Regardless of an all-new loyalty program that launched final week, among the best methods to shortly earn factors with Alaska Airways is remaining precisely the identical.
The airline’s partnership with Bilt Rewards is not going wherever, which suggests renters can nonetheless flip their month-to-month funds into award flights aboard Alaska and its huge community of companions.
Do not mistake that, although, as an indication that the airline is throwing the door open to extra switch partnerships with different main financial institution packages.
“These are in the end rivals,” Brett Catlin, Alaska Air Group’s vp of loyalty, alliances and gross sales, instructed TPG.
Learn extra: Atmos Rewards reveal: 5 under-the-radar perks, from upgrades to lounge entry
Alaska, Atmos and Bilt
Bilt and Alaska launched their tie-up in 2024, providing renters a gorgeous choice to money in on what’s, for a lot of, their largest month-to-month expense.
As a part of the association, Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and charges) members can earn 1 level per greenback spent on hire funds* after which switch these factors to the issuer’s airline and resort companions, Alaska amongst them.
Meaning $2,000 in your month-to-month hire can shortly flip into 2,000 airline factors — a helpful proposition with Alaska, the place only a few thousand factors are good for an award flight, together with aboard prime home companion American Airways.
*As much as 100,000 factors every calendar 12 months; should use the cardboard 5 occasions every assertion interval to earn factors
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That Bilt-to-Alaska switch choice remained in place regardless of Alaska’s rebranding of Mileage Plan as Atmos Rewards, launched this month with Hawaiian Airways.
So did the flexibility for Atmos bank card holders to, alternatively, cost hire to their airline card by way of Bilt’s community and earn 3 Atmos factors per greenback spent — albeit with a 3% payment tacked on.
“We’re excited to help Atmos Rewards’ launch and deepen our partnership with Alaska Airways, together with our industry-leading advantages that permit Atmos members earn rewards just by paying their hire or spending of their neighborhood with Bilt,” the issuer mentioned in a press release to TPG.
A extra cautious strategy with switch companions
Typically talking, although, Alaska is rather less bullish on the broader concept of shoppers transferring versatile financial institution factors into its loyalty program — a setup that, in Catlin’s eyes, could push clients to spend exterior the Atmos Rewards ecosystem.
“I feel that is a debate that is happening all through the {industry} is, ‘how a lot do you wish to incubate a competitor,'” Catlin mentioned.
1 switch partnership already ended
Be mindful, Alaska’s 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian already spawned the top of 1 main bank card switch partnership.
Earlier this summer season, American Specific cardholders misplaced their capability to maneuver Membership Rewards factors to HawaiianMiles, the outgoing Hawaiian loyalty program that is set to finish Oct. 1.
And primarily based on Catlin’s feedback, it seems like Alaska and Hawaiian are unlikely to strike up a brand new cope with another financial institution companions anytime quickly.
A part of the explanation: In launching Atmos Rewards, Alaska hoped to create an ecosystem that incentivized clients to spend, both on Alaska and Hawaiian, with Atmos companions (like Lyft) or on Atmos cobranded bank cards, Catlin mentioned.
To not point out, the brand new premium Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit score Card truly comes with a kind of transferable forex of its personal; cardholders can switch Atmos Rewards factors to a handful of resort packages, together with Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards.
“Once we take into consideration our portfolio and what we’re aiming to construct with Atmos Rewards, plenty of the worth is our members partaking with our companions,” Catlin mentioned. “In some respects it could make sense to work with a competitor. And others it could not.”
Learn extra: Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit score Card assessment: The most effective card for purchases overseas
So, what about Bilt?
Bilt, in fact, is one “competitor” Alaska continues to work with.
And Catlin, at this level, is hanging a collegial tone in regards to the airline’s ties to Bilt.
“We’re pleased with the Bilt relationship. We did one thing that was modern,” Catlin instructed TPG. “It is working with the place we’re at at the moment.”
I requested how he views that partnership, long-term. Catlin once more referenced the airline’s total view of switch partnerships:
“Philosophically — not particular to Bilt,” he replied, “Whether or not it is the airline, our rewards program, we’re not within the enterprise of incubating rivals.”
Associated studying:
For charges and charges of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
