Alaska Airlines Visa Payoff Calculator (2026)

Card data, May 13, 2026

• Issuer: Bank of America (Alaska Airlines co-brand)
• Network: Visa Signature
• APR: 21.24% to 29.24% variable
• Annual fee: $95
• Rewards:
  • 3x miles on Alaska Airlines purchases (flights, in-flight purchases, vacation packages)
  • 2x miles on eligible local gas, dining, and grocery purchases
  • 1x miles on all other purchases
• Annual Companion Fare: From $122 ($99 plus required taxes and fees, starting at $23) after $6,000 in annual spend on the card; redeem for a second round-trip Alaska Airlines ticket when the primary ticket is bought with the card
• Free checked bag: First checked bag free for the cardholder and up to 6 companions on the same reservation
• Sign-up bonus: Varies; typical recent offer is 60,000 to 70,000 Alaska miles plus a Companion Fare voucher after $3,000 in purchases in first 90 days
• Foreign transaction fee: 0%
• Intro APR offer: None
• Late fee: up to $40
• Penalty APR: None
• Minimum payment: 1% of balance plus interest and fees, with a $35 floor
• Typical FICO floor for approval: 700

Source: Alaska Airlines Visa terms, verified 2026-05-13.

TL;DR

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature is a niche but high-value airline card for two specific cohorts:

1. Travelers who live in the Alaska Airlines route network (Pacific Northwest, California, Alaska, Hawaii, and select Mountain West and East Coast hubs)
2. Travelers who value Alaska’s oneworld alliance access for premium-cabin redemptions (Cathay Pacific First Class, Japan Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Qsuites)

Outside those cohorts, the card is hard to justify. The 3x on Alaska only matters if you fly Alaska. The 2x on dining and grocery is matched by no-fee cards. The 1x base rate is below average.

What pencils the $95 fee is the annual Companion Fare. A second round-trip ticket for $99 plus taxes, paired with a primary ticket of $250 to $500, saves $150 to $400 a year if you fly Alaska as a couple even once annually. That alone covers the $95 fee 1.5x to 4x over.

For balance carriers, the APR of 21.24% to 29.24% with no intro 0% offer makes this an expensive card to carry. There is also no balance transfer special; use BankAmericard for transfers.

Math worked example

$5,000 balance at 25% APR (mid range), $250 per month payment:

• 25 months to payoff
• $1,455 in interest
• Total cost: $6,455 + 2 years of $95 annual fee = $6,645 (assuming the Companion Fare is used both years to offset)

The Companion Fare typically saves $200 to $400 per year on Alaska flights when used. For a household that already flies Alaska regularly as a couple, the savings exceed the annual fee, making the net cost of the card negative.

For a household that does not use the Companion Fare, the $95 annual fee is a real cost on top of any interest, and the card is not worth carrying.

What the Companion Fare actually delivers

The Companion Fare is the single most-discussed feature of the Alaska card, and the math behind it has nuance.

The voucher rules:

• Available starting after $6,000 in card spend in the previous year (the qualification threshold)
• Voucher is for one second round-trip Alaska Airlines ticket
• Companion pays $99 base fare + actual taxes and fees (typically $23 to $50 for domestic, $80 to $150 for international)
• Primary ticket must be purchased on the card; no cap on the price of the primary ticket
• The companion can fly in the same cabin class as the primary if the primary is non-saver economy
• Cannot be combined with elite upgrades or used on award tickets

Sample math: Seattle to Los Angeles in main cabin at $250 round-trip times 2 = $500 normally. With the Companion Fare: $250 primary + $99 companion + $46 in taxes equals $395 total. Savings: $105 per use. On a Seattle to Hawaii route at $450 round-trip: $450 + $99 + $60 = $609 total vs $900. Savings: $291.

For households flying Alaska several times a year as a couple, the Companion Fare can pay for the $95 fee 3x to 4x over. For solo travelers or those who never fly Alaska, the benefit is zero.

Run your specific Alaska Airlines Visa numbers

The pillar tool accepts the Alaska Airlines Visa APR. Pull the exact rate from the statement.

How Alaska miles redeem (the oneworld value angle)

Alaska Mileage Plan is one of the more valuable airline currencies because of partner redemptions. Direct redemptions on Alaska flights run at roughly 1.4 to 1.8 cents per mile. Partner redemptions can exceed 2 cents per mile, sometimes by a lot:

• Cathay Pacific First Class from US to Asia: 70,000 miles one-way (would cost $8,000+ paid; effective value 11+ cents per mile)
• Japan Airlines business class from US to Asia: 65,000 miles one-way (effective value 5+ cents per mile)
• Qatar Qsuites business class from US to Doha: 70,000 miles one-way (effective value 6+ cents per mile)
• British Airways AVIOS award flights in Europe: variable, often 1.5 to 2 cents per mile

These redemptions require booking via phone with Alaska’s award team and patience to find available award space. For travelers willing to do the work, Alaska miles outearn the headline 3x to 1x rates suggest.

Why Alaska’s oneworld membership matters

Alaska joined the oneworld alliance in 2021. That gives Mileage Plan members access to a broader award redemption network than most US carrier programs. Combined with Alaska’s relatively reasonable award pricing, the program is a sleeper for international premium travel.

