BofA Atmos Rewards Ascent Credit Card: 85,000-Mile Limited-Time Bonus

Now there is again an 85,000-mile signup bonus, and you can enter any five-digit number in the discount code field. The official limited-time bonus has expired, and I don't know how long this link will last

• 85,000-mile application link

BofA Atmos Rewards Ascent Credit Card

Highlights

• 10% mileage bonus: This card and the business version both now come with a new 10% mileage bonus benefit. You need to have a BofA bank account (checking or savings) or an investment account (Merrill); as long as the account has activity or a balance above 0, you can qualify. This 10% bonus seems fairly easy to get.
• Strong signup bonus: The Alaska Airlines miles you get are very valuable, and with the additional companion fare rebate, it's a great card to apply for.
• Airline perks:
  • Buy tickets with this card and you get priority boarding and one free checked bag, and authorized users get the same benefit too (they can fly on their own)!
  • The first checked bag is free for up to six companions, as long as everyone's tickets are paid for with this card
  • 20% back on Alaska Airlines in-flight purchases, including food and Wi-Fi, plus 50% off Alaska Lounge Day Passes
• Alaska Lounge+ Membership discount: Buy this lounge membership with this card and get a $100 discount
• Companion Fare benefit: You need to spend $6,000 on the card before you'll receive one Companion Fare each year. After one person buys an Alaska Airlines ticket, a companion ticket costs just $99 + $22 (taxes). This is limited to U.S. domestic flights on Alaska Airlines and Virgin America. It can be especially valuable for flights to Hawaii. In the example below, only $99 was needed to get an $800 ticket. When you use it, just search normally and it will automatically connect Alaska and Virgin America flights. Alaska Companion Fare FAQ

BofA card benefits

• Free museum admission: On the first weekend of every month, BofA cardholders get free admission to major museums nationwide. You can add an authorized user for a family member so they can get in free too. For a list of free museums by state, please click here
• BofA Deals: Offers 5%-15% cash back or a fixed-dollar rebate at various merchants. Great past offers have included Sears 15% cash back ($25 cap) and Nordstrom Rack 15% cash back ($37.5 cap). Using any BofA Deal can also get you another $5. See: BofA Deals usage guide
• Free credit score: BofA credit cards now offer a free TransUnion credit score. See: free credit score comparison
• Product change option: This card can be changed to another no-annual-fee BofA credit card, so you can product change if you don't want to pay the annual fee after one year. See: product change summary

Alaska mileage overview

• Point value: Each mile is worth 1.6 cents (points value chart)
• Redeeming miles: For domestic U.S. awards, Alaska Airlines recently acquired Virgin America, so it has more routes and redemptions are easier. For China-U.S. awards, Alaska miles are one of the few that let you redeem one-way awards with a stopover, so when you fly back home you can stop in New York, Chicago, Beijing, or Shanghai for a few days and then continue. For business and first class, after AA miles devalued, using Alaska miles to book AA business and first class is still the best value.
• Redemption advantages: You can redeem not only Alaska flights, but also AA flights and Cathay Pacific. One-way awards can include one stopover, which makes business and first class between the U.S. and China especially worthwhile. See: Alaska mileage redemption
• Redeeming for Hainan Airlines: Alaska has added Hainan Airlines as a redemption partner. Award space is plentiful, and you can book directly from second-tier U.S. cities to second-tier Chinese cities. See: Alaska miles redeemed for Hainan Airlines

My take:

Application history: I had already had a BofA credit card for more than two years, and my first Alaska credit card was instantly approved with a $6,000 limit, no problem at all. But my spouse's first BofA credit card was this one, with only a $3,500 limit. Since they had no prior relationship with BofA, they couldn't move the limit up to $5,000 to get the 30,000-mile signup bonus, so they had to settle for the $5,000 Platinum bonus. That said, if the first BofA card had been another no-annual-fee card, the signup bonus wouldn't have been very high anyway. It would be better to get a downgraded version, which can still get you $100 + 5,000 miles.

I applied for this card again recently, and the process went like this:

• Applied in early November, and after waiting a few days it was automatically approved with a $4,500 limit
• The next day I called to move $500 of credit line over from BBR. After the transfer, they will ask you to upgrade to the Visa Signature version. But according to them, as long as the limit reaches $5,000, you can call Alaska Airlines and ask for the 30,000-mile signup bonus. (Note: do not call the customer service number on the back of the card to request a limit transfer, because that may trigger a hard pull. You need to ask them to transfer you to a credit analyst. The credit analyst can, based on your situation, give you a limit increase with a soft pull.)

• In mid-November I received the non-upgraded card. After meeting the signup spend, I only got $100 + 5,000 miles + a $50 discount code, and the annual fee was only $50 (this was the Visa Platinum version's bonus and annual fee)
• At the end of November I received a letter saying that the request to upgrade to the Visa Signature version was being processed
• By early January I still hadn't seen the card upgraded, and I also hadn't received the extra 25,000 miles. When I called to ask, customer service said the upgrade takes two months to process, and the mileage difference will be posted automatically only after the Visa Platinum upgrade is completed
• In mid-January I saw that the credit card on my account had been upgraded. A few days later I received the new card, and a few days after that I received the 25,000-mile difference + Companion Fare. The annual fee was not charged again for the first year
• Bottom line: after all that hassle, the signup bonus ended up as $100 + 30,000 AS miles + a $50 discount code + a companion fare code + only a $50 annual fee. Not bad at all! If you're feeling adventurous, you can apply without moving down the limit, then move credit and upgrade to get both sets of bonuses and the lower annual fee

Redeeming miles: For domestic U.S. awards, Alaska Airlines recently acquired Virgin America, so it has more routes and redemptions are more convenient. For China-U.S. awards, Alaska miles are one of the few programs left that let you book one-way awards with a stopover, so when you fly back to China you can stop in New York, Chicago, Beijing, or Shanghai for a few days and then continue. For business and first class, after AA miles devalued, using Alaska miles to book AA business and first class is still the best value.

Would I keep it long term?: I don't fly Alaska Airlines often, so I won't keep this card long term. I'll just product change it to another no-annual-fee BofA card after I finish the signup bonus.

Application

• You need to enter your Alaska member number on the application. If you have one, be sure to include it, or they will automatically assign you a new one

• BOA application status check link, or call: (800) 732-9194
• 2/3/4 rule: at most 2 cards approved within 2 months, 3 within 12 months, and 4 within 24 months. However, BofA’s system is not very reliable, and sometimes a card may be approved at first but later shut down.
• The welcome bonus on the same card can only be received once every 24 months, and you need to make sure the card is closed before applying again>
• You need to be a Resident to apply for a BOA credit card online: when applying for a BofA credit card online, if you select Non resident alien, you will not be able to continue and must apply by phone. However, BofA’s definition of Resident alien is different from the IRS definition of Resident alien for tax purpose. No matter what immigration status you used to enter the US, if you have lived in the US for 183 days within the past two years, then select Resident Alien. If you just arrived in the US and cannot meet this requirement, follow the prompt on the online application page and call 1.800.932.2775 to apply.
• You can call the reconsideration line (888-593-6092) to speed up credit card approval or request a review of a denied application.
• More about applying for BofA credit cards

Application links:

• BofA Alaska Airline Credit Card