Link: Apply now for the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card
Alaska & Hawaiian have just unveiled their new combined loyalty program, named Atmos Rewards, and it’s extremely compelling. To coincide with this, we’ve seen the loyalty program launch a new premium credit card, named the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card (review).
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this $395 annual fee card might just be the most interesting and compelling new credit card that we’ve seen launched in a long time, and perhaps the most lucrative airline credit card we’ve seen… possibly ever?
What stands out to me about the card is how it’s lucrative to apply for, it’s worth holding onto even without spending, and it’s even worth spending a lot on. That makes this card a slam dunk, if you ask me.
In this post, I’d like to share 14 reasons you should consider picking up the new Atmos Rewards Summit Card. This list is by no means exhaustive, but these are the perks that excite me the most.
In this post:
Bonus of 100K points & 25K-point Global Companion Award
The Atmos Rewards Summit Card is offering a massive two-part limited time welcome offer, which you can unlock after spending $6,000 within the first 90 days. Specifically, you can earn:
- 100,000 Atmos Rewards points
- A 25,000-point Global Companion Award
This is the biggest bonus we’ve seen on an airline credit card in a very long time. Personally, I value Atmos Rewards points at roughly 1.5 cents each, and I’d consider the Global Companion Award (which I’ll talk more about below) to basically be worth face value. So I’d consider 125,000 Atmos Rewards points to be worth around $1,875.
Based on my understanding, eligibility for this card is unrelated to having any other co-branded Atmos Rewards credit card, so if you’re an existing cardmember with another product, you can apply outright. While it might be possible to product change as well, you won’t be eligible for the bonus then.
Annual 25K-point Global Companion Award
The Atmos Rewards Summit Card offers a 25,000-point Global Companion Award on the account anniversary every year, without any sort of a spending requirement. This can be used toward a companion award ticket, either on Alaska, Hawaiian, or a partner airline, and it’s valid for 12 months from when it’s issued.
Of course there needs to be award space for at least two people, but as long as that’s the case and the award costs at least 25,000 points per person, you can get the full value out of that. If you ask me, that Global Companion Award alone more or less justifies the annual fee.
Annual 100K-point Global Companion Award with $60K spending
In addition to the 25,000-point Global Companion Award, the Atmos Rewards Summit Card also offers a 100,000-point Global Companion Award when you spend $60,000 on the card in an anniversary year.
This is a massive incentive to put spending on the card, because if you were to value that certificate at close to face value, it’s the equivalent of earning an incremental 1.67 points per dollar spent. What makes this even more exciting is that the card has incredible bonus categories for spending, plus spending counts toward elite status, so there are really some triple dipping opportunities.
Annual 10,000 Atmos Rewards status points boost
If you’re going for status in the Atmos Rewards program, the Atmos Rewards Summit Card offers 10,000 Atmos Rewards status points on your account anniversary every year, simply for having the card. As a reminder, for 2026, Atmos Rewards elite requirements will be as follows:
- Atmos Silver (oneworld Ruby) requires 20,000 status points
- Atmos Gold (oneworld Sapphire) requires 40,000 status points
- Atmos Platinum (oneworld Emerald) requires 80,000 status points
- Atmos Titanium (oneworld Emerald) requires 135,000 status points
This is a nice boost, but that’s only the start of the ability to earn status points with the card.
Earn Atmos Rewards status points with spending
If you’re looking to earn elite status in the Atmos Rewards program, then you’re going to want to have the Atmos Rewards Summit Card, as the card offers one Atmos Rewards status point per $2 spent. That’s in addition to the 10,000 status points boost that you receive every year.
This certainly makes it easier to earn elite status. Best of all, keep in mind that spending $60,000 also earns you that 100,000-point Global Companion Award, so I’d view this in terms of the big picture value proposition. With Atmos Rewards also offering status points for taking award flights, elite status can be earned pretty quickly.
3x Atmos Rewards points on all foreign purchases
The Atmos Rewards Summit Card offers 3x points on eligible foreign transactions, with no caps. This includes purchases made in a foreign currency, plus purchases made in US dollars if the transaction is made or processed outside of the United States.
This is an absolutely unheard of bonus category, as we’ve never seen a card be this outright generous for all foreign purchases. When you consider the overall value of Atmos Rewards points, this is just a next-level rewards structure.
As mentioned above, best of all, you have some triple dipping opportunities here, as the spending counts toward elite status and toward the Global Companion Award.
3x Atmos Rewards points on dining & select airfare
While not as remarkable as the bonus on foreign purchases, the Atmos Rewards Summit Card also offers 3x points on dining purchases, as well as Alaska and Hawaiian flight purchases. That’s a very well rounded return on that spending, and many people will find it worthwhile to put those purchases on this card.
Atmos Rewards upgrade priority on Alaska & Hawaiian
If you’re looking to receive a complimentary elite upgrade on Alaska (or soon Hawaiian), there’s a hierarchy in which upgrades clear. Upgrades first clear by elite tier, then they clear by million miler status, then they clear based on whether you have the Atmos Rewards Summit Card, and then they clear based on status points over the past year, time of booking, etc.