The card itself only earns Alaska miles, not transferable points. For broader flexibility, Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Ultimate Rewards transfer to Hyatt, Air Canada, JetBlue, United, Southwest, and others; Alaska is not a Chase transfer partner.

When the Alaska Airlines Visa is the right card

Three scenarios:

1. You fly Alaska at least twice a year as a couple: the Companion Fare alone exceeds the $95 annual fee, and the 3x on Alaska purchases earns toward future awards
2. You target oneworld premium cabin redemptions (Cathay, Japan Airlines, Qatar): Alaska miles are the cheapest path
3. You live in the Pacific Northwest or Alaska’s hub markets where the airline dominates: free checked bag and Companion Fare are routine value

When the Alaska Airlines Visa is the wrong card

Two scenarios:

1. You rarely fly Alaska: the card’s value is concentrated in Alaska-specific benefits (Companion Fare, free bag, 3x on Alaska purchases); without those, $95 is a fee for a 1x base rate card
2. You carry a balance: 21.24%+ APR with no intro 0% offer is expensive, and the Companion Fare math does not offset interest costs at scale

Alaska Airlines Visa vs Chase Sapphire Preferred

Both are $95 annual fee travel cards. The differences:

• Alaska Visa: 3x Alaska, 2x local categories, Companion Fare, free Alaska checked bag, Alaska miles redemption only
• Chase Sapphire Preferred: 3x dining, 2x travel including airlines (including Alaska), 1x else, transferable to 14 airline and hotel partners (not Alaska)

For an Alaska loyalist: Alaska Visa wins. For a flexibility-first traveler: Sapphire Preferred wins. Households that fit both profiles often carry both cards, treating the Sapphire Preferred as the everyday earner and the Alaska Visa as the Alaska-specific tool.

How the Companion Fare $6,000 spend threshold actually works

To unlock the Companion Fare each year, the cardholder must charge $6,000 in eligible purchases to the card in the previous calendar year. Most households can hit this with normal grocery, gas, and dining spend if the card is the primary daily card.

For households that already have a higher-rate everyday card (Wells Fargo Active Cash at 2%, Citi Double Cash at 2%), the question is whether the Companion Fare savings exceed the foregone rewards. On $6,000 of spend, a 2% card earns $120 in cashback versus this card’s blended 1.5% to 2% earning ($90 to $120). Spending the $6,000 here costs roughly $0 to $30 in foregone rewards but unlocks a Companion Fare worth $150 to $400. The math nearly always favors charging the threshold here.

Should you keep the Alaska Airlines Visa after payoff?

Yes if you fly Alaska at least once a year as a couple. The Companion Fare offsets the annual fee multiple times over. No if you do not fly Alaska; downgrade to a no-fee BofA card to preserve account history.

Other Bank of America cards

• Bank of America Premium Rewards payoff calculator
• Bank of America Travel Rewards payoff calculator
• Bank of America Customized Cash payoff calculator
• BankAmericard payoff calculator

Other airline co-brand cards

• Chase Sapphire Preferred payoff calculator (Ultimate Rewards flexibility)
• Capital One Venture payoff calculator (transfer partner flexibility)

Related

• Credit card payoff calculator (home), pillar tool
• Credit card payoff by card type, full hub

Frequently asked questions

What is the APR on the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature?

21.24% to 29.24% variable as of May 13, 2026, per Bank of America Alaska Airlines card pricing. The starting rate is 21.24%, which is higher than BofA’s no-fee cards (18.24% on Customized Cash and Travel Rewards) and reflects the underwriting profile typical of premium airline co-brand cards. Your assigned APR is on the monthly statement.

What is the annual Companion Fare benefit?

A Companion Fare voucher allows a second person to travel round-trip on Alaska Airlines for $99 plus required taxes and fees (typically $23 to $50 domestic, $80 to $150 international) when paired with a primary ticket purchased on the card. The voucher is awarded each year after $6,000 in eligible purchases the previous year. Cannot be combined with award flights or elite upgrades.

Does the Alaska Visa charge foreign transaction fees?

No, 0%. The card is appropriate for international travel both for the no foreign transaction fee and because Visa is broadly accepted globally. Combined with Alaska’s oneworld alliance partner redemption options (Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, British Airways), the card supports international award redemption strategies.

Is there a 0% intro APR on Alaska Airlines Visa?

No. The card does not offer an introductory 0% APR on purchases or balance transfers. Balance transfers post at the standard variable APR (21.24% to 29.24%) with a 3% intro transfer fee for transfers in the first 60 days, 4% thereafter. For balance consolidation, BankAmericard (18 months 0%, 3% fee) is the right BofA card; the Alaska Visa is positioned as a travel rewards card.

How are Alaska Mileage Plan miles valued?

Approximately 1.4 to 1.8 cents per mile on direct Alaska Airlines award flights. Partner award redemptions through Alaska’s oneworld alliance can exceed 2 cents per mile, with premium-cabin redemptions on Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways reaching 5 to 11 cents per mile in some cases. Cash redemptions through Alaska’s mileage shopping mall or as statement credit are far less valuable, typically below 1 cent per mile.