Two popular travel cards are the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card.
The Sapphire Reserve offers premium travel benefits including lounge access, hotel elite status, and multiple statement credits that can offset its $795 annual fee. With bonus earnings on travel and dining purchases plus the ability to transfer points to 14 airline and hotel partners, this card delivers strong value for frequent travelers who can maximize its benefits.
The Alaska Airlines Visa offers valuable perks for frequent Alaska flyers, including a free checked bag and an annual companion fare from $122 when meeting spending requirements. This card excels with its ability to earn hard-to-get Alaska miles, which provide exceptional value when redeeming for partner airline flights, especially in premium cabins.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Full Reviews: Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card.
Overview of Each Card
Welcome Bonuses
Chase Sapphire Reserve Bonus
The Chase Sapphire Reserve currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Alaska Airlines Visa Welcome Bonus
The Alaska Airlines Visa currently offers the following welcome bonus: Receive 60,000 Miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare after making $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days; Additionally, receive a 30% flight discount code after account opening.
Earning Rewards
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a powerhouse when it comes to earning rewards points, particularly in the travel and dining categories. Here’s a breakdown of the bonus points you can earn:
Alaska Airlines Visa
The Alaska Airlines Visa earns Alaska miles at the following rates:
Winner: The Chase Sapphire Reserve more points in more categories than the Alaska Visa.
Card Benefits and Perks
Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers the following benefits: Annual Credits: The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers up to $300 in automatic statement credits for travel purchases each year. This credit applies to a wide range of travel expenses including flights, hotels, rideshares, parking, and more, making it incredibly easy to use without any registration required. Hotel Credits: You can earn up to $500 annually in hotel booking credits when you book through The Edit by Chase Travel. These credits are distributed as $250 every six months and require minimum two-night stays with pay-now bookings at luxury properties. Dining Credits: The card provides up to $300 yearly in dining statement credits at select restaurants in major cities. You receive $150 credits twice per year, though the participating restaurant list is limited to specific establishments in key metropolitan areas. Entertainment Credits: You’ll get up to $300 in annual credits for concert and event tickets through StubHub and Viagogo. The credits are split into $150 amounts every six months, making it easy to cover entertainment expenses for shows and sporting events. DoorDash Benefits: Cardholders receive up to $300 in annual DoorDash credits plus a complimentary DashPass membership worth up to $120 per year. The monthly credits include $5 for restaurant orders and two $10 credits for groceries and retail purchases. Apple Services: You can get complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions valued at up to $250 annually. This benefit covers both streaming services and remains active through June 2027 with proper activation. Lyft Credits: The card offers up to $120 in annual Lyft credits distributed as $10 monthly credits. These credits apply to various ride types, including Standard, Extra Comfort, XL, Black, and Black SUV options. Lounge Access: Cardholders enjoy Priority Pass membership with access to over 1,700 lounges worldwide, plus two complimentary guests per visit. You’ll also get unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and select Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges when flying Star Alliance airlines. IHG Status: You automatically receive IHG One Rewards Platinum elite status through December 2027. This status includes 60% bonus points on stays, complimentary room upgrades when available, early check-in, and late checkout privileges. Enhanced Benefits: After spending $75,000 annually, you unlock additional perks including IHG Diamond status, Southwest A-List status, a $500 Southwest flight credit, and $250 in credits for The Shops at Chase marketplace. Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / Nexus Credit: Receive an application fee credit of up to $120 every four years for either TSA PreCheck (expedited airport security), Global Entry (expedited airport security and customs), or NEXUS (expedited crossing between the US and Canada)for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®. These trusted traveler programs can save you time and hassle at the airport. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose. Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first. Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation. Primary Rental Car Insurance: When you rent a car and pay with this card, you’ll receive comprehensive coverage including damage and theft protection. Simply decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and charge the entire rental to your card to activate coverage. This insurance covers damage, theft, and valid loss-of-use charges worldwide. Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card. Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive. Roadside Dispatch: Get access to 24/7 emergency roadside assistance for situations like dead batteries, flat tires, fuel delivery, and mechanical breakdowns. While you’ll need to pay for the actual service provided, having access to reliable help when stranded can be invaluable. 120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card. Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans. Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.
Travel Benefits
Purchase Benefits
Alaska Airlines Visa Benefits
The Alaska Airlines Visa offers the following benefits for its cardholders: Free Checked Bag: You and up to six guests on your reservation can check their first bag free when using the card for ticket purchases. Authorized users can also enjoy this perk when booking their tickets with the card, making it perfect for families who want to save on baggage fees. Priority Boarding: Skip the regular boarding line with priority boarding access for you and up to six guests on your reservation. You’ll need to use your card for the ticket purchase to unlock this benefit, and authorized users can also get priority boarding when paying with the card. Annual Companion Fare: Score a companion ticket from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes starting at $23) when you spend $6,000 in your card anniversary year. You can use this benefit for one-way or roundtrip flights anywhere Alaska flies, including Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Mexico, and your companion will even earn miles and be eligible for upgrades. Elite Miles Earning: Starting in 2025, you’ll earn one elite qualifying mile for every $3 spent on the card, up to 30,000 EQMs annually. For 2024, you can earn 4,000 EQMs for every $10,000 spent, up to 20,000 EQMs after $50,000 in spending. 20% In-Flight Savings:Save 20% on all inflight purchases, including food, beverages, and even Wi-Fi, when you pay with your card. The statement credit posts within seven days, and there’s no limit to how often you can use this benefit. Lounge Discount: Get $100 off an Alaska Lounge+ annual membership when using your card for the purchase. This membership gives you access to all Alaska Lounges plus nearly 100 partner lounges worldwide, including American Admirals Clubs. Potential 10% Rewards Bonus: If you have an eligible Bank of America account, you can earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles from card purchases. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Winner: The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers many great benefits, including travel credit, airport lounge access, and great travel and purchase protections.
