What is Atmos Rewards? Alaska Airlines New Credit Cards and Points Program

Alaska Airlines made a major change to its loyalty program with the launch of Atmos™ Rewards, following its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, to create what they’re calling the industry’s most generous loyalty program. If you’ve been following Alaska’s Mileage Plan or Hawaiian’s HawaiianMiles, this new program represents a big shift in how you’ll earn and redeem points from now on.

The transition brings new credit cards, enhanced status benefits, and expanded redemption options across both airline networks and their partner airlines. Whether you’re a frequent West Coast flyer or someone looking for better value from airline loyalty programs, understanding what Atmos Rewards offers could impact your travel strategy for years to come.

What is Atmos Rewards?

Atmos Rewards is the combined loyalty program of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, launched in August 2025. The program replaces Alaska’s Mileage Plan and Hawaiian’s HawaiianMiles with a unified points-based system that covers both airlines’ networks and their extensive partner airline relationships.

The name “Atmos” represents the atmosphere that connects destinations worldwide, and the program aims to provide more flexibility and value than its predecessors. Members earn Atmos points instead of miles and can redeem them across a much larger network that includes both Alaska and Hawaiian routes, as well as over 30 global airline partners.

For existing Alaska and Hawaiian loyalty members, the transition happened automatically. Your miles converted to Atmos points on a 1:1 ratio, and your elite status transferred to the new tier system. The program maintains the redemption rates and partner benefits that made Alaska’s program popular while adding Hawaiian’s Pacific network and partnerships.

The timing coincides with Alaska Airlines’ broader expansion strategy, including new international routes and an enhanced credit card portfolio, issued through Bank of America on the Visa network. This positions Atmos Rewards to be more competitive against larger programs, such as American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, or United MileagePlus.

Bank of America Atmos Credit Cards

Bank of America powers all three Atmos credit cards, each targeting different types of travelers and spending patterns. Here’s how the cards compare:

Terms apply. Offers subject to change. Refer to card issuer for full details.

Atmos Ascend Card

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The Atmos Ascend replaces the Alaska Visa card as the entry-level personal option. At $95 annually, it offers solid value for casual Alaska flyers. At the time of writing, the 80,000-point welcome bonus is worth roughly $1,250 in flight value, easily covering several years of annual fees.

Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare (now called the $99 Companion Fare) remains the card’s headline benefit, allowing you to book a ticket for a fellow traveler for just $99 plus taxes and fees when you purchase a paid ticket. You also get priority boarding, a free first checked bag, and 20% back on Alaska Airlines in-flight purchases.

Atmos Summit Card

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The Atmos Summit is a new premium credit card option designed for frequent flyers and status seekers. The $395 annual fee offers numerous perks, starting with a 125,000-point total welcome package (100,000 points plus a 25,000-point Global Companion Award).

Premium perks include access to Alaska Airlines lounges (8 passes per year) and partner lounges worldwide, an annual Global Companion Award worth 25,000 points, unlimited earning of status points (most cards cap this benefit), and free point sharing with up to 10 other Atmos Rewards members (otherwise you pay $10 per 1,000 points shared). The card also gives you 10,000 status points annually toward elite status, and it’s the only card that earns 3x points on foreign transactions.

Atmos Business Card

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The Atmos Business card replaces the Alaska Business card and mirrors the Ascend’s structure, but adds business-specific benefits. The annual fee is $70 + $25 per employee card, and the same 80,000-point welcome bonus, making it attractive for small business owners who fly Alaska Airlines.

The business card also features the $99 Companion Fare, priority boarding, a free first checked bag, and 20% back on Alaska Airlines in-flight purchases. Additionally, there’s a unique 3x multiplier on foreign transactions that is the first of its kind.

Tip: If you have any of the previous Alaska Visa cards, they are being automatically converted. So you won’t qualify for those welcome offers, but should be able to get the new Summit card (pending approval). If you had an Alaska card in the past, learn more about Bank of America application rules for your situation.

Atmos Points and Redemptions

Atmos points provide access to more than 1,000 destinations across Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and 30+ global airline partners, including all oneworld member airlines. Award flights start at just 4,500 points one-way for short domestic routes.

The program maintains Alaska’s historically strong redemption values, with domestic flights typically requiring 10,000-25,000 points one-way and international awards ranging from 30,000-80,000 points depending on distance and class of service. Hawaiian’s island routes integrate seamlessly, with inter-island flights available for as few as 7,500 points.

Earning Points: 

In addition to earning points through credit cards, Atmos Rewards offers multiple ways to earn points from paid flights. Starting in 2026, members can choose one of three annual earning options: 

The flexibility to switch earning methods annually is unique among U.S. airline programs. Alaska reports that about 40% of members benefit most from distance-based earning, 40-50% prefer revenue-based, and the segment option best serves 10%. This makes the Atmos Rewards program somewhat customizable for regular points earning and status goals.

Points Sharing:

Atmos Rewards offers a point-sharing feature that allows members to transfer points to other Atmos members. Standard transfers cost $10 per 1,000 points and are not recommended because the points lose so much value on the fee. However, Summit cardholders can share points for free with up to 10 other Atmos Rewards members. This is new, and the flexibility is rare among airline programs, making it easier for families or friends to pool points for larger redemptions.

Redemption Partners:

The strength of Atmos expands with partner redemptions. You can use Atmos points on oneworld airlines, such as American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Japan Airlines, often with better availability and lower fees than booking directly with those programs. The program also maintains unique partnerships with airlines like Icelandair.

Atmos Rewards Status Program

The Atmos status program offers four tiers with increasingly valuable benefits to reward frequent flyers across both Alaska and Hawaiian networks.

