Is there a spend requirement to receive my annual companion fare discount code?
On January 18, 2023, Bank of America and Alaska Airlines introduced enhanced benefits to the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. For customers who have applied for our new enhanced product, there is a spend requirement of $6,000 or more on purchases within an anniversary year to qualify for the annual companion fare.
The annual Companion Fare available through the Alaska co-branded credit cards is one of the best perks of any branded airline credit card. It lets you book one economy fare starting at $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) on the same itinerary.
The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card‘s Companion Fare comes with a significant caveat: New cardholders must spend at least $6,000 annually on the card to earn a Companion Fare on their card anniversary. Meanwhile business owners with the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card earn the perk automatically when the cardholder renews.
Either way, the Alaska Airlines Companion Fare can easily offset either card’s annual fee. It can also help reduce the cost of family travel, especially during the holidays. And, with some creativity, it can provide hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars in value.
Fare class eligibility: The Companion Fare is only valid for economy tickets.
Expiration date: The expiration date of your Companion Fare will be indicated and you must redeem your code by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time of that date. However, once ticketed, the travel can be completed after the fare has expired, in fact you have up to 12 months from the date the certificate was issued.
Only Alaska flights: Companion Fare is valid only on Alaska Airlines flights. The Companion Fare is not valid on any partner or Oneworld flights.
Use the Companion Fare for expensive itineraries
This is the most basic principle behind using the Companion Fare, but it bears repeating: Employing your code on a $200 one-way flight will only save you about $80. Using it on a flight like in the example above will save you nearly a thousand dollars.
To maximize the Companion Fare, the cost of the companion ticket needs to exceed $217 because the Companion Fare cost starts at $122 ($99 plus at least $23 in taxes) and the minimum annual fee on the Alaska credit cards is $95.
Fly during expensive times, like the holidays
The Alaska Companion Fare is ideal for holiday travel, when prices are sky-high and you’re more likely to fly with a partner.
For example, a round-trip flight from New York to Missoula, Montana, in the week of Christmas cost a whopping $988 when we searched. That comes to $1,976 for a two-person itinerary without the Companion Fare, or $1,140 with it — a $836 difference.