Most major US airlines have a small business rewards program, intended to offer extra rewards when businesses book travel. Along those lines, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have just relaunched such a program, named Atmos for Business.
In this post:
Basics of the new Atmos for Business program
Atmos for Business is the new name of the self-managed business travel program by Alaska and Hawaiian, intended for small and medium sized businesses. The program is open to companies and organizations with at least $5,000 in annual travel spending (so if you’re a frequent flyer with the company and have a small business, that’s not much of a hurdle).
When a business enrolls in the new tool, it’s assigned a company Atmos Rewards loyalty number. Any time a traveler associated with that business flies with Alaska or Hawaiian, the business earns one point per dollar spent. The accrued points can then be used by the company for future travel on Alaska, Hawaiian, or any of the Atmos Rewards global airline partners.
Furthermore, Atmos Rewards members earn a 10% bonus on status points on top of their base earn on any ticket booked through the Atmos for Business tool.
Beyond increased loyalty benefits for the business, Atmos for Business offers a platform that is supposed to make booking easier, with features like the following:
- A modernized flow – the booking flow closely mirrors alaskaair.com and the experience most travelers are already familiar with
- Easy invites – travel managers can invite travelers through a bulk upload, shareable link or email
- More payment options – accounts can house multiple payment options and dedicate them to individuals or groups
- Book according to teams – travelers can be grouped into teams, making it easier to book travel by department, office location and more
- Simple reporting – travel managers can monitor activity, and track travel and spending all in one spot
- A robust wallet – if a ticket is canceled, any unused funds can be added to a corporate wallet and then applied to future travel for anyone
- Dedicated support – a team of experts is trained and ready to assist Atmos for Business users, ensuring a high level of care
- Unique benefits for intra-Hawai‘i travel – guests traveling within the state of Hawai‘i will receive two free checked bags and free standby travel to access an earlier flight on the same route
Here’s how Brett Caitlin, Alaska’s VP of Loyalty, Alliances, and Sales, describes this:
“Atmos for Business delivers a compelling proposition for both companies and their travelers. By combining robust loyalty rewards with a seamless booking experience, we’re making every business trip more meaningful—helping organizations grow and giving travelers the recognition and benefits they deserve. It’s travel that works harder for everyone, with connections across the West Coast and throughout our global network.”
How lucrative is the Atmos for Business program?
The first thing to understand is that this program isn’t totally new. That’s to say that Alaska used to have the EasyBiz program, which was its small business rewards program. So the Atmos for Business program reflects the company’s new loyalty program branding, and also now includes Hawaiian, rather than just Alaska.
Ultimately if you’re eligible, there’s no reason not to take part in this program. You might as well earn an incremental Atmos Rewards point per dollar spent, and if you can book through the travel tool, why not earn an extra 10% status points for your Alaska or Hawaiian flights?
I’d say this is a pretty average airline small business rewards program, but at least it’s quite straightforward.
Bottom line
Atmos for Business is the name of the new small business rewards program of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, replacing the Alaska EasyBiz program. With this, businesses that spend at least $5,000 per year on flights can earn one extra Atmos Rewards point per dollar spent. Furthermore, if you book flights through the small business tool, you can receive 10% bonus status points.
What do you make of the Atmos for Business program?
Some of us still mourn the demise of AA's AirPass.