The top-tier MVP Gold 75K status includes unlimited complimentary space-available upgrades to lie-flat business-class seats, a significant improvement over previous upgrade policies. Gold members also receive complimentary access to Alaska Airlines lounges and partner lounges worldwide.

The program includes milestone rewards throughout each tier, providing additional points and perks as you progress toward the next status level. These in-between rewards help maintain engagement before the next major status threshold.

$99 Companion Fare vs. Global Companion Awards

If you’re familiar with the previous Alaska Famous Companion Fare, the new companion benefits may be confusing since they’ve expanded. Understanding the difference between these two benefits is important for maximizing value from the Atmos program and credit cards.

The $99 Companion Fare

The traditional companion fare remains a credit card benefit available on both the Ascend and Business cards. You pay $99 plus taxes and fees for a second ticket when purchasing a regular paid ticket on Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines. This works best for expensive routes where the tickets would typically cost $300+.

Restrictions include blackout dates around holidays, limited route availability, and the requirement that both travelers fly together on the same itinerary and same fare class. Despite these limitations, the companion fare can easily provide $150+ in annual value, exceeding the yearly fee for the card.

Tip: The $99 companion fare is part of the credit card sign-up bonus. To receive this benefit each card renewal, you will need to spend $6,000 on the card in the prior year.

Atmos Global Companion Awards

The new Global Companion Award (GCA) is exclusive to Atmos Summit cardholders, and uses points instead of cash, and works across the entire partner network. You can book a second ticket to Tokyo on Japan Airlines, London on British Airways, Sydney on Qantas, and more using your companion award. And you aren’t even required to be traveling; the award can be used for any two travelers.

The standard benefit is a 25k Global Companion award, but if you spend $60,000 on the card in the previous year, you will get a 100k Global companion award (this is in addition to the 25k award). 

Tip: These awards are one-time use and good for up to the maximum value. You should target redemptions that are close to that value. Example: If you purchase a domestic ticket that costs 10,000 points, your companion award will then be worth only 10,000 points.

Alaska Airlines International Expansion

That’s right. Alaska Airlines doesn’t cover the West Coast. In addition to full domestic destinations, they’re ambitious international growth plans directly benefit Atmos Rewards members by providing more premium redemption options and status-earning opportunities on Alaska metal.

Current International Routes

Alaska currently operates flights to Seoul (ICN) and Tokyo Narita (NRT) from Seattle. These routes offer direct access to Asia without connecting through other carriers, and they’re bookable with Atmos points at competitive rates.

2026 European Expansion

Alaska plans to launch three European routes from Seattle in 2026: Rome, London, and Reykjavik. Many international destinations will be served by Alaska’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, featuring lie-flat business class seats that are available for upgrade to MVP Gold members.

The European routes are Alaska’s first venture beyond the Pacific, opening up new redemption possibilities for Atmos members and providing more ways to earn elite status on Alaska flights, rather than through partners.

Long-term Growth Strategy

By 2030, Alaska aims to operate 12 nonstop global routes using long-haul widebody aircraft. This expansion strategy positions Atmos Rewards as increasingly valuable for international travelers who previously had limited options for using Alaska points on the airline’s own metal.

The growth also means more premium cabin availability for status upgrades and award bookings, addressing one of the historical challenges with Alaska’s program: limited first- and business-class inventory on the airline’s own flights.

Atmos Rewards Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to Alaska Mileage Plan?

Alaska Mileage Plan transitioned to Atmos Rewards in August 2025. Your existing miles converted to Atmos points on a 1:1 basis automatically, and your elite status transferred to the corresponding Atmos tier.

Can I still earn and redeem Hawaiian Miles?

HawaiianMiles also transitioned to Atmos Rewards. Like Alaska members, Hawaiian loyalty members received automatic conversion of their miles to Atmos points and status tier transfers. The combined Atmos Rewards program now covers both airlines’ routes and partnerships.

What’s the difference between the Atmos credit cards?

The Ascend ($95 annual fee) targets casual flyers with the $99 companion fare, priority boarding, and first checked bag free. The Summit ($395 annual fee) adds premium benefits like lounge access, global companion award, and unlimited status point earning. The Business card mirrors the Ascend but includes business-specific features.

How do Global Companion Awards work?

The Global Companion Award lets you book a second ticket for up to 25,000 points (you pay the balance if it’s more). They work on domestic and international Alaska, Hawaiian, and partner airline flights, with point costs varying by route and class. This is different than the $99 companion fare, which applies only to domestic Alaska and Hawaiian flights.

When can I choose my earning track?

The Atmos Rewards dual-earning track system launches in 2026, allowing you to optimize point and status point earning based on your travel patterns. These tracks include earning based on distance, price-based, or segments.

Do my existing Alaska Airlines points transfer automatically?

Yes, all Alaska Mileage Plan miles converted to Atmos Rewards points automatically when the program launched in August 2025. You didn’t need to take any action, and the conversion maintained the same redemption values you were used to with the previous program.

Wrap-up: New Atmos Rewards Loyalty Program

Atmos Rewards represents a significant upgrade to Alaska Airlines’ loyalty program, combining the best aspects of Alaska and Hawaiian’s programs while introducing new benefits, including flexible earning methods and point-sharing capabilities. The three-card credit card lineup provides options for different spending patterns (and thankfully, no coupon books to manage), while the enhanced status program offers more valuable benefits for frequent flyers.

For travelers who frequently fly Alaska or Hawaiian, or those seeking a program with strong partner redemption values and lots of flexibility, Atmos Rewards deserves serious consideration. The timing coincides with Alaska’s international expansion to Europe and Asia, and the future of the program appears to be bright.

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