In December 2024, Alaska Air Group announced plans to launch a new premium credit card as of the summer of 2025. While we’re still awaiting all the official details of the new card, the company has announced that it will be launching in August 2025, so we’re just weeks from this new card coming to market.
Let’s cover everything we do know about this new premium credit card, as some of the perks have been revealed over time.
What we know about Alaska’s new premium credit card
Alaska Airlines and Bank of America have a co-branded credit card portfolio, which currently consists of one personal card and one business card. That will be expanding as of August 2025.
Alaska Mileage Plan will launch a premium credit card with a $395 annual fee. The card is described as being built for the global traveler, and perfect for those looking to get the most out of the expanded Alaska Air Group network (with Alaska having acquired Hawaiian). While details are limited, Alaska has dropped some hints about what we can expect:
- The card will offer a brand new annual Global Companion Award Certificate just for having the card, and a second one for completing spending on the card
- The Global Companion Award Certificate will be valid for travel on Alaska and partner airlines in any class of service; there will be a cap on the value, though it’ll be possible to top it off with mileage
- Cardmembers will receive one Global Companion Award Certificate just for having the card, and can earn a second one for completing a certain amount of spending
- The card will offer waived award fees; we’re talking about the $12.50 partner award booking fee, and not fuel surcharges
- The card will offer 3x miles on all eligible foreign purchases and dining purchases; foreign purchases include purchases made in a foreign currency, and US dollar transactions, if processed outside the United States
- The card will offer a faster path to Mileage Plan elite status
- The card will offer Alaska Lounge passes and inflight Wi-Fi passes
- The card will offer same-day confirmed fee waivers
There’s also lots to like about redeeming Mileage Plan miles. The introduction of a premium credit card is in addition to previously implemented Mileage Plan changes for 2025, like being able to earn elite status for partner award flights.
I’m excited about Alaska’s premium credit card
While there are still more questions than answers about Alaska’s new premium credit card, I’m very excited based on what we know so far. This seems like a truly innovative product — I can’t say I’m surprised, as Mileage Plan is a well run program. A few things stand out to me about the card:
- The Global Companion Award Certificate is perhaps the most exciting development here; while there will be a cap on the value, even a fairly low cap would more than offset the annual fee for most people
- 3x miles on all foreign purchases is potentially incredibly lucrative, and is making my mind race with all the possibilities; we’ve never seen a card bonus foreign purchases in this way
- I redeem a lot of Mileage Plan miles for travel on partners (particularly American), so being able to save $12.50 per award will quickly add up
- Alaska is increasingly leaning into offering elite status through credit card spending, so I’m curious how good the card’s value proposition is for that
We should learn all the details soon, but based on what we know so far, it sounds like the card could have quite a strong value proposition.
Bottom line
In late 2024, Alaska Airlines announced plans to launch a premium credit card, with a $395 annual fee. We now know that this card will launch as of August 2025.
The card should offer a variety of unique benefits, from a global companion award certificate, to 3x miles on foreign purchases, to a faster path to elite status, to waived award fees, and more. I’m really excited to learn the exact details of the new card, as the folks at Alaska (and particularly at Mileage Plan) are a bright and innovative bunch…
What are you expect from Alaska’s new premium credit card?