So if you care about your upgrade clearing, having this card could soon give you a significant edge. Or I suppose to look at it differently, if this card becomes really popular, not having this card would put you at a real disadvantage.
Eight Alaska Lounge passes annually
The Atmos Rewards Summit Card offers eight Alaska Lounge passes annually. The way this works, primary cardmembers will have two Alaska Lounge passes credit to their Atmos Rewards account each calendar quarter.
Lounge passes are valid through the end of the quarter in which they’re issued, and each is valid for access to Alaska Lounges on a single calendar day, in conjunction with a same day flight operated by Alaska, Hawaiian, a oneworld airline, or an Alaska global partner. Each pass is valid for one adult, plus accompanying children.
Eight Alaska inflight Wi-Fi passes annually
The Atmos Rewards Summit Card offers eight Alaska inflight Wi-Fi passes annually. The way this works, primary cardmembers will have two Alaska Wi-Fi passes credit to their Atmos Rewards account each calendar quarter.
Wi-Fi passes are valid through the end of the quarter in which they’re issued, and each is valid for connectivity for an entire flight. Do keep in mind that Alaska will be rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi in 2026 and 2027, at which point this perk will no longer be worth a whole lot.
Partner redemption booking fee waiver
The primary cardmember on the Atmos Rewards Summit Card is eligible for a waiver of the $12.50 partner award booking fee that applies for all partner redemptions. This $12.50 fee is ordinarily charged per person for each direction of travel.
All reservations made using the primary cardholder’s Atmos Rewards account are eligible for this benefit, including reservations with multiple travelers, where the primary cardholder is not a traveler.
I know this might not sound that exciting to some, but as someone who redeems Atmos Rewards points on American constantly (I’ve booked 20 American awards through Alaska over the past year), this will be worth hundreds of dollars to me.
Share Atmos Rewards points with others for free
Having the Atmos Rewards Summit Card allows you to share your points with other Atmos Rewards members at no cost. Specifically, you can link your account to up to 10 other Atmos Rewards accounts (they can belong to friends and family), and can then transfer points back and forth at no cost).
This is such a great perk, since it makes it easy to consolidate points in one account. It’s also a major incentive for families to credit flights to Atmos Rewards, since points rack up a lot faster if you can consolidate them all in a single account.
Alaska $50 instant travel delay credit
If the primary cardmember on the Atmos Rewards Summit Card experiences a same day flight departure delay of two or more hours, or a same day flight cancellation, on an Alaska flight, they’ll receive a $50 voucher, valid for 48 hours from issuance.
This is valid for select merchants, and the idea is that you can use the voucher to get food or drinks at the airport, among other things. We’ve never seen an airline card offer a perk like this before, so I’d consider that to be pretty awesome.
Alaska same-day flight change fee waiver
The primary cardmember on the Atmos Rewards Summit Card is eligible for free same day confirmed changes. If the primary cardholder’s flight is within 24 hours, you may be able to change your flight with no fees or fly standby for free, when that would otherwise cost up to $50. Note that saver fares are not eligible for same day confirmed changes.
Bottom line
Alaska has launched the new $395 annual fee Atmos Rewards Summit Card, and it was worth the wait. It’s the most interesting airline card we’ve seen in as long as I can remember, and I’d also say it’s one of the all-around most interesting credit card launches we’ve seen in a very long time.
If you’re into miles & points and are eligible for the card, there’s simply no reason to not apply. The card has a massive welcome bonus, it can be lucrative to hold onto without spending, and it can also be very worthwhile to actually spend money on the card.
This is just such a well thought out product. It’s not only lucrative for consumers, but I also think it will drive exactly the kind of behavior that Alaska Air Group is looking for — loyalty to the brand. When you combine the great rewards with the big incentives for spending and easy pathways toward status (especially with award flights counting toward status), this is really the program for points geeks.
Lastly, can we just acknowledge how nice it is to see a premium card where a large part of the value proposition isn’t some third-party funded offers, with incredibly restrictive terms? Like, there’s no “$4 discount at Goodwill every leap year” or $6 Wendy’s discount before 11AM, once per month.”
What’s your take on the new Atmos Rewards Summit Card?
Everyone's making it sound like this a huge spending bonus, but unlike all other spending bonuses ever, this one expires is a year! You could get zero value from it. I'd much rather have fewer points that I can use whenever I want.
Why are you saying the 100K bonus expires after a year?
For those who are on the East coast, and who don't use Alaska or Hawaii airlines, but occasionally fly on American, is this card worth it?
A card that’s worth applying for *and* worth keeping *even if I treat it like a glorified wallet ornament*? Now that’s a rare beast. Usually, I need a spreadsheet, a PhD in airline alliances, and three podcasts just to figure out if a card is “worth it.” Intrigued to see if Atmos is the unicorn it's claiming to be — especially if it can dethrone the usual suspects like Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve...
