We’ve simply caught wind that the MBNA Alaska Airways Credit cards are set to be discontinued tomorrow, November 7, 2022.
The information comes as a shock, and a tragic one for that matter, with no official announcement from MBNA. Let’s unpack what’s happening.
MBNA Alaska Airways Credit cards Set to Be Discontinued
In keeping with a dialog with an MBNA consultant through their on-line chat, the MBNA Alaska Airways Credit cards will not be accessible to new candidates as of tomorrow, November 7, 2022.
This consists of each the MBNA Alaska Airways World Elite Mastercard in addition to the MBNA Alaska Airways Platinum Plus Mastercard. The 2 playing cards have practically similar options, with slight variations of their welcome bonuses, annual charges, and insurance coverage packages.
We even have a knowledge level from Philippe B., a member of the Prince of Journey Elites Fb group, with affirmation from the MBNA name centre.
Present cardholders will have the ability to proceed utilizing their Alaska Airways playing cards. So long as you at present have an Alaska card, you don’t have anything to fret about by way of incomes Alaska miles on on a regular basis spending.
When you’re scrambling to ensure you’re a cardholder earlier than the deadline, I’ve some excellent news: some individuals are nonetheless getting permitted at this time, earlier than the appliance type is eliminated tomorrow.
I discovered myself in-between Alaska playing cards this morning, so I utilized instantly and I used to be lucky to obtain immediate approval!
Keep in mind, you’re most certainly to get immediate approval with MBNA you probably have fewer than 5 TransUnion inquiries prior to now six months.
In any other case, your software might go to pending, the place a human workforce will evaluation it someday within the subsequent two weeks. At that time, there’s no telling if you happen to’ll have the ability to be permitted for a pending software for a product that’s now closed to new candidates.
Even so, so long as you don’t at present have both of the Alaska playing cards, there’s no hurt in attempting. The first cause to handle your TransUnion inquiries is to remain in MBNA’s good books, and the issuer as a complete will lose a ton of its distinctive enchantment with the tip of the Alaska playing cards.
What’s Subsequent for Canadians and Alaska Mileage Plan?
MBNA’s Alaska playing cards have been common for just a few causes.
Alaska Mileage Plan is among the most compelling frequent flyer packages accessible to Canadians. It presents redemptions on a variety of aspirational Oneworld and unbiased airline companions, with some unimaginable candy spots on a particularly beneficial award chart.
With a stopover coverage that enables an additional vacation spot for no further value, and no change or cancellation charges, Alaska Mileage Plan retains discovering methods to impress.
Nonetheless, Alaska miles are arduous to earn in Canada, with the one sources being the MBNA Alaska playing cards, transfers from Marriott Bonvoy, or buying by way of Alaska Mileage Plan’s on-line portal (which is very heavy on American retailers). Going ahead, this can solely be tougher.
Canadians who want to proceed incomes Alaska miles will not have the ability to depend on welcome bonuses price as much as 30,000 miles. As an alternative, the one choice to earn Alaska miles instantly can be for current cardholders who spend on their grandfathered playing cards, incomes 1 mile per greenback spent on all purchases.
In any other case, you possibly can switch Marriott Bonvoy factors to Alaska Mileage Plan at a 3:1 ratio. Whereas this looks as if a poor proposition, it may be a good selection based mostly on every program’s respective Factors Valuations – topic to your explicit redemption, in fact.
Don’t overlook that American Categorical Membership Rewards switch to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1.2 ratio, so that you’ll nonetheless have a pathway into Alaska Mileage Plan even when your Bonvoy earnings are slim. Amex bank cards are an ideal alternative if you happen to depend on giant welcome bonuses to energy your factors earnings.
Lastly, you possibly can flip to US bank cards, the place Financial institution of America nonetheless presents the Alaska Airways Visa Signature Card and the Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise Card.
Canadians will want a longtime credit score historical past within the US, however Financial institution of America is reportedly considerably pleasant to candidates with no social safety quantity or ITIN – though you might must grease the wheels by talking with a human in-branch or over the cellphone.
Why Is MBNA Discontinuing the Alaska Playing cards?
It’s arduous to say why MBNA has determined to discontinue their Alaska playing cards.
If I needed to guess, I wouldn’t be stunned if there are modifications coming to the way in which Alaska Mileage Plan manages their financial institution partnerships, alongside upcoming modifications to airline companion awards. Regardless, MBNA has additionally had a handful of oddball co-branded retail partnerships come and go through the years, so I wouldn’t say this discontinuation is unprecedented.
That being mentioned, with upcoming modifications to Alaska Mileage Plan redemptions, the enchantment of incomes Alaska miles could also be up for debate. Time will inform if that’s the case, and possibly the lack of a simple strategy to earn Alaska miles in Canada gained’t have such a catastrophic affect.
All we all know for now’s that the MBNA Alaska playing cards seem like going away, and there’s actually no draw back to grandfathering your self as a cardholder at this time whilst you nonetheless can.
Apply At present!
With the MBNA Alaska Airways Credit cards set to be closed to new candidates tomorrow, at this time could also be your final probability to use and turn into an Alaska Airways co-branded cardholder in Canada.
Knowledge factors are combined, however you need to be eligible for approval so long as you don’t at present have an Alaska card, and it’s potential you’ll get immediate approval so long as you will have fewer than 5 TransUnion inquiries prior to now six months.
You should definitely get one final software in earlier than the anticipated devaluation to Alaska Mileage Plan redemptions in December 2022. For all we all know, this can be your final alternative each to earn Alaska miles simply, and to burn them at sky-high worth.
