Alaska Airlines has unveiled its new loyalty program, Atmos Rewards, as the airline continues to undergo a major transformation throughout its business. This officially marks the end of Alaska’s Mileage Plan and Hawaiian’s Hawaiian Miles loyalty program.
Previous Mileage Plan members are now automatically Atmos Rewards members. Hawaiian Members will make the switch in October.
This new loyalty program sounds impressive with new features we’ve yet to see before, and in my opinion, reshapes the concept of a loyalty program to some extent.
This is truly an exciting time to be an Alaska Airlines fan. Let’s take a look at what to expect.
Earning Points
First, customers should note that the airline is using the word “points” instead of “miles” moving forward. Elite qualifying miles are now called “status points;” more on that later.
With regards to these points, passengers can choose 3 different ways to earn them:
- Distance-based: Earn 1 point for every mile flown.
- Revenue-based: Earn 5 points for every $1 spent on booking a flight.
- Segment-based: Earn a flat 500 points for each segment flown.
This will begin in 2026. Note that the choice you make of the three will apply to all of your flights. Alaska will allow customers to change the way they earn points once a year.
The previous Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan was known for its generous distance-based earning system, and that is here to stay! The ability to choose how to earn miles arguably makes Atmos Rewards even more valuable, as maximizing the number of points earned can vary depending on the type of travel one tends to do:
- Distance-based earning may be better for those who frequently fly cross-country and international flights, but not usually in premium cabins.
- Revenue-based earning may be best for those who tend to book last-minute flights or book a lot of long-haul flights in business class.
- Segment-based earning might make sense for those who book many short-distance flights, such as flights between the Hawaiian Islands or within the West Coast.
Alaska is the first airline in the world to offer different choices for points earning. Everyone has different travel patterns, and I think this is a fantastic way to help everyone reach their loyalty program goals.
Redeeming Points
Points redemptions for flights will stay similar. But as Alaska begins to expand internationally with its new Boeing 787s and aircraft acquired from the Hawaiian merger, passengers will have plenty of opportunities to redeem miles.
Redeeming points on partner airlines is still the same, with the number of points required depending on the region you’re flying to. Note that those numbers are dynamic; they start at such and such a price, but will vary depending on demand and how much award seating is filled.
Additionally, passengers can book hotel stays, car rentals, and vacation rentals with points.
Earning Status with Alaska
With this new loyalty program, the elite status ladder has gotten an update. Here’s each status with how many status points are required:
- Atmos Silver (Oneworld Ruby): 20,000 status points
- Atmos Gold (Oneworld Sapphire): 40,000 status points
- Atmos Platinum (Oneworld Emerald): 75,000 status points
- Atmos Titanium (Oneworld Emerald): 100,000 status points
Customers who previously had any MVP status will automatically be converted to their new status under the Atmos Rewards program.
Note that in 2026, the Platinum and Titanium thresholds will increase to 80,000 and 135,000, respectively, which is quite a jump. However, passengers who earned Platinum in 2025 will get a 5,000 point head start, while those who earned Titanium in 2025 will get a 20,000 point head start.
Atmos Rewards Credit Cards
Alaska Airlines has also launched a new credit card along with the Atmos Rewards loyalty program. The new Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Card, co-branded with Bank of America, has a $395 annual fee, where customers can earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining, foreign purchases, Alaska/Hawaiian bookings, and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. Additionally, passengers will earn 1 status point per 2 dollars of spending and receive 10,000 status points on their card anniversary.
Some other benefits include:
- 8 Alaska lounge passes per year (2 per quarter)
- Free checked bag
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every 4 years
- 25,000 Global Companion Award each year, plus another 100,000 point Global Companion Award after $60,000 in spending
- Waived parnter award booking fee
The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card has been rebranded to the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card, while the Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card has been rebranded as the Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business Card.
Other New Perks
Atmos Rewards Titanium members will be able to upgrade to business class for free, as long as there’s seat availability. This is a fantastic perk for elite members, and Alaska becomes the only airline in the United States to offer this benefit.
Finally, Atmos Rewards members will not have to pay for inflight Wi-Fi. This connectivity will improve as the airline has announced free, high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi to be equipped throughout its fleet. This should be complete by 2027.
Bottom Line
There’s a lot to uncover with Alaska’s new loyalty program. As I said in the beginning, it’s an exciting time to be an Alaska Airlines fan, and there are a lot of cool perks and benefits we’ve never seen before in a loyalty program with the launch of Atmos Rewards. The new era of Alaska Airlines is here, marked by new Boeing 787s, a new livery, new international destinations, and now, a new loyalty program.
Featured image via Alaska Airlines.
