Link: Apply now for the Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card
The Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card (review) is the business credit card of the Atmos Rewards program, which is the new loyalty program of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. The card is issued by Bank of America, and is a rebranding of the former Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card. The card has a $70 annual fee for the company, and a $25 annual fee per card (meaning you’ll pay a minimum of a $95 annual fee).
Let me emphasize that there are a lot of similarities between this and the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Credit Card (review), in the event that you prefer a personal card.
This is a business card that many people may not have previously considered picking up, so in this post, I’d like to share the reasons you might want to consider applying for this card, especially given the massive welcome bonus that’s available. In no particular order…
In this post:
Huge bonus of 80K points & companion fare
At the moment, the Atmos Rewards Business Card has a massive two-part limited time welcome bonus. After spending $5,000 within the first 90 days, you can earn 80,000 Atmos Rewards bonus points, in addition to a $99 companion fare (plus taxes and fees from $23), valid for flights within North America on Alaska and Hawaiian.
I value Atmos Rewards points at 1.5 cents each, given the great uses of these rewards. That means that to me, the 80,000 points are worth $1,200. That doesn’t even account for the value of the companion fare.
Note that eligibility for this card (including the welcome bonus) is unrelated to which other Atmos Rewards cards you have.
Ability to earn companion fare annually
One of the biggest incentives to actually putting spending on the Atmos Rewards Business Card is that you can earn an annual Alaska & Hawaiian companion fare when you spend at least $6,000 per anniversary year on the card, valid for flights within North America.
For many people, this could be well worth it, especially given the size of the Alaska and Hawaiian network in North America. This could save you hundreds of dollars on the cost of a ticket, and is one of the most flexible companion fares out there. Interestingly, this is a perk that isn’t available on the more premium version of the card, so it’s a reason that many people will continue to want to hold onto this card.
Anecdotally easy approval & limited restrictions
This is all anecdotal, but based on everything I’ve seen (and personally experienced), I don’t think there are many business cards that are easier to get approved for than the Atmos Rewards Business Card. There are a couple of things that are particularly noteworthy:
- It seems like lots of people are getting instant approvals on this card, more so than with most other business credit cards, and more than with the personal version of the card
- The eligibility requirements around earning the bonus aren’t particularly strict; you can earn the bonus on the card even if you’ve earned it in the past
Applying for the card doesn’t count toward 5/24
Chase has the 5/24 rule, which is a restriction whereby you typically won’t be approved for a Chase card if you’ve opened five or more new card accounts in the past 24 months (though nowadays it doesn’t seem to be consistently enforced anymore). If this is a limit you’re trying to stay under, applying for most business cards, including the Atmos Rewards Business Card, shouldn’t count toward that limit.
That’s because the card won’t show up on your personal credit report, which is another reason to consider this card.
Spend your way to Atmos Rewards elite status
The Atmos Rewards Business Card can help you earn elite status. You can earn one Atmos Rewards status point per $3 spent on the card, up to 30,000 status points for 2025. In 2026 and beyond, there’s no cap to how many status points you can earn with the card.
If you are going to get serious about earning elite status with Atmos Rewards, you’ll want to go for the premium personal card, which offers one status point per $2 spent, so that will rack up status points quite a bit faster.
Free checked bag on Alaska & Hawaiian flights
Those with the Atmos Rewards Business Card can receive a free first checked bag on Alaska and Hawaiian flights. You must purchase the airfare with your card, and this also applies for up to six travelers on the same reservation. Alaska and Hawaiian ordinarily charge $35-40 for a checked bag, so the savings there are substantial.
Preferred boarding on Alaska flights
Those with the Atmos Rewards Business Card can receive preferred boarding for themselves and up to six companions on the same reservation when flying on Alaska. In order to use this perk, you need to charge the cost of the ticket to your card.
Preferred boarding can be valuable for ensuring that there’s overhead bin space for your carry-on bags, since that can otherwise be a challenge nowadays if you end up in one of the last boarding groups.