A card that’s worth applying for *and* worth keeping *even if I treat it like a glorified wallet ornament*? Now that’s a rare beast. Usually, I need a spreadsheet, a PhD in airline alliances, and three podcasts just to figure out if a card is “worth it.” Intrigued to see if Atmos is the unicorn it's claiming to be — especially if it can dethrone the usual suspects like Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve in actual value-per-dollar. Curious: any hidden catches in the fine print, or is this one of those “too good, but actually true” scenarios?
I can't find this anywhere...to receive the $12.50 partner award fee waiver, do we need to pay with the card, or simply be a cardholder? It's not stated anywhere on the Atmos site or card T&Cs
Does this card have coverage for rental cars? This has been dropped by some prominent other affinity cards (AA CitiBank) card, and that has caused me to drop those cards. It used to be a foregone conclusion that your credit card in addition to your regular auto insurance would be sufficient for any rental situation. This is no longer the case.
Yes, primary, like most other US Visa Infinite cards.
Hello Ben, as someone who has the Citi AA Exec Card and using a combination of flying oneworld carriers and spending to qualify as Exec Plat and for lounge access, would you recommend switching over to this card/Atmos membership to gain oneworld emerald status? Thoughts?
In order to receive the fee waiver for partner redemptions, does the reservation need to be booked with the Summit card? It doesn't clearly state this on the Atmos website or on the card benefits page. It only states that cardholders receive the fee waiver when redeeming miles from the cardholder's Atmos account...so does this mean we only need to be a cardholder or that it needs to be booked with the card?
Couple of questions, if Someone can please clarify
1. Is the 25,000-point Global Companion Award a one-time use or can it be used for multiple bookings?
2. What are all my options if I have the companion award but don't have the miles to book myself?
3. Is there a way I can expedite the shipping because I have $3k purchase tomorrow
One time use and whatever you don't use disappears.
Yeah this is pretty epic. No-brainer.
And...*laughs in expat*...
dang i was denied?! already have the original alaska boa card and got robinhood gold last week.. i want the summit tho for eqm, lounge passes, delay credit...
Can the 8 Alaska lounge passes be use on AA lounges when flying AA?
@ Dave -- No, they're only valid for Alaska Lounges, though it's fine if you're flying American.
One thing I'm still seeking clarification on is if the new card still includes the traditional companion fare available on the classic card? Or was that replaced completely by the point-based global companion award?
@ Aaron -- It doesn't include that. The traditional companion fare for Alaska and Hawaiian is available on the other two credit cards, while this card exclusively has this award companion certificate.
Given these bonus categories, I do wonder if it makes sense to cancel my Amex Gold in favor of this card. It’s hard to make sense of paying the annual fee on both of them. The Gold isn’t worth it to me without significant spend (the dining credits are too restrictive to get full value from them), and the Atmos card also requires spend to generate enough points to use the companion pass benefit. My...
Given these bonus categories, I do wonder if it makes sense to cancel my Amex Gold in favor of this card. It’s hard to make sense of paying the annual fee on both of them. The Gold isn’t worth it to me without significant spend (the dining credits are too restrictive to get full value from them), and the Atmos card also requires spend to generate enough points to use the companion pass benefit. My main hesitation is moving from 4x MR rewards to 3.3x Atmos points (and shifting grocery spend to Citi Premier with 3x points), but there’s no way to transfer MR to Atmos, where I’ll have an easier time getting good value.
Are there scenarios where paying for both of these cards makes sense?
@ Pedro H -- That's a toughie. I'd say it only makes sense to have both cards if you do an absolutely massive amount of spending. It's definitely harder to recoup the annual fee on the Amex Gold than on the Atmos Rewards Summit, in terms of the basic ongoing perks that you receive just for being a cardmember.
I reached out to AMEX about cancelling the Gold card because of the massive benefits on this card including 3.3x dining. Their response: we don't consider BofA a competitor for credit cards. We review our offerings against Citi and Chase. Will be cancelling the Gold by renewal and putting all spend on the Summit to get to 60K which give 100K global plus OneWorld Sapphire.
I canceled the Amex gold along time ago. I switched to Citi Premier and the custom cash card for 5X groceries. I did apply for this card, and plan to put a significant amount of spent on it, esp internationally.
I wonder if the voucher is only for one companion (i.e. only 2 award ticket gets it). I fly with my family a ton, and even flight to Hawaii in economy isn't 25k. But there are 4 of us. 25k would be 1.5 tickets!
@ Magice -- The companion certificate can only be used for one companion. Keep in mind you can book a roundtrip award, and I assume those typically cost more than 25K points?
It’s all good, but the lounge access is disappointing to me. Only eight passes instead of unlimited, and access is limited to Alaska and Hawaiian lounges.
I do like their lounges, but what I want most after a redeye flight is a shower — and none of them have one. Their lounge network is also very limited.
