Which credit card should you use for Alaska Airlines flights?

If you’re about to book an Alaska Airlines flight, you may be wondering which credit card will help you earn the most rewards and enjoy benefits like free checked bags.

Alaska Airlines is part of the Atmos Rewards loyalty program, along with Hawaiian Airlines. It offers three Bank of America credit cards: two personal cards and one business card.

But those aren’t your only options. In fact, other transferable rewards cards could provide stellar earnings on Alaska Airlines flights.

We’ve compiled a list of the best credit cards to use for booking Alaska flights. Here’s a breakdown of the top options.

Comparing the best credit cards for Alaska Airlines flights

Here is a quick overview of the best cards for Alaska Airlines flights, along with their earning rates and benefits.

Card name	Earning rate on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights	Value of the rewards earned*	Alaska- and Hawaiian-related benefits from the card	Annual fee
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6951?pid=6951&name=Atmos%E2%84%A2%20Rewards%20Ascent%20Visa%20Signature%C2%AE%20credit%20card&issuer=Bank%20of%20America” target=”_blank”>Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card</a></strong>	3 points per dollar spent	4.5 cents	<ul> <li>Annual Companion Fare ($99 fare, plus taxes and fees from $23)</li> <li>First checked bag free for you and up to six companions on the same reservation</li> <li>Preferred boarding for Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines</li> <li>20% back on inflight purchases**</li> <li>$100 off an Alaska Lounge+ membership</li> </ul>	$95
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6338?pid=6338&name=Atmos%E2%84%A2%20Rewards%20Visa%20Signature%C2%AE%20Business%20Card&issuer=Bank%20of%20America” target=”_blank”>Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card</a></strong>	3 points per dollar spent	4.5 cents	<ul> <li>Annual Companion Fare ($99 fare, plus taxes and fees from $23)</li> <li>First checked bag free for you and up to six companions on the same reservation</li> <li>Preferred boarding for Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines</li> <li>20% back on inflight purchases**</li> <li>$100 off an Alaska Lounge+ membership</li> </ul>	$70 for the company and $25 for each card issued
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/oc/10987?pid=10987&name=Atmos%E2%84%A2%20Rewards%20Summit%20Visa%20Infinite%C2%AE%20Credit%20Card&issuer=Bank%20of%20America” target=”_blank”>Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card</a></strong>	3 points per dollar spent	4.5 cents	<ul> <li>Annual Global Companion Award with the ability to earn another after meeting a spending requirement</li> <li>Eight annual Alaska Lounge passes (two per quarter)</li> <li>First checked bag free for you and up to six companions on the same reservation</li> <li>Preferred boarding for Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines</li> <li>20% back on inflight purchases**</li> </ul>	$395
<a target=”_blank” href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/reviews/hawaiian-airlines-world-elite-mastercard-review/”><strong>Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®</strong></a>	3 points per dollar spent	4.5 cents	<ul> <li>One-time 50%-off companion discount</li> <li>Two free checked bags**</li> </ul>	$99
<a target=”_blank” href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/reviews/hawaiian-airlines-business-card-review/”><strong>Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®</strong></a>	3 points per dollar spent	4.5 cents	One-time 50%-off companion discount	$99
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/oc/22504813?pid=22504813&name=American%20Express%20Platinum%20Card%C2%AE&issuer=American%20Express” target=”_blank”>American Express Platinum Card®</a></strong>	<span style=”vertical-align: inherit;”>5 points per dollar spent (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)</span>	10 cents	None, but you can choose Alaska Airlines as your preferred airline to cover up to $200 per year in <a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/choosing-your-amex-platinum-200-airline-fee-credit/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>airline incidental statement credits</a> for things like checked baggage or preferred-seat fees (enrollment required)	$895 (see <a href=”/tc/22504813?pid=22504813&name=American%20Express%20Platinum%20Card%C2%AE&data-testid=ratesFees” target=”_blank”>rates and fees</a>)
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/oc/221211836?pid=221211836&name=Chase%20Sapphire%20Reserve%20PID&issuer=Chase” target=”_blank”>Chase Sapphire Reserve®</a> </strong>(see <a href=”/tc/221211836?pid=221211836&name=Chase%20Sapphire%20Reserve%20PID&data-testid=ratesFees” target=”_blank”>rates and fees</a>) <p> </p>	4 points per dollar spent (or 8 points per dollar if booked through <a target=”_blank” href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/ultimate-rewards-travel-portal/”>Chase Travel℠</a>)	8.2 cents (or 16.4 cents)	None, but you can offset your purchases with the $300 in <a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-reserve-annual-travel-credit/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>annual travel credits</a> offered on the card	$795
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/oc/10652?pid=10652&name=Citi%20Strata%20Premier%C2%AE%20Card&issuer=Citi” target=”_blank”>Citi Strata Premier® Card</a> </strong>(see <a href=”/tc/10652?pid=10652&name=Citi%20Strata%20Premier%C2%AE%20Card&data-testid=ratesFees” target=”_blank”>rates and fees</a>)	3 points per dollar spent	5.7 cents	None	$95
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/american-express/reviews/american-express-green-card-review/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” data-schema-attribute=””>American Express® Green Card</a></strong>	<span style=”vertical-align: inherit;”>3 points per dollar spent</span>	6 cents	None	$150
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/capital-one-venture-x-rewards-credit-card/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card</a></strong>	2 miles per dollar spent (or 5 miles per dollar if booked in the <a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/capital-one-travel-portal/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Capital One Travel</a> portal)	3.7 cents (or 9.3 cents if booked through Capital One Travel)	None, but you can offset some of your purchases with the $300 <a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/capital-one-venture-x-travel-credit/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>annual travel credit</a> available when booking through Capital One Travel	$395

*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated with TPG’s February 2026 valuations and not by the card issuer.

**Must pay with the card to receive benefits.

The information for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite, Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business and American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Which card should you use for Alaska Airlines flights?

If bonus perks are what you’re looking for, the Atmos Rewards cobranded cards are your best bet. This is because you’ll receive a free checked bag, preferred boarding, and a discount on inflight purchases when flying with Alaska and using one of these cards.

Note that you also get two free checked bags on Alaska flights when using the personal Hawaiian Airlines card.

an Alaska Airlines plane flies over clouds and hills — ALASKA AIRLINES

Now, if you never check a bag with Alaska and don’t prioritize priority boarding, you’ll generally earn more rewards with a transferable points card that earns bonus points on airfare. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 4 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with an airline. Cards that earn transferable points may also offer more comprehensive travel protections than Atmos Rewards cards.

The same sentiment holds true if you hold elite status on Alaska, American Airlines or another Oneworld carrier. With elite status, you’ll receive free checked bags and priority boarding (along with other perks, depending on your tier of status), regardless of the card you buy your ticket with. A card with these perks wouldn’t be as impactful for status holders.

Bottom line

An Atmos Rewards card is likely the best option for frequent Alaska flyers. That’s because you’ll get a free checked bag, inflight discounts and access to preferred boarding that can help outweigh the card’s annual fees.

But if you have Alaska elite status and would rather earn transferable points, one of the other cards we listed here may be a better choice.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.