20% back on Alaska & Hawaiian inflight purchases
The Atmos Rewards Business Card offers 20% savings on Alaska and Hawaiian inflight purchases, including for food, premium beverages, and Wi-Fi. If you fly Alaska or Hawaiian with any frequency, those savings can add up quickly.
3x miles on Alaska & Hawaiian flight purchases
The Atmos Rewards Business Card offers 3x points per eligible dollar spent on Alaska and Hawaiian purchases. While there are some other credit cards that offer up to 5x points for airfare purchases, I’d note that Atmos Rewards points are a special currency that can be hard to rack up, and the program doesn’t partner with most major transferable points currencies. Many may prefer to put their airline spending on this card, because earning 3x points is a solid return.
Looking for a personal Atmos Rewards card?
If you want an Atmos Rewards credit card but don’t want to apply for a business card, you have two great options to choose from.
The most comparable card is the $95 annual fee Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Credit Card (review), and there are lots of reasons to consider this card. The card has largely overlapping benefits, and a massive welcome bonus. There’s something to be said for getting both the personal and business card, especially if you value the companion fare.
Meanwhile the most talked about card at the moment is the new $395 annual fee Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card (review). This card has a gargantuan welcome bonus, and some very cool perks and benefits, like 3x points on all foreign purchases, the ability to earn Global Companion Awards, and more.
Bottom line
The Atmos Rewards Business Card has a reasonable annual fee, and is offering a huge welcome bonus of 80,000 points, plus a companion certificate, making this a great time to apply.
This is also a card potentially worth holding onto long-term, given the ability to earn a companion certificate every year, plus the ability to spend your way toward elite status, priority boarding, a first checked bag free, and more. If you’re eligible for this card (which a vast majority of small business owners should be, even if you’ve had the card in the past), then applying should be a no-brainer.
If you have the Atmos Rewards Business Card, what has your experience been with the card?
Apparently Ben is getting a great Atmos kick back today. This is ugly. 6+ posts?
@ iflyfar -- Hey, I hear you, but that's not my intent. Instead, we've just seen the entire loyalty program and portfolio overhauled, and there's a lot to talk about and update, given that all the cards have changed. Yes, I've written a lot about the new premium card, and the last two posts are my first posts about the updates to the two existing cards, which now have limited time offers.
I figure there's...
@ iflyfar -- Hey, I hear you, but that's not my intent. Instead, we've just seen the entire loyalty program and portfolio overhauled, and there's a lot to talk about and update, given that all the cards have changed. Yes, I've written a lot about the new premium card, and the last two posts are my first posts about the updates to the two existing cards, which now have limited time offers.
I figure there's more value to helping people earn enough points for premium cabin travel rather than covering who is taking off their clothes at some airport. I'm going to have more Atmos Rewards content in the next couple of days, and that's not because I have any quota I have to reach, or anything, but instead, because I think there's a lot here that's interesting.
If it doesn't interest you, I totally get it, so please just be patient with me. :-)
As I commented another place, this sadly isn't sufficient. It takes one report to any EU consumer protection agency and you'll be apprehended on arrival.
You must disclose the nature of this commercial relationship. The EU doesn't f around with these things.
It's clear there's an upfront commercial relation here beyond affiliate *or* an enhanced remuneration agreement. This *must* be disclosed.
@ Not Scott -- "It's clear there's an upfront commercial relation here beyond affiliate *or* an enhanced remuneration agreement. This *must* be disclosed."
Correct, and there is not. Please don't make accusations if you don't know what you're talking about (like suggesting I'm going to be apprehended the next time I enter the EU -- WTH?).
Exactly. Tedious.
Travel content is thin. I understand why Ben is not traveling at the moment, but this underscores the need for other contributors on this site.
@ Jack -- My next trip report series is kicking off this weekend, so stay tuned.