The Alaska Airlines Visa® Classic Card, issued by Bank of America, is designed for those who travel frequently on Alaska Airlines or any of its partner airlines.
Through the reward program, cardholders earn one mile for every dollar spent on the card that can be applied to Alaska Airlines or any of its airline partners (American Airlines, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon Air, KLM, Lan Chile, Northwest Airlines, or QANTAS). Cardholders can also earn up to ten miles for every dollar spent at selected restaurants. 3,000 bonus miles are applied to the account once approved and accumulated miles do not expire as long as there is activity on the account within a three-year period. There is also a 50,000 yearly limit on miles that can be earned.
In addition to the reward program, cardholders can expect common benefits offered by Bank of America, such as up to $100,000 in travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance, and online account access.
The interest rate applied to purchases and balance transfers is reasonable for a reward card, though not ideal for those who plan to carry a balance. The annual fee is about average for an airline reward card. However, there is a minimum cap of 19.99% for cash advances, so no matter how low the Prime Rate falls (the APR is tied to the Prime Rate), the interest rate will not go below the minimum cap.
Therefore, those who can pay in full each month (to avoid finance charges) and will be able to redeem a free ticket within a two-year period (due to the annual fee), will benefit most from what the Alaska Airlines Visa® Classic Card has to offer.
Individuals with very good credit may want to consider the platinum card, which offers various additional benefits to cardholders for a higher annual fee.
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