NZ for our eventual honeymoon... whenever we make time for that ha

But if you don't travel a lot, the airline cards don't make a lot of sense. And the cash back cards are the better option.

 

[jryoung]

We run most of our business off the AK card and it has been awesome. Granted my monthly spend can outstrip most individuals annual spend so I'm in rare territory, but the buddy pass/companion fare and a ticket or two a year can make it worth it for a modest spender especially if you get strategic and spend with point multipliers.

Beyond the card AK is a great airline, especially on the west coast. On board they've been pretty generous too with drinks/snacks. Twice last year they asked for medical professional, my wife got up to help, barely did anything and each time she got a free ticket.

 

[blueridge]

My wife and I have family in AK and my son and I apply there, so for me it was a no-brainer. I use it as my business card for construction materials and accrue miles faster than I can use them. We have an Amazon card for personal expenses.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I run absolutely everything on my Alaska card. Fly to Alaska twice a year. Other places as well. Works well for us.

 

[homers]

Assuming you can payoff your charges in full each, grab the 60k-150k sign up bonuses on cards not tied to a single airline or hotel.