Alaska Airlines Cardholders Can Now Earn 3x Points on Rent With Bilt Rewards — What to Know

Users can earn up to 150,000 miles a year with the program.

Courtesy of Alaska Airlines

Earning airline miles while paying rent is a win-win situation — and Bilt Rewards has officially expanded this benefit to Alaska Airlines cardholders.

“We are excited to launch this first-of-its-kind partnership with Alaska Airlines, enabling Alaska Mileage Plan members to earn up to 3x Alaska miles just for paying rent through Bilt at any apartment in the country,” said Bilt Rewards’ chief strategy officer, Brandt Smallwood, in an exclusive statement shared with T+L.

Travelers with the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Credit Card can earn 3x MileagePlan miles per dollar on rent, up to $50,000 per calendar year. That’s a potential total of 150,000 annual miles just by paying one of the most common monthly expenses, though any rent spend above this threshold will still earn 1 mile per dollar.

However, cardholders should know that paying rent will incur a 3% fee. For instance, a renter who spends $2,500 every month would earn 7,500 Alaska miles but pay $75 in transaction fees.

To get started, cardholders must link their account on the Bilt Rewards app. Then, they’ll score the bonus points by paying monthly rent with the Alaska Airlines Visa card, which will be deposited within 7-10 business days, according to Bilt.

Alaska miles are regarded as one of the most valuable airline currencies out there. By taking a quick look at the airline’s award chart, travelers can figure out whether the extra expense is really worth it:

• Domestic flights with a distance under 700 miles with partner American Airlines: 4,500 miles

• Alaska Airlines flights to Hawaii: 15,000 miles

• Alaska Airlines flights to Mexico, Caribbean, and Central America: 10,000 miles

• Business class flights to Asia with partners like Cathay Pacific and JAL: 60,000 miles

These are just a few examples of flights redeemable with Alaska miles. It’s also worth considering that spending on rent helps travelers earn elite status with the airline. For every $10,000 spent on the card, you'll earn 4,000 elite qualifying miles, up to 20,000 per year.

Bilt Rewards has its own no-annual-fee travel credit card, the Bilt Mastercard®, to earn 1x point on rent (up to $100,000 per calendar year). But unlike the Alaska card, the Bilt Mastercard waives that 3% rent transaction fee. The points earned on the Bilt Mastercard can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to partners like Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Hilton Honors, and more, giving travelers more flexibility with their rewards. 

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