Link: Apply now for the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card
We recently saw the launch of the $395 annual fee Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card (review), which is the new premium personal credit card of Alaska & Hawaiian, coinciding with the introduction of the Atmos Rewards program.
There are lots of reasons to get this card, from a huge welcome bonus, to the great perks and rewards for spending on an ongoing basis. It’s a card I’ve already applied for. This is a truly innovative card, and I know there are lots of questions, and I want to address as many of them as possible.
In this post, I’d like to talk about how the Atmos Rewards Summit Card offers the ability to earn Global Companion Awards, both just for having the card, and for spending. These certificates can offer incredible value for award redemptions on Alaska, Hawaiian, and partner airlines, so let’s talk about them in a bit more detail.
In this post:
How to earn Atmos Rewards Global Companion Awards
The Atmos Rewards Summit Card gives cardmembers the opportunity to earn up to two Global Companion Awards per year:
- The card offers a 25,000-point Global Companion Award as part of the welcome offer, and as an annual bonus on the cardmember anniversary every year
- The card offers a 100,000-point Global Companion Award when you spend $60,000 on the card in an anniversary year (so that’s 12-month periods from when you opened your account, different than a calendar year)
Let me emphasize that you can earn both of these Global Companion Awards, so it’s not that you can only receive one or the other. So, when should cardmembers expect for these Global Companion Awards to post? Per the terms:
- The 25,000-point Global Companion Award will post within two billing cycles of qualifying for the welcome bonus on the card, and within two billing cycles of the account anniversary
- The 100,000-point Global Companion Award will post within two billing cycles of completing the $60,000 spending requirement in an anniversary year
I suspect that Global Companion Awards will post much faster than two billing cycles in practice, though since this card just launched, we don’t have many data points yet.
Once issued, Global Companion Awards are valid for 12 months. The good news is that it’s fine if you travel after that 12 months, you just need to ticket by then (and if you end up canceling your ticket after the expiration, you’d also forfeit the certificate).
How to redeem Atmos Rewards Global Companion Awards
How can you redeem the Global Companion Awards earned with the Atmos Rewards Summit Card? They’re super flexible.
In order to use Global Companion Awards, you need to find award availability for two passengers. This can be for travel on Alaska, Hawaiian, or any of the Atmos Rewards global airline partners (ranging from Condor to Qatar Airways).
Tickets must be booked on alaskaair.com, with both passengers being booked at the same time. The cardmember doesn’t need to be one of the travelers, as the certificates can be redeemed for others. Both passengers are still on the hook for taxes and fees.
The idea is that the 25,000-point Global Companion Award will take 25,000 points off the cost of a companion’s award, while the 100,000-point Global Companion Award will take 100,000 points off the cost of a companion’s award.
You can top off these certificates with more points if you’d like, and they’re valid for one-way or roundtrip travel. Just as an example, if you had a 25,000 point Global Companion Award:
- You could book a ticket that costs 20,000 points per person; you’d pay the 20,000 points for the first passenger, and then the certificate would totally cover the second passenger (though there would be no residual value)
- You could book a ticket that costs 50,000 points per person; you’d pay the 50,000 points for the first passenger, and then you’d have to pay an extra 25,000 points for the second passenger, to cover the overage
My take on the value of Atmos Rewards Global Companion Awards
The Global Companion Awards make up a major part of the value proposition of the Atmos Rewards Summit Card. How would I go about actually valuing these certificates, though? Let me share how I think about them…
To start, I should mention that I redeem a good number of Atmos Rewards points (formerly Alaska Mileage Plan miles). They’re super handy for redemptions on a variety of airlines, and particularly, for short haul travel on American, which is especially valuable to me. So while I don’t have Atmos Rewards status, I am very much in the ecosystem.
Let me of course acknowledge that you should consider your own circumstances when deciding how much you value them. For example, if you almost always travel alone, then a companion certificate will likely be worth a lot less to you.
With that in mind, let’s talk about the two types of Global Companion Awards separately, because there are different questions cardmembers should be asking themselves.
Does the 25K certificate justify the annual fee?
