Best time to apply for an airline card?

[Anonymous]

Have been finding this forum very helpful lately, and now it's time to ask a question myself!

A little background—22 year old student, low income of ~$30,000. I have a credit history of 10 months and a current credit limit of $1500. I have never missed a payment and my current FICO score is at 738. I also have no living expense, or school tuition expenses. All my income I am able to keep.

So my question is—when is the best time to apply for a co branded airline card? I live on the west coast and love Alaska airlines, so I would really like to have their credit card, but only the visa signature which requires a CL of $5000. How long do I need to wait for one of these cards? Is one year of credit history enough? Is my income too low? Does my young age show potential "immaturity"? Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

You may not find yourself getting an SL of 5K as they may not see you having enough experience at higher credit limits, but that doesn't mean that you can't grow to that CL with responsible usage. You aren't judged by your age...you're judged by your credit profile. At 22, your profile isn't going to be that old obviously, but we all have to start somewhere! Good luck to you OP. If you will get use out of the Alaska card, go for it and good luck! They might surprise you.