I wish they offered cardholders a discount on the Alaska Lounge+ membership, which includes dozens of...
It’s all good, but the lounge access is disappointing to me. Only eight passes instead of unlimited, and access is limited to Alaska and Hawaiian lounges.
I do like their lounges, but what I want most after a redeye flight is a shower — and none of them have one. Their lounge network is also very limited.
I wish they offered cardholders a discount on the Alaska Lounge+ membership, which includes dozens of partner lounges, but they don’t. For now, I’ll stick with my Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard for a lot more extensive lounge access.
@ S_LEE -- Yeah, it's definitely not a "one size fits all" lounge solution card. Then again, the card has such a reasonable annual fee, so I think that's by design. If the card had an annual fee that was $200-300 higher while including more lounge access, I doubt it would be more appealing for most.
But yeah, for many of us, it's still worth holding onto the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card.
Can the companion points be converted into normal points ? Fortunately I do most traveling alone.
@ Bbt -- Unfortunately not, sorry.
Hey Ben, For the elite status requirements, the Platinum and Titanium levels are the same for 2026. Earn in 2026 for status in 2027 is 80k for Platinum and 135k for Titanium. People who meet Platinum this year get a 5k boost in status points in Feb. 2026 to help towards the higher 2027 threshold and Titanium gets 20k boost.
Lucky, interesting choice of photo for the article since AS is blocking JL F award space across all routes and dates. Even when AA has it, AS has not had JL F available for almost a year. It’s been such a shame to see one of the most exciting redemption options first devalued, then devalued again, then removed entirely.
Then there’s the lack of Icelandair J at all (a long-known AS IT issue with no...
Lucky, interesting choice of photo for the article since AS is blocking JL F award space across all routes and dates. Even when AA has it, AS has not had JL F available for almost a year. It’s been such a shame to see one of the most exciting redemption options first devalued, then devalued again, then removed entirely.
Then there’s the lack of Icelandair J at all (a long-known AS IT issue with no fix for years now), Korean is rarely available, Aer Lingus/Condor/Qatar rates are outrageously high (175-400K for one-way J!), BA increasingly hard to find even when AA has it, LATAM is infrequent at best, Starlux is rarely available for less than several hundred thousand miles.
Earning AS miles is getting easier with their program updates, but redeeming them is a fool’s errand, especially for anyone who wants to book something more than two weeks before the trip. I’ve been a top tier elite with AS for more than a decade, and I’m increasingly seeing no reason to use the program.
Brett Catlin and Alex Judson at AS likely know about all of these redemption issues, but it appears that nothing is being done to improve these disappointing downgrades of the customer experience. Worse, they might be intentional.
But it gets people to sign up...
The trick with Starlux through Alaska is they release one business class seat for 75K one way when the date opens up on the schedule on Alaska’s website. The one seat from the US destinations they fly to is usually gone within a few hours. I was able to book one for July next year.
AS is really only useful for domestic flights on AA now. I haven't been able to redeem a single AS mile for longhaul business class in years.
I just redeemed 85K AS miles+$150 in taxes & fees for a BKK—FRA—JFK flight in Business in December. Award availability is there. One just needs to have a bit of flexibility in booking it.
Intra-Asia J redemptions on Starlux still have decent availability and pricing. 15k for TPE-KIX on A350. Singapore is another option for intra-Asia awards.
Interesting that Ben has replied to a lot of the comments here except the 2 that are challenging the usefulness of Atmos points for great redemptions.
Is that because letting people believe that you can redeem for JL F with Atmos points will drive a lot of signups and thus referrals?
I was thinking of switching from AA to Atmos but as a frequent redeemer on JL these comments are making me think again, would be great to get more info and data points
BofA ironically lost me as a customer. They dropped one of my credit lines for under-use on a card (ex-Virgin Atlantic) that had been switched to a kinda-useless internally-branded card (they have no "good" travel cards under their own banner) and used that drop (which came from them losing a partner) as reason to block an application here. I'd also closed two other accounts when they lost the Amtrak partnership.
There's a chance I'll...
BofA ironically lost me as a customer. They dropped one of my credit lines for under-use on a card (ex-Virgin Atlantic) that had been switched to a kinda-useless internally-branded card (they have no "good" travel cards under their own banner) and used that drop (which came from them losing a partner) as reason to block an application here. I'd also closed two other accounts when they lost the Amtrak partnership.
There's a chance I'll come back later, but as of now I've killed off both remaining accounts with them. Now I just need to make sure I've tied up any loose ends with them, and for now...good riddance.
Lucky, it is quite misleading of you to put a JL F seat from their 350-1000 seat as the picture.
First, AS has far worse JL F award availability than their partner AA does. I suspect AS is intentionally blocking JL F award availability and making it not possible to redeem.
Second, JL does not make its 350s available for awards. I challenge you to come up with counter examples.
that's false. I've redeemed for A350 F class on JL numerous times using AA miles.
I've also done PY on the A350 using AS miles this year.
