When enthusiastic about cobranded airline playing cards, it is easy to solely take into consideration the playing cards from airways you incessantly fly with. In any case, a number of the key advantages of airline playing cards embrace precedence boarding, free checked luggage and a quicker path to elite standing with the affiliated airline.
I usually encourage folks to assume past a card’s airline or lodge associate when deciding whether or not it is smart for them.
Take the Citi® / AAdvantage® Government World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and costs), for instance. This card offers a complimentary Admirals Membership membership to assist cardholders justify its $595 annual price. On the floor, it looks like that will solely be helpful for American Airways’ greatest followers.
However an Admirals Membership membership provides one thing additional: complimentary entry to Alaska Airways lounges. Here is how Alaska loyalists can maximize this card with out ever setting foot on an American Airways flight.
Alaska Airways lounge entry
By way of the Admirals Membership membership you obtain along with your AAdvantage Government, you may get pleasure from complimentary entry to Alaska lounges everytime you’re flying on a same-day American, Alaska or Hawaiian Airways flight. Word that this entry is not prolonged to approved customers, and you need to have your bodily card with you to enter.
A typical Alaska Airways lounge membership prices $595 a 12 months, the identical as this card’s annual price. By placing that cash towards the AAdvantage Government as a substitute of a lounge membership, you may get pleasure from Alaska lounge entry plus all of this card’s different advantages.
No matter whether or not you are flying with American, Alaska or a Oneworld airline, you may as well get into Admirals Membership lounges for no added price.
To entry associate lounges with simply an Alaska Airways lounge membership, you’d need to pay $795 every year for the Alaska Lounge+ membership, $200 greater than what the AAdvantage Government costs.
Whereas an Alaska Lounge+ membership offers entry to a couple lounges that the AAdvantage Government does not, corresponding to three United Golf equipment, nearly all of its associate lounges overlap with what you may entry with this card.
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Each an Alaska Lounge+ membership and the AAdvantage Government present entry to The Qantas Membership and Admirals Membership areas. I see no motive to pay $200 extra every year for a sliver of additional lounges to entry.
You possibly can e-book Alaska Airways flights with American Airways miles
The AAdvantage Government earns American Airways miles. Whereas which may initially appear ineffective to an Alaska loyalist, it is truly the alternative.
American Airways miles can simply be used to e-book Alaska Airways flights, which means you could by no means even need to step on American Airways metallic to get extra worth out of this card past lounge entry. That mentioned, there are some nice itineraries that mix Alaska and American Airways flights.
For instance, you can e-book a one-way business-class ticket from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to Heathrow Airport (LHR) for 57,500 miles plus $5.60 in taxes and costs. If you happen to have been to e-book this itinerary with money, you’d pay $3,483. That is a price of 6 cents per level.
If you happen to usually fly domestically, there’s loads of availability there, too. You can e-book a nonstop financial system flight on Alaska by way of American from Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS) to San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) for 12,500 miles plus $5.60 in taxes and costs.
If you happen to have been to e-book with money, this flight would price $304, netting you 2.4 cents per level in worth. That is nice for a home financial system flight.
To be taught extra about what American Airways miles are price, take a look at our full information to the AAdvantage program.
Learn how to earn American Airways miles
For a restricted time, you may earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first three months from account opening with the AAdvantage Government. That is a ton of miles to make use of towards Alaska flights, and even an American flight or two when you discover an ideal deal.
Other than its welcome bonus, this card provides easy incomes charges that can assist you rack up extra American miles. You may earn 10 miles per greenback spent on lodges booked via aadvantagehotels.com and automobile leases booked via aadvantagecars.com. Plus, you may earn 4 miles per greenback spent on different American Airways purchases and 1 mile per greenback spent on every little thing else.
If you happen to spend $150,000 a 12 months or extra on this card, you may earn 5 miles per greenback spent on American Airways purchases as a substitute of 4 via the tip of the calendar 12 months.
Whereas I typically do not advocate utilizing this card for non-American Airways purchases, if incomes miles towards award flights on Alaska is on the high of your precedence record, it might make sense to drag this card out for sure purchases. That is very true when you’re making a purchase order that does not fall below a bonus class lined by certainly one of your different playing cards.
Associated: How I exploit Seats.aero daily to seek out one of the best airline award availability in seconds
Different helpful advantages
Regardless of being an American Airways-branded card, the AAdvantage Government has further advantages you should use with out reserving a flight.
If you happen to usually lease vehicles in your holidays, you may get pleasure from this card’s rental automobile assertion credit score. You possibly can earn as much as $120 again yearly on eligible pay as you go leases from Avis or Funds. Simply understand that you may need to e-book your rental on-line to obtain the credit score.
If renting a automobile is not one thing you often do, this card can nonetheless assist offset your transportation prices. You possibly can obtain as much as $120 again every year for Lyft rides. You need to take three rides to obtain your $10 month-to-month credit score, so this profit is finest for individuals who naturally use Lyft a number of instances a month.
Lastly, you may obtain as much as $10 every billing assertion for Grubhub purchases. That is nice for anybody who likes to order takeout, even simply from time to time. To make your credit score stretch additional, order pickup as a substitute of supply.
Whereas these credit are lifestyle-dependent, they will nonetheless present outsize worth for anybody who can simply make the most of them.
A straightforward credit score for any traveler to make use of is that this card’s TSA PreCheck/World Entry utility price credit score. Even when you have already got TSA PreCheck or World Entry, you should use your AAdvantage Government to pay for another person’s utility.
Lastly, this card provides a spread of essential journey protections. You do not have to fly with American Airways to make use of these protections, to allow them to assist safeguard your subsequent flight with Alaska. Journey cancellation and interruption safety, misplaced baggage insurance coverage, and journey delay safety are a couple of essential advantages you can depend on.
Backside line
To get Alaska lounge entry with an ordinary membership, you’d need to pay $595 a 12 months. For a similar value, you may get Alaska, Admirals Membership and Qantas lounge entry; American Airways miles to make use of for Alaska flights; assertion credit; and journey protections with the AAdvantage Government.
It is a no-brainer for any Alaska loyalist to noticeably take into account making use of for the AAdvantage Government. It is an effective way to supercharge your subsequent Alaska flight, particularly because it’s presently providing an elevated 100,000-mile welcome bonus. Plus, when you’re ever interested by attempting American Airways, this card is prepared in your pockets that can assist you out.
To be taught extra, take a look at our full overview of the Citi / AAdvantage Government.
Apply right here: Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard
