Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways announce Atmos Rewards as new loyalty program

It is a new period for Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways. In a long-awaited announcement on Wednesday, the 2 carriers revealed their brand-new mixed loyalty program, which has a brand new title: Atmos Rewards.

This system will function the one loyalty program bridging Alaska and Hawaiian, which proceed to fly as distinct manufacturers even after merging final 12 months underneath one father or mother firm.

One program overlaying two airways makes Atmos Rewards distinctive amongst U.S. airways. It’s miles extra harking back to how some European carriers linked manufacturers after mergers (suppose: Air France and KLM for the Flying Blue program).

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Alaska and Hawaiian’s new Atmos Rewards program will provide a number of frequent flyer perks not seen at any rivals. For example, top-tier elite standing members will get limitless complimentary space-available upgrades to lie-flat business-class seats on long-haul flights.

And, uniquely, Atmos Rewards members might be allowed to decide on how they earn factors and standing.

But it surely would not be a serious airline loyalty announcement in 2025 with out some huge bank card information.

As a part of the Atmos Rewards launch, the carriers unveiled a brand-new premium card full of new perks, together with lounge visits and world companion journey awards — to not point out bonus factors on all swipes outdoors the U.S.

The reveal of this new mixed Alaska-Hawaiian loyalty program had been maybe probably the most anticipated component of this blockbuster airline merger.

Atmos Rewards will spell the top of the long-standing HawaiianMiles program beginning this October. And, it would usher in a brand new period for the Alaska Airways Mileage Plan program, which had been a favourite of frequent vacationers hoping to stretch their factors and miles on each Alaska and its spectacular accomplice community.

This new loyalty reveal comes as the 2 carriers are already embarking on huge modifications collectively, together with a rising checklist of long-haul flights to Europe and Asia out of Alaska’s Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) dwelling base.

“It’s totally a lot in service of our new world community, being the fourth main world participant within the US, after which utilizing rewards as a solution to get individuals enthusiastic about our model,” Brett Catlin, Alaska’s loyalty chief, stated in an interview with TPG main as much as Wednesday’s announcement.

This is what to learn about this system, the modifications and the premium bank card the airline additionally unveiled on Wednesday. The latter might be intricately related with almost each side of this system.

5 huge issues to learn about Atmos Rewards

• Alaska’s helpful accomplice award chart, a TPG favourite for redemptions, is not going wherever.
• Excessive-level elite standing will now include increased thresholds but in addition an alluring new perk: free upgrades to lie-flat business-class seats.
• Subsequent 12 months, Atmos Rewards members will have the ability to select how they need to earn factors and standing: through eligible {dollars} paid for airfare, distance flown or segments flown.
• There is a new premium bank card, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit score Card, which comes with fast-tracked standing, lounge passes and world companion journey awards, all for a $395 annual charge.
• Transfers to Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio will stay in place (a minimum of, for now).

The data for the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit score Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed by the cardboard issuer.

What to know concerning the Mileage Plan/HawaiianMiles transition

Let’s get to the logistics of Atmos Rewards, beginning with just a few prime FAQs.

The data for the Alaska Visa Signature, Atmos Rewards Ascent, Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise, Hawaiian Airways World Elite and Hawaiian Airways World Elite Enterprise has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

Incomes factors and standing with Atmos Rewards

Below the brand new Atmos Rewards program, you may see some barely completely different terminology:

• Miles might be often called “factors.”
• You may earn standing by accumulating “standing factors.”

How do you earn standing factors?

This is likely one of the extra unusual twists of Atmos Rewards. Beginning later in 2026, members will have the ability to select how they earn factors and standing factors.

Your three choices:

• Earn 1 standing level for each mile flown (“distance-based”).
• Earn 5 standing factors for each $1 spent on flights (“revenue-based”).
• Earn 500 standing factors for each section flown (“segment-based”).

You may be allowed to vary your desire as soon as per 12 months.

For years, we have seen airways shift towards calculating standing primarily based on how a lot cash you spend with the airline.

However Alaska had been the outlier, nonetheless labeling prospects as “elite” primarily based on what number of miles they flew.

Now, Atmos Rewards members can select both of these two choices or acquire standing by flying a set variety of particular person flight segments.

Alaska executives count on segments might be a well-liked possibility amongst Hawaiian passengers who incessantly journey between neighbor islands.

Bank cards provide a lift

Irrespective of which path to standing you select, you can earn extra standing factors through an eligible Atmos Rewards bank card.

• Members with the brand new Atmos Rewards Summit card will earn 1 standing level for each $2 spent on purchases. They will additionally get 10,000 standing factors every card anniversary.
• Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® (beforehand Alaska Airways Visa Signature) and Atmos™ Rewards Enterprise Visa® (beforehand Alaska Airways Enterprise Visa) cardholders will earn 1 standing level per $3 spent. These cardholders might be restricted to 30,000 standing factors this 12 months, however that cap will finish after 2025.
• Hawaiian Airways World Elite Mastercard members will likewise earn 1 standing level per $3 spent from Oct. 1 on, with a 30,000-point restrict in 2025.

Revamped elite standing tiers

As a part of the Atmos Rewards rollout, elite standing will sound just a little completely different.

You may see the top of Hawaiian’s Pualani standing and what’s basically a rebranding of Alaska’s MVP tiers.

Alaska will improve the qualification necessities for its prime two tiers, too:

Notice that the qualification modifications talked about above will take impact in 2026 for Atmos Rewards members qualifying for 2027 standing — this is not for subsequent 12 months’s standing necessities.

Moreover, Atmos Rewards Platinum and Titanium elite members will get a one-time head begin on incomes 2027 standing:

• 5,000 standing factors for Platinum members
• 20,000 standing factors for Titanium members

World upgrades

Most U.S. airways provide elite standing members complimentary upgrades to their home first-class recliners.

Alaska is taking that one (huge) step additional.

Atmos Rewards Titanium members might be eligible for limitless free upgrades to long-haul, lie-flat business-class seats on Alaska and Hawaiian flights.

No, you will not want a one-time certificates like a JetBlue Transfer to Mint or an American Systemwide Improve.

“Even if you happen to’re sitting within the again,” Catlin stated, “we are going to put you in a lie-flat business-class seat, together with on our 787 suites with doorways, in order that seat won’t exit empty if there is a Titanium sitting in the principle cabin.”

That is particularly notable as Alaska ramps up world flying from Seattle, together with new flights to London, Rome and Seoul, South Korea, deliberate to launch subsequent spring.

Should you’re an American Airways AAdvantage Government Platinum member and your ears simply perked up, we must always be aware: This profit doesn’t lengthen to accomplice elite members. The improve perk might be unique to Atmos Rewards Titanium members flying on Alaska- and Hawaiian-operated flights.

Redeeming

If there was one factor TPG staffers and frequent vacationers have been nervous about in Alaska’s loyalty revamp, it was award redemptions.

Alaska’s Mileage Plan (and miles) have routinely ranked among the many most respected of any airline, due to the provider’s accomplice award chart, which has usually provided well-priced award house — akin to seats in American’s brand-new Flagship Suites this summer season.

Alaska executives advised me its Mileage Plan award chart will stay intact as a part of this shift to Atmos Rewards.

“We’re actually proud of the place our redemptions are at, significantly on the accomplice aspect,” Catlin stated. “We’ve no plans at this level to seriously change how we’re structuring redemptions.”

He did be aware, although, that the provider might want to make some updates to its chart to account for brand new long-haul Alaska and Hawaiian flights, however this must be reassuring information for former Mileage Plan followers.

Communities

The Atmos Rewards program will even provide a handful of loyalty communities with particular promotions and reductions for vacationers, together with Mileage Plan’s Membership 49 for vacationers within the nation’s forty ninth state and Huaka’i by Hawaiian, which provides Hawaii residents a free checked bag and a quarterly 10% low cost on flights.

Alaska plans to introduce quite a lot of extra communities within the coming months, with themes targeted on meals, household journey and vacationers primarily based outdoors the U.S.

New premium bank card

Alaska did not simply announce a serious loyalty program revamp. It unveiled its long-expected premium bank card: the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit score Card, which has a handful of perks we have not seen on every other cobranded airline card.

The cardboard has a $395 annual charge, falling squarely between many entry-level airline playing cards with annual charges round $100 and pricier competitor playing cards that now usually cost upward of $550 yearly to carry.

You may learn all concerning the card on this story, however this is a rundown of the highest advantages that may tie in with the brand new Atmos Rewards program.

World Companion Awards

Cardholders can guide themselves a flight after which use their companion certificates to take a buddy or member of the family with them on that flight.

There are 4 issues to know right here:

• You may get one certificates price as much as 25,000 factors annually after the account anniversary.
• You may get one other one price as much as 100,000 factors after spending $60,000 within the account 12 months. This might get you to Europe or Asia.
• You may “prime up” the certificates — so, if you wish to guide your companion on a 110,000-point round-trip itinerary, you should use 10,000 Atmos Rewards factors in your account to finish the reserving.
• These awards might be redeemed on Alaska or Hawaiian flights or any accomplice flights booked by way of these airways’ web sites. That features companions like American Airways, British Airways, Japan Airways, Cathay Pacific and dozens extra.

As much as 8 Alaska Lounge passes

You may go to the Alaska Lounge community as much as eight occasions yearly, although (sadly) these visits might be restricted to 2 per calendar quarter. Cardholders can, nonetheless, share these passes with members of the family and pals.

To get a full-fledged Alaska Lounge (or Lounge+) membership, you may nonetheless need to pay the annual dues or choose entry as a alternative advantage of Atmos Rewards Titanium (beforehand MVP 100K) elite standing.

Every move is legitimate for all the journey day and contains entry for as much as two accompanying kids.

Resort transfers

In some methods, the Atmos Rewards Summit card is not simply an airline card — it (kind of) has transferable forex.

Cardholders might be allowed to switch their Atmos Rewards factors to 5 lodge loyalty applications:

• Marriott Bonvoy (1:1 switch ratio)
• IHG One Rewards (1:1, accessible by way of November)
• Wyndham Rewards (1:1)
• I Want Resort Rewards (1:2)
• Shangri-La Circle (8:1)

Flight delay vouchers

Cardholders who run right into a delay of two hours or extra on Alaska will get a $50 card-linked voucher, whatever the purpose for the disruption.

This will even apply to cancellations inside 24 hours of departure.

“As a substitute of, like, stewing at SeaTac right here, we would like you to go and store in one of many shops, have a cocktail, reap the benefits of it,” Catlin stated. “… whether or not it was in our management or not.”

This profit is predicted to ultimately lengthen to passengers on Hawaiian, probably later in 2026.

Different perks

The Atmos Rewards Summit comes with just a few different perks, together with:

• Payment credit on accomplice award bookings (as much as $25 per reservation)
• Waived same-day confirmed change charges on Alaska (and ultimately Hawaiian, anticipated later in 2026)
• A ten,000 standing level enhance yearly
• The power to earn 1 standing level for each $2 spent on purchases
• A free first checked bag for you and as much as six companions

Moreover, cardholders will earn 3 Atmos Rewards factors per greenback spent on:

• Eligible Alaska and Hawaiian purchases
• Eating
• All eligible purchases outdoors the U.S.

For all different eligible purchases, cardholders will earn 1 level per greenback spent.

Welcome provide

For a restricted time, new candidates can earn 100,000 Atmos Rewards factors and a companion certificates price as much as 25,000 factors after spending $6,000 on purchases inside the first 90 days from account opening.

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