Value of the Annual Fees
Chase Sapphire Reserve Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Reserve carries a hefty $795 annual fee, making it one of the most expensive premium travel cards on the market. However, the card offers numerous benefits that can help offset this cost, including a $300 annual travel credit, up to $500 in hotel credits, $300 in dining credits, $300 in entertainment credits, DoorDash benefits, Apple subscription benefits, and comprehensive lounge access. If you maximize these perks, you can potentially receive over $2,000 in annual value, making the effective cost much more reasonable for frequent travelers.
Alaska Airlines Annual Fee
The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card has a reasonable $95 annual fee, which is consistent with many other co-branded airline credit cards. The card’s benefits that help offset the annual fee include a free checked bag for you and up to six guests, priority boarding, 20% back on inflight purchases, a valuable companion fare (when spending $6,000 per year), and a $100 discount on Alaska Lounge+ membership.
Winner: Alaska Airlines Visa, assuming you can take advantage of the free checked bag benefit and the companion fare.
Redeeming Rewards
Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
When you’re looking to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards points from the Sapphire Reserve, your best strategy is transferring points to Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. This approach consistently delivers the highest value, especially for international flights and premium bookings. The airline partners span multiple alliances, giving you extensive routing options. You can transfer to British Airways Executive Club for short-haul regional flights, Air Canada Aeroplan for excellent North American and international availability, or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer for premium Asian routes. Other valuable partners include Air France-KLM Flying Blue, United MileagePlus for domestic travel, Southwest Rapid Rewards for no-blackout flights, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for competitive transatlantic business class, and Emirates Skywards for their premium Middle East network. For hotels, you have three solid options. World of Hyatt consistently offers excellent redemption values, especially at luxury properties where cash rates exceed $400-500 per night. IHG One Rewards covers a massive global network with reasonable rates, while Marriott Bonvoy provides the largest hotel portfolio worldwide. Chase’s travel portal has become less attractive since recent changes. While Chase markets redemptions “up to 2 cents per point,” this enhanced rate only applies to premium airfare and luxury hotels through The Edit collection. For everyday economy flights and standard hotels, you’ll get just 1 cent per point after October 2027 – a significant decrease from the previous consistent 1.5 cents per point. The enhanced portal rates primarily benefit high-spending travelers booking expensive premium cabins and luxury properties, making partner transfers the smarter choice for most people.
Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
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Aer Lingus
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Air Canada Aeroplan
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Air France/KLM
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British Airways
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Emirates
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Hyatt Hotels
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Iberia
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IHG Hotels
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JetBlue
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Marriott
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Singapore
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Southwest
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United
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Virgin Atlantic
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Redeeming Alaska Airlines Miles
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan offers outstanding value for travelers from North America through its partnerships with premier carriers like American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Japan Airlines. These alliances open up a world of possibilities for both domestic and international travel. For flights within North America, Mileage Plan’s distance-based pricing is particularly attractive. Short-haul economy flights under 700 miles can be booked for just 4,500 miles, while flights between 701 and 1,400 miles cost only 7,500 miles. This makes Mileage Plan an excellent choice for domestic travel, especially on routes operated by Alaska or American Airlines. International travelers from North America can take advantage of some impressive sweet spots. Flying from the Northeast US to London in business class costs just 45,000 miles. For those looking to explore Asia, you can book a business class flight from the US with a stopover for 85,000 miles. This generous stopover policy allows you to effectively visit two destinations for the price of one. Flights to South America also offer good value. Business class awards from North America to destinations like Lima or São Paulo can be booked for 35,000 to 50,000 miles, depending on the distance. To maximize value when redeeming from North America, focus on shorter domestic flights, leverage stopovers on long-haul international itineraries, and look for premium cabin awards on Alaska’s great partners.
Winner: Tie. The Sapphire Reserve offers more award flexibility because you can transfer to multiple airline and hotel programs, but Alaska Airlines miles are quite valuable and can be used to fly anywhere in the world.
The Verdict
Both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Alaska Airlines Visa are good choices.
I recommend the Sapphire Reserve if you fly multiple airlines each year and want airport lounge access.
The Alaska Airlines Visa could be a good option if you can take advantage of the checked bag benefit or want to earn Alaska Airlines miles.
Which card are you going to choose?