Not true. I have a JL A350 F ticket booked using AA miles.
Folks here are highly underestimating how the non-US-resident segment of the AS plan has grown in importance over the past 5 years.
AS might be a regional operator, but their loyalty plan has had an ever stronger east Asian following for years. People who have never stepped foot on AS metal. With expansion -- and a strong captive credit card -- that might be strong fuel for international traffic loads.
So lets talk about what they are REMOVING from the new cards: 2X on gas. That's a significant loss for me, yet I've seen nobody mention it.
Let's not
I'm a bit more lukewarm on this card than the travel blogger community but I'll likely sign up for the SUB. If I was paying $395 for 25k miles with a one year expiration I would be more excited about this card. But it's a companion cert so basically you need to find 2 high value awards to really benefit from the cert. That's not too easy for people who have normal jobs. I completely...
I'm a bit more lukewarm on this card than the travel blogger community but I'll likely sign up for the SUB. If I was paying $395 for 25k miles with a one year expiration I would be more excited about this card. But it's a companion cert so basically you need to find 2 high value awards to really benefit from the cert. That's not too easy for people who have normal jobs. I completely disagree with Ben's assessment that the cert pays for the card AF. For many the companion pass will provide more value as it's a much easier benefit to utilize. The cert provides zero value to people who fly solo.
The 3x on international spend is really the most compelling benefit, and the 10k status mile boost is nice if chasing status
Agree on all points, exactly feel the same way. I have both "classic" Alaska cards, and my "companion certificates" go unused most of the time.
The card benefits are optimized for miles 'n points bloggers, not for anyone with a job/home/family.
Yeah, I think they Alaska and BofA are counting on most cardholders not using the companion benefit. Travel bloggers conveniently forget that most people don't travel for a living and have limited flexibility. Imo, the only card that easily justifies the AF is venture X
Really? My wife use them every year. Sometimes we have to rush cause they are approaching expiration. but you only have to book before expiration and you can book well into the future. in the last year we have done RT to EWR, PVR, CUN, and LAS.
I just got approved for the card with a nice credit limit, with my 5K bonus points coming. The card is getting expedited to use in Jordan in a couple of weeks. I’m hoping this will more than fill the hole left from CSR changes to the travel category. The one and only thing I don’t like is that it’s ugly, especially compared to both the current Alaska card and the Hawaiian card (both of...
I just got approved for the card with a nice credit limit, with my 5K bonus points coming. The card is getting expedited to use in Jordan in a couple of weeks. I’m hoping this will more than fill the hole left from CSR changes to the travel category. The one and only thing I don’t like is that it’s ugly, especially compared to both the current Alaska card and the Hawaiian card (both of which I got in the past year, with another 2 cards in 12. BoA didn’t care.) Should I push my luck and try for the regular Atmos card, with 80K points for $99?
How did you get the card Expedited? trying to get it for a 3k spend tomorrow
Any info on how BoA will handle applications for this card if you opened 3 BoA cards in the last 24 months?
Any upgrade offers on existing AS cards? A business version in sight?
@ben the Annual 10,000 Atmos Rewards status points boost is only AFTER the card anniversary, correct? so it wouldn't apply this year when you signup, only in 2026 when you renew?
@ Jeremy -- Correct, it's an account anniversary bonus, so if you signed up now, you'd get your first status boost in 2026.
Correct.
I signed up way back when to get info on the card (pretty sure I got 5,000 miles for doing so).
I just got an email offering the same terms as detailed, but with an additional 5,000 miles. Not much, but better than a sharp stick in the eye.
Frankly, companion certs are all but worthless to me. I fully understand they have value for others, but I fly alone 99% of the time.
As noted above (or below?), the SUB makes this an intriguing choice at least for a year for me.
@Craig, you received 500 miles for signing up and showing early interest in the new card.
They promised a 5,000 mile (now points) bonus if you were on the early interest sign-up list, which they are fulfilling now.
You're 100% correct! I had pretty much forgotten about the 500 miles right after I got them (LOL) and I certainly had forgotten about the promised 5,000.
As noted, not much, but better than nothing!
The 5000 bonus miles is redeemable miles, not the status points (former EQMs).
@ Ben 3x on all foreign transactions looks good but this is a Bank of America issued card. Exchange rate on currency conversion is terrible. You will end up loosing more in currency conversion compared to a Chase issued card.
@ niceguy -- Appreciate the comment, but what makes you say that? That doesn't match my experience or understanding.
@ Ben it's based on my experience using cards from both BOA & chase for foreign transactions.
Doesn’t Visa determine the rate? Not the issuing bank?
It does, niceguy is simply misinformed.
He probably used a no AF card and got charged the 3%
Hi Ben,
I really like this card and plan on getting and keeping it long term. I hope the launch goes off well and other banks take note. This card is mainly designed for people who fly Alaska metal not a coupon book with random credits trying to appeal to everyone.
Do most of these perks (fee waiver, delay credit) apply just for having the card or do you need to book the flight on...