You get the 25,000-point Global Companion Award annually just for having the card. Personally, I consider that to be worth pretty close to the “retail” value, since I travel on an Alaska award with a companion at least once per year, while spending 25,000+ points per passenger.
If you ask me, that more or less makes this a breakeven card for me, as I value that certificate very close to the card’s $395 annual fee. Between this and the waived partner award booking fees that come with the card, I’m way ahead, just by being a cardmember. That says nothing of the other perks, which are numerous.
Of course points give you more flexibility than an award, but I feel confident enough in my ability to use that award efficiently to say it’s basically worth face value. Of course everyone will be in a different situation, and that’s just how it is for me, as someone who redeems a good number of points.
Does the 100K certificate justify $60,000 spending?
The much more interesting question surrounds whether it’s worth spending $60,000 per cardmember year in order to earn the 100,000-point Global Companion Award. This of course assumes you have that much spending to throw at a card, which won’t be the case for many people (but there’s not much to analyze if you can’t spend that much).
I think the major consideration with putting a big amount of spending on the card is that you’re not just earning a Global Companion Award, but you’re also earning some other valuable rewards:
- You earn one status point for every $2 spent on the card, so if you’re trying to earn elite status, that will help you greatly
- The card has some amazing bonus categories, including offering 3x points on foreign purchases, as well as on dining, and on Alaska and Hawaiian flight purchases
Obviously the math will work out very differently here if you earn the 100,000-point Global Companion Award by spending $60,000 in a category that earns 1x points, vs. spending it in a category that earns 3x points. For $60,000 of spending:
- If you were just earning 1x points, you’d earn 60,000 redeemable points, 30,000 status points, and the 100,000-point Global Companion Award
- If you were just earning 3x points, you’d earn 180,000 redeemable points, 30,000 status points, and the 100,000-point Global Companion Award
The funny thing is, I’d argue that even on the low end, that’s a good return on non-bonused spending. But on the high end, I’d argue that’s basically an unbeatable return on spending.
Now, how much would I value the 100,000-point Global Companion Award? I’d probably be conservative, and value it at around half of face value. Why?
- You have a lot less flexibility than just having points, since you need to book within a certain timeframe, and need to book an expensive award to maximize value
- Many people will have to book awards as roundtrips vs. one-ways to maximize value (to get to the 100,000-point requirement), and that limits flexibility
- The Atmos Rewards sweet spots are largely for shorter haul awards, so often you don’t even want to book the most expensive types of awards with Atmos Rewards points
But even if you were to value that certificate at 50,000 points, I think that still contributes very nicely to the value proposition.
I also think what’s so brilliant here is how the way this card is structured really keeps you on the “hamster wheel” — you earn enough points so that you can actually use your Global Companion Awards, and you earn so many status points that you’re really incentivized to fly more on Alaska, Hawaiian, and global airline partners.
Bottom line
The Atmos Rewards Summit Card gives cardmembers the ability to earn two Global Companion Awards — you can earn a 25,000-point certificate each cardmember year just for having the card, and a second 100,000-point certificate each cardmember year for spending $60,000 on the card.
Everyone will want to crunch their own numbers regarding the value of this. Based on my own redemption patterns, I think the 25,000-point award is easy enough to use and worth close to the annual fee.
Meanwhile I think the 100,000-point award is awesome, but requires some discount for mental accounting purposes, given the limited uses that allow cardmembers to maximize it. However, when you consider the overall value proposition of spending on the card, there’s a lot to be said for using this card for spending.
What do you make of the Atmos Rewards Summit Card Global Companion Awards?
This article is frustrating bc it doesn't say how to actually apply the 25k coupon. I have the card but see no coupon and can't figure out how to get the 25k discount. I found two 45k biz class seats on Condor and I go all the way to payment and there is still no certificate. If you write an article that has a section about "How to Redeem a Certificate" please explain the mechanics of...how to redeem the certificate.
