Allways Rewards Visa® Credit Card: A solid travel card for Allegiant frequent flyers

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This offer is no longer available on our site: Allegiant World Mastercard®

Pros

  • Buy one, get one companion fares
  • Solid sign-up bonus
  • Ability to earn points on all purchases

Cons

  • Annual fee
  • Points can only be used for travel
  • Companion pass criteria could be difficult to meet
  • Limited travel perks

Is the Allways Rewards Visa® Credit Card for you?

If you regularly book vacation packages with Allegiant Airlines, having this card may help you save some cash on your next vacation. The card has some ongoing value thanks to its rewards — but it does have a $59 annual fee.

If you never fly Allegiant Air, or if you only use the airline only occasionally, a more general-purpose travel or rewards credit card might be a better option.

Buy-one, get-one companion passes have tricky criteria

The Allegiant buy-one, get-one deal might be the card’s strongest feature if you’re an Allegiant loyalist. But to get these companion passes, you’ll have to buy more than just a plane ticket.

To qualify, you’ll have to purchase a full vacation package from Allegiant, which can get expensive. This includes a hotel stay with a four-night minimum, or a rental car reservation during your trip for at least seven days.

While you’ll get to take advantage of the buy-one, get-one plane ticket when booking a qualifying vacation package, keep in mind that Allegiant has limited destinations to choose from and they’re all based in the U.S.

Solid sign up bonus and ongoing rewards

The Allways Rewards Visa® Credit Card offers a 25,000-mile bonus after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days after account opening. This is a value of $250, which may help offset the card’s annual fee or some of the cost of a big purchase.

Plus, you can earn points when you use the card. You’ll get …

  • 3 points per $1 spent on all Allegiant purchases, including air travel, hotel stays and rental cars
  • 2 points per $1 on qualifying dining expenses
  • 1 point per $1 on all other purchases

Limited airline perks

With this card you’ll only get a few travel perks. There’s no free checked bags or access to lounges. Aside from a complimentary drink on board, the only other true perk is priority boarding.

But even though you’ll be able to board in advance, you won’t be guaranteed a specific seat. So if you want to reserve your seat of choice, you’ll have to pay a little extra.

What else you need to know about the Allways Rewards Visa® Credit Card

Here are a few more things to think about if you’re considering the Allways Rewards Visa® Credit Card.

  • There are no foreign transaction fees, which helps a lot if you travel abroad.
  • If you apply online, Allegiant offers an instant approval decision.

Understanding your points and redemption

Point redemption is fairly straightforward with this card’s program. Each point is worth 1 cent and points can be used to book airfare, hotels and car rentals on Allegiant.com. Plus, there are no blackout dates or other restrictions.

But if you’re looking to use points for anything but travel booked through Allegiant, you’ll be out of luck. You can’t trade them in for gift cards, merchandise or cash.

To compare this card’s point value to the value of other rewards programs, we recommend checking out Credit Karma’s point valuations.

Who this card is good for

This card is best for people who fly Allegiant regularly and book Allegiant travel packages. Occasional Allegiant fliers may get some benefit from the card, but likely not enough to make this card a strong enough option compared to other travel rewards card options.


About the author: Sean McQuay is a long-time personal finance nerd. He’s passionate about budgets, credit cards, and earning useful rewards with minimal effort. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a father to three rambunctious kids. Read more.