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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.