The issue that has perplexed me is whether an individual, who signs up for the Summit card and fails to spend $6,000 during the initial 90-day period, is initially entitled to the 25,000 companion certificate (and subsequent annual 25,000 certificates). I have read some commentary that suggests the 25,000 award(s) are independent of satisfying the $6,000 spend requirement. However, a close reading of the Terms and Conditions seems to suggest that the 25,000 bonus feature...
The issue that has perplexed me is whether an individual, who signs up for the Summit card and fails to spend $6,000 during the initial 90-day period, is initially entitled to the 25,000 companion certificate (and subsequent annual 25,000 certificates). I have read some commentary that suggests the 25,000 award(s) are independent of satisfying the $6,000 spend requirement. However, a close reading of the Terms and Conditions seems to suggest that the 25,000 bonus feature is an integral part of the SUB. For example, the T&C provide that the certificate will be issued within 2 billing cycles after "qualifying".
@Ben, do you know if Alaska will let you use the certificate when there is one saver award left and one regular priced award? Can I book the first starlux seat transpacific at 85k and then the second at 175k?
For me this seems like a likely scenario since many airlines release 1 seat at saver.
Ben - I’m not sure I would value the companion AWARD cert as much a the companion FARE cert on the old card.
Consider: I just took a vacation to Hawaii with six people. The tickets cost $1300 per person, but we pulled together three companion fares so three people only paid $99 plus tax. Great deal. (There were cheaper fares on Hawaiian, but we couldn’t use the companion fares for those, so this came...
Ben - I’m not sure I would value the companion AWARD cert as much a the companion FARE cert on the old card.
Consider: I just took a vacation to Hawaii with six people. The tickets cost $1300 per person, but we pulled together three companion fares so three people only paid $99 plus tax. Great deal. (There were cheaper fares on Hawaiian, but we couldn’t use the companion fares for those, so this came out better in the end.)
But with the companion AWARD, we would need six award seats. At the time I was trying to book, they were running (if I recall) somewhere between 60k and 80k round trip. If we had three of these certificates, we would still spend 35 to 55k miles for each companion, which is not as good a deal.
Put more simply, even if you value miles as high as 2 cents each, your max value for a certificate is $500…much less than the $1200 value I scored this time. They have more flexibility, but less peak value and you’re limited to award seats unlike before.
All of this has me on the fence, and I’m thinking my wife and I may just get one summit card and one Ascent. For families, that may be the sweeter spot.
Would welcome your thoughts on this…
@ Keith S -- You're absolutely right, there's huge value to the companion fare as well, and for many people, that will be better. Using it for a $1,300 ticket is pretty tough to beat!
I think the thing to keep in mind is that it doesn't have to be one or the other. You can have both cards, and earn both of the certificates.
I'm in the same boat as you. I have the original Alaska card (I think I'm grandfathered in where i don't need to spend $6k to get the free companion pass). But I don't know of any good redemptions where 25k Atmos points will get me a roundtrip flight, even to the mainland (I'm based in Hawaii). I just recently redeemed my companion pass for a roundtrip flight from HNL to BNA next spring and...
I'm in the same boat as you. I have the original Alaska card (I think I'm grandfathered in where i don't need to spend $6k to get the free companion pass). But I don't know of any good redemptions where 25k Atmos points will get me a roundtrip flight, even to the mainland (I'm based in Hawaii). I just recently redeemed my companion pass for a roundtrip flight from HNL to BNA next spring and the companion pass saved me about $1000.
The only other benefit to me would be the Alaska Lounge passes, especially since they plan on building one at HNL.
Ben, do you have a workaround to them not allowing one world status benefits if the status isn’t from AS on AS awards on Alaska metal?
That’s a real turnoff to me about the program.
@ Beachfan -- That policy is kind of annoying, I agree. I've heard some people have had luck booking through the app and booking as if the ticket is for someone else, and leaving the frequent flyer account number blank, and then adding it after the fact. Have you tried that method?
That works when you are booking an AS award on non-AS metal, as you can get the other airline to change it. But not AS metal, even after escalating within customer service. Complete refusal to enter my AA frequent flyer number even after booking from my wife's account and treating me as "someone else" without an AS account number.