Hi Ben,
I really like this card and plan on getting and keeping it long term. I hope the launch goes off well and other banks take note. This card is mainly designed for people who fly Alaska metal not a coupon book with random credits trying to appeal to everyone.
Do most of these perks (fee waiver, delay credit) apply just for having the card or do you need to book the flight on the card? I don't think this card has enough travel protection compared to a Sapphire to justify using it for Alaska flights?
Also I think you forgot to mention the 10% earning bonus for having a banking relationship woth BoA, making it 3.3 pts/$ on the bonus categories.
For using the 25K-point Global Companion Award, do both tickets have to booked with points, or just the companion on the same flight?
@ Eric -- Both passengers have to be booked with points on the same flight and on the same record.
While people here are going to focus on what THEY can get from AS w/ their loyalty program and cards, it is clear that AS will be spending much more to buy loyalty than other airlines, clearly part of their strategy to launch international flights.
It says alot about AS' belief about its ability to win over international business by the level of generosity it builds into its loyalty program.
Either they really don't see...
While people here are going to focus on what THEY can get from AS w/ their loyalty program and cards, it is clear that AS will be spending much more to buy loyalty than other airlines, clearly part of their strategy to launch international flights.
It says alot about AS' belief about its ability to win over international business by the level of generosity it builds into its loyalty program.
Either they really don't see themselves as true competitors to the big 3 on a long-term basis or they will disappoint alot of people when they roll back the generosity at some point in the future; granted other airlines have done that plenty but it is not a great selling point wondering when the other shoe will drop.
@ Tim Dunn -- You're oversimplifying the economics of loyalty programs and co-brand credit card agreements. Do you have any inside knowledge about how Alaska vs. Bank of America are funding the various benefits? Which benefit, specifically, do you think shows that Alaska will be "spending much more" than other airlines to "buy loyalty?"
Ben,
you can compare what AS is offering vs. what established legacy carriers offer; while the big 3 are not identical, you can clearly see that someone is funding much richer rewards than industry average - which means that someone is funding them.
I doubt that BofA has any incentive to buy a whole bunch more loyalty than it has now so it is pretty apparent that AS committed to a richer rewards program.
...Ben,
you can compare what AS is offering vs. what established legacy carriers offer; while the big 3 are not identical, you can clearly see that someone is funding much richer rewards than industry average - which means that someone is funding them.
I doubt that BofA has any incentive to buy a whole bunch more loyalty than it has now so it is pretty apparent that AS committed to a richer rewards program.
Since AS already offers better partner rewards than other airlines, they are simply internalizing their rewards structure but will still ultimately give away more seats at lower rates of revenue than the big 3.
There is never a "deal" without understanding why companies do what they do.
and, no, GS, AS doesn't exist to serve the customer any more than any other airline does. AS is a publicly traded company that is charged to maximize shareholder returns.
And DL clearly manages SkyMiles and its Amex relationship to generate more revenue than any other airline in the world. If there weren't plenty of people that didn't feel like DL/SM/AXP was delivering good value, DL would be forced to change.
As a regional airline - not using regional jets but without a nationwide coast to coast network - AS already has to spend more to buy loyalty than other airlines; they, again, are just now going to focus that on their own international network.
I said Atmos serves the customer, not that $ALK serves the customer (more than shareholders), but you're missing the point.
Delta gets great $ returns from Amex! No disputing that. But does SkyMiles compel passengers to choose Delta over others? There may be no way of knowing.
In comparison, Atmos likely generates less $ directly, but seems much more likely to compel passengers to choose Alaska. Neither of us would be able to know how...
I said Atmos serves the customer, not that $ALK serves the customer (more than shareholders), but you're missing the point.
Delta gets great $ returns from Amex! No disputing that. But does SkyMiles compel passengers to choose Delta over others? There may be no way of knowing.
In comparison, Atmos likely generates less $ directly, but seems much more likely to compel passengers to choose Alaska. Neither of us would be able to know how that translates to revenue, but the last decade in Seattle suggests that there's at least some merit to the concept.
I'll give another example of this playing out - Nike has historically maintained a tremendous brand halo. They invest in brand-level advertising. After Covid with their DTC push, they transitioned a lot of their effort from brand marketing to more measurable things like conversion rates for online advertising. Easier to measure the results, but less effective - and Nike performed poorly overall because of it. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alvinfsc_epic-post-on-how-nike-lost-25b-in-market-activity-7223937553987420161-b458/
Skypesos returning a large amount of measurable dollars doesn't mean that it serves $DAL better than Atmos serves $ALK when considering the unmeasurable.
GS,
your points are valid.
But loyalty programs have costs esp. in the case of displacing revenue that would otherwise pay revenue fares.
If AS or any airline is offering something that is above industry average, then AS is subsidizing that loyalty.
It might be part of its brand and what it has to do but it is a cost nonetheless, and given that AS is trying to pivot to be an...
GS,
your points are valid.
