When you have a Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card, here are the six things you should plan to do within the first few months — starting with earning the welcome bonus.

What to do after getting the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card

1. Qualify for the welcome bonus

Here's the current bonus offer on this card: Get 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

If you fall short, you’ll lose out on the reason you may have gotten the card in the first place. NerdWallet values Alaska miles at 1.4 cents each.

Charge all of your daily spending to this card and maybe even consider pre-paying bills like insurance premiums, assuming you can pay your card off at the end of the month. Sign in to your account online at least once per month to make sure you're on track to get the bonus.

2. Plan a trip to use the Companion Fare

The annual Companion Fare is a key perk of the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card. With it, you can book a ticket for a companion on the same itinerary for just $99 plus taxes and fees. This can potentially result in hundreds of dollars in savings.