For example, only AS and UA fly Bur-SFO , a flight I like to take. They...
That works when you are booking an AS award on non-AS metal, as you can get the other airline to change it. But not AS metal, even after escalating within customer service. Complete refusal to enter my AA frequent flyer number even after booking from my wife's account and treating me as "someone else" without an AS account number.
For example, only AS and UA fly Bur-SFO , a flight I like to take. They offer great coach awards at times - but no discount on seat fees, and at the moment, I have to pay for bags (often have an AS card, but not right now). The award could be free, but my OW Sapphire status is useless and I'm usually better off booking for more points with UA, where I'm just a silver.
Not a big deal if I'm flying F/J but for that short hop, it's not worth the premium over Y.
Really shortsighted as west coast flyers are pretty dissatisfied with AA's schedule, but they are not encouraged to fully participate in their Mileage Program as a result.
Can you make a reservation for more than 2 people, if you have kids as well? I assume the certificate would only apply to one companion. But still, booking everyone on a single reservation is helpful for other reasons.
@ Adam -- That's a great question. I don't see it in the terms one way or another, and I don't think anyone has actually received one of these yet. I'll update this post once I know for sure, as I could see it going either way.
Time to find a husband
There must be a lot of people applying. At this moment, the application system is down.
Are these stackable? E.G., I find a round-trip ticket for 110k total for one passenger with space available for another passenger. Can I use both a 25K and a 100K Cert to make the second traveler's point price 0?
Try it and report back.
@ Ladakn99 -- I believe they're not stackable, but I could be wrong. We'll find out soon, once people actually start to get these.
Talking simply business class awards - Alaska is a great program in theory for redemption - I mean Qantas, JAL, Cathay, Qatar - what's not to like. BUT, try finding 2 tickets...shoot, one ticket on these airlines from the US to their hubs. I say this all to say these certificates sound nice but their utilization is going to frustrate people unless Alaska generously opens up its partners award availability.
This will definitely be as frustrating to use as those fabled GGU's. Don't get me wrong. I've definitely found uses for those with confirmed space at booking, but it generally requires taking the worst timed flights (very early, super late, or even red-eye) and also having pretty much zero constraints on when/where.
Even if they feign availability, it will be because the awards are astronomically priced which will put utilization out of reach for most anyway.
Hmmm...I have never had a problem finding two Business class tickets. The key -- for me -- is being flexible, along with the occasional "positioning flight." Now I'm not flying long-haul Business class for business, but rather for vacations. My wife and I decide where we want to go and a rough time frame, and then I start looking for a pair of Business Class award tickets. I'm flexible with the dates (ranging, say, from...
Hmmm...I have never had a problem finding two Business class tickets. The key -- for me -- is being flexible, along with the occasional "positioning flight." Now I'm not flying long-haul Business class for business, but rather for vacations. My wife and I decide where we want to go and a rough time frame, and then I start looking for a pair of Business Class award tickets. I'm flexible with the dates (ranging, say, from the 1st the the 10th or 15th), and if I can't find them to Asia from SFO, I'll look at SEA or even HNL (fewer points needed); to Europe, we'll ofter spend 1-2 nights in NYC or Boston visiting family and friends, so I'll look for a pair of tickets from the East Coast as well as SFO. So far, I've purchased pairs of Business Class tickets for trans-oceanic travel using AS points on JAL, IB, BA, AA, and found (but not purchased) them on Aer Lingus, Qatar, and a couple of others... I'm sure you know all this already; this is just one person's experience and (clearly) YMMV.
Ben, to be clear, can you use the 25K Global Certificate for domestic flights on American Airlines? I know that isn’t the best value proposition for their use, but I’d like to know just in case I have a hard time finding partner availability on long haul international business class flights for two individuals on say Starlux Airlines.
@ texlaker -- You sure can!
The morning line in Vegas is that someone will ask about topping off the certificates.
So in reading this article and through the website it means that it’s a discount of 25k points for the companion and not that you can book the companion an award ticket for 25k regardless of how the first passenger spent. Am I correct?
@ The flyer -- You're correct.