But loyalty programs have costs esp. in the case of displacing revenue that would otherwise pay revenue fares.
If AS or any airline is offering something that is above industry average, then AS is subsidizing that loyalty.
It might be part of its brand and what it has to do but it is a cost nonetheless, and given that AS is trying to pivot to be an international carrier, there very much is a cost of buying loyalty to get butts in seats that other airlines are filling with paying customers including corporate revenue.
Even with 12 international routes from SEA, AS does not have a whole lot of premium seats it has to fill w/ high revenue and some of them like FCO are not going to be very business traveler heavy.
It does speak to AS' expectation of its performance on its international routes to having to be offering much richer loyalty program rewards than other airlines.
No rational company - and I consider AS to be one -gives away more of its revenue or product than it has to.
if the hypothesis is that strong loyalty leads to higher RASM offsetting the cost of the more generous rewards program, you'd call it "investing in loyalty" rather than "subsidizing loyalty." My question is, why has Delta failed to invest in loyalty in Seattle?
Alaska hasn't gutted their rewards program like Delta and United and still offers good earnings opportunities when flying their metal or redeeming through their loyalty program. This is a smart play on their part even if you consider it buying loyalty. These are the reasons I choose Alaska over United. Delta doesn't fly directly to the places I go so I rarely fly them.
As far as this card is concerned they aren't buying...
Alaska hasn't gutted their rewards program like Delta and United and still offers good earnings opportunities when flying their metal or redeeming through their loyalty program. This is a smart play on their part even if you consider it buying loyalty. These are the reasons I choose Alaska over United. Delta doesn't fly directly to the places I go so I rarely fly them.
As far as this card is concerned they aren't buying loyalty at all, in fact it's pretty slick. They know most people won't realize much value from the "global" companion cert and most people won't use all the quarterly lounge coupons either.
I think the loyalty changes just perfectly encapsulate what has made Alaska successful in the long-run. Atmos (Mileage Plan) doesn't exist to serve $ALK, it exists to serve the customer. That's the mindset within the company, and it's one of the reasons why Alaska has such an incredible loyalty moat in their core markets. People don't feel like the company is trying to rip them off (like SkyPesos). At the end of the day, how...
I think the loyalty changes just perfectly encapsulate what has made Alaska successful in the long-run. Atmos (Mileage Plan) doesn't exist to serve $ALK, it exists to serve the customer. That's the mindset within the company, and it's one of the reasons why Alaska has such an incredible loyalty moat in their core markets. People don't feel like the company is trying to rip them off (like SkyPesos). At the end of the day, how much revenue a loyalty program generates is determined in part by how you account for it. It's easy to measure the direct revenue accretion of selling miles to the bank, it's difficult to measure to change in consumer behavior and the willingness of passengers to book your airline over others. Alaska has always bet that the unmeasurable provides more net benefit than the measurable. And as they look to build Seattle long-haul, it provides an extremely compelling point of differentiation vs Delta. Titanium members getting free upgrades to long-haul J? That's an incredible perk, especially for corporates (like Amazon) who aren't allowed to book J.
If you look back on the past decade in SEA - Delta has a better inflight product, a better app, more international options and generally lower pricing. The reason why they haven't made any real inroads is loyalty. That's it. That's the golden goose. Alaska recognizes that Atmos is their moat and their best asset and continuing to nurture it (despite potentially higher costs to maintain) is the sensible thing to do when you look at it through this lens.
@GS -- BEAUTIFULLY SAID!
Of the big 3, Delta is the only one with direct international flights from Seattle. And the DL mileage system stinks. So Alaska/Hawaiian has a huge opening here.
and yet, the reason why DL has managed to build the largest international operation in SEA is because they cater to high-paying passengers, just as they across their network. DL clearly HAS invested in loyalty, GS, and done so across its network.
Feel free to show us WITH DATA that AS has proportionately more data than DL; just because they operate more flights to many of the same domestic destinations doesn't translate into more loyalty.
...and yet, the reason why DL has managed to build the largest international operation in SEA is because they cater to high-paying passengers, just as they across their network. DL clearly HAS invested in loyalty, GS, and done so across its network.
Feel free to show us WITH DATA that AS has proportionately more data than DL; just because they operate more flights to many of the same domestic destinations doesn't translate into more loyalty.
If the opportunity is to get lower fare passengers, then, yes.
I suspect that DL will do targeted SM events for SEA but they built their international network around corporate contracts and higher priced leisure demand. I suspect DL knows exactly what it has to do to keep that business.
and as much as you and others want to argue this is about AS vs. DL, it is about the entire west coast. AS is not going to come close to making its SEA international flights work just on SEA local traffic.
UA is the largest legacy carrier west of the Rockies just as DL is in the east. Let's not forget that it was UA that buried AS' plans to be something significant in SFO w/ a side show of AA and DL thrown in.
It isn't too hard to image that DL and UA both see AS as a common competitive threat.
I agree Ben, I think Alaska and BofA know that most of the benefits will go unrealized just like amex and chase do. If you aren't a married travel blogger the global cert is going to provide less value than that companion fare for most people. I had 100k Alaska miles in my account for a couple of years due to lack of decent redemption opportunities. Patience paid off and I scored a 85k business...
I agree Ben, I think Alaska and BofA know that most of the benefits will go unrealized just like amex and chase do. If you aren't a married travel blogger the global cert is going to provide less value than that companion fare for most people. I had 100k Alaska miles in my account for a couple of years due to lack of decent redemption opportunities. Patience paid off and I scored a 85k business class ticket from BKK to SFO in July but that was like winning the lottery.
One may consider Alaska's generous mileage earning when flying their metal or redeeming through their program as "buying" loyalty but in fact it sets them apart from the big 3 which obviously they are trying to catch up with and it's the reason I choose Alaska over United when pricing is in the same ballpark. Super underwhelmed by this card tho.
. And 3X points on all foreign transactions (that are not offset for BoA/Alaska by the high US credit card interchange fees) is the huge eye-opener for me. It's implausible that this is sustainable.
To my knowledge, the only comparably generous 0FTF cards without huge AFs are Autograph (3X) and Fidelity (2%) -- both of which launched their current versions in the post-covid frenzy and could face a nerf as belts tighten.
The SUB is great and if chasing status, the card really helps as well but beyond the first year, if you DON'T live on the west coast and fly Alaska only 0-2 one-ways per year...does this card make sense? You're essentially paying $350-395 for 25,000 miles with 1 year expiration and other restrictions. Wouldn't a more generic Cap-1 Venture-X with $395 AF make more sense (even w/o guesting privileges)?
@ Trey -- Yeah, not every card is going to be for everyone, regardless of how generous it is, and you're right that some people might struggle with the value proposition after the first year.
Personally I don't fly Alaska much either, but I'm tempted to just finally ditch American, and credit all my flights to Alaska. When it comes to spending, I think the value comes down to how many foreign purchases you make, as that's really the unique bonus category here.
As long as they have good access to American awards, it shouldn't matter. And I imagine Hawaiian will provide a strong incentive for American to keep that relationship (as I imagine award inventory to a very in-demand place will get better for AA). For example, I can fly JFK-MEX a good number of days on AA metal for 12,500 Mileage Plan each way. Pretty easy to max out that 25k companion fare that way. I...
As long as they have good access to American awards, it shouldn't matter. And I imagine Hawaiian will provide a strong incentive for American to keep that relationship (as I imagine award inventory to a very in-demand place will get better for AA). For example, I can fly JFK-MEX a good number of days on AA metal for 12,500 Mileage Plan each way. Pretty easy to max out that 25k companion fare that way. I imagine most destinations in the Caribbean would have similar pricing.
The 100k voucher is harder for East Coast (it is actually pretty hard for everybody). Finding RT availability to Europe is easy if you are flying BA, but the fees are hell. I can't imagine that Condor space is going to get easier to find. And Asia is always challenging. That 100k voucher can easily end up getting burned on a 55-60k one way because someone can't find RT award inventory for 2 people with reasonable fees. Maybe you just pay the BA YQ in one direction. Or you grab a PE seat in one direction. It isn't a slam dunk, but it probably compares favorably to the VX card for everyday spend (assuming about a 1/4 or your spending hits that 3x multiplier). You give up lounge access and flexibility for potentially much more redemptions (you couldn't get 4 RT tickets per year out of the VX unless it is strictly economy flying). It probably also makes a difference if Alaska can market the AA flights you need. When you throw in OW status...it might tip the scales to Atmos.
Applied for and was approved. I'll give it a year and see how it works out. The SUB pays for the first year fee (and perhaps a couple of years after that.)
But I don't normally pay for day passes at the Alaska Lounge (so that's not driving value to me --- and I'm concerned about lounge overcrowding (I've had issues at LAX getting admitted when I was traveling on a qualifying long-haul F fare.))
...Applied for and was approved. I'll give it a year and see how it works out. The SUB pays for the first year fee (and perhaps a couple of years after that.)
But I don't normally pay for day passes at the Alaska Lounge (so that's not driving value to me --- and I'm concerned about lounge overcrowding (I've had issues at LAX getting admitted when I was traveling on a qualifying long-haul F fare.))
I look forward to perhaps being pleasantly surprised with the potential value proposition.
Feels too good to be true. Better apply fast before they pull a "US Bank" move and significantly hamper this.
Can the 100,000 companion award be topped up though? Otherwise the value is AT MOST 100K points.
@ Mike -- Yep, it can topped off! You just don't get any residual value if you redeem below the maximum amount.
I am curious how the 3x will work for ticket purchases made online in the US for international flights on foreign carriers such as Singapore Airlines or Lufthansa. I am always charged in dollars for these flight purchases but have no idea where the transaction is processed.
Depends on the departure country I believe, and currency shown on the website before booking.