Back when the Atmos Rewards loyalty program launched in August 2025, the company announced plans to launch “communities” that loyalty program members could join. At first I kind of assumed there wouldn’t be any substance to this, and someone was just trying to justify their job.
Well, the full details of Atmos Rewards Communities have now been revealed, and registration has also opened, so that members can join… I’m very pleasantly surprised! These will actually add meaningful value for me, so I’ll certainly take it, especially given that these are free to join! Separately, I’ve covered how Atmos Rewards will soon change up points earning, is improving partner points earning rates, and also plans to partner with more transferable points currencies.
Atmos Rewards members can choose from six communities
The Atmos Rewards Communities concept has just launched as of October 1, 2026. The idea is that members can choose to join one of six communities, offering extra rewards. Just to cover some of the basics about Atmos Rewards Communities:
- Joining a community is optional, and if a member doesn’t join a community, they won’t be defaulted to one
- Members will be able to join a community by logging into their Atmos Rewards account, and selecting the “Join a Community” button
- Members may change their community selection once per calendar year
- Members can view their community in their Atmos Rewards account, and below their account number, they will see their community badge, if one has been chosen
- Only Alaska residents can join Club 49, and only Hawaii residents can join Huaka’i
Below you can find a chart showing the perks associated with each of these Atmos Rewards Communities.
Just to cover the terms associated with a few of these perks:
- For Global Locals, the 10% bonus status points for international travel applies to both revenue and award travel, as long as you’re crediting to the program
- For Global Locals, the bonus status points for points transfers currently applies to transfers from Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, and there’s no limit to how many status points you can earn this way
- For Families on the Go, the 20% points back on award flights for children 12 and under is credited within 24 hours of travel, you only need to be a member of the community at the time of travel (not at the time of booking), you can take advantage of this for up to seven children on a single reservation, and can use it across as many reservations as you’d like
- The Bonus Points Challenge differs with each community, but the concept is that you can earn bonus points for visiting each of 10 destinations, and you earn more incremental bonus points with each destination you visit
Regarding that Bonus Points Challenge, the earnings structure is the same with each of the communities, and you’ll find that below.
Just to give an example, below are the cities to visit if you’re a member of the Global Locals community.
Two Atmos Rewards Communities sound especially cool!
For some background, the whole inspiration of Atmos Rewards Communities is that Alaska Airlines has long had a special program for Alaska residents, and Hawaiian Airlines has long had a special program for Hawaii residents.
So obviously the idea is to now bring this concept global, and remove geographic restrictions. For the purposes of my analysis, I’ll exclude those two programs, given their residency requirements. As I see it, two Atmos Rewards Communities sound most compelling.
The Global Locals community has two perks that seem especially cool:
- You can receive 10% bonus status points on international travel
- You can earn one bonus status point for every 25 points transferred from an eligible loyalty partner
Earning more status points for international itineraries is great for anyone who credits to the program, especially when you consider that this even applies to Atmos Rewards award flights. Furthermore, earning bonus status points on points transfers is awesome. It’s not going to be life changing, but at the margins, it can make a difference. For example, earning 4,000 bonus status points for every 100,000 Bilt Points transferred is a nice added bonus.
Meanwhile the Families on the Go community seems great for offering a 20% discount on Atmos Rewards tickets for kids 12 and under. When you combine that with Atmos Rewards having the industry’s best lap infant policy, it sure does make it a great program for family award travel.
Bottom line
The Atmos Rewards Communities concept has just launched, so if you’re an Atmos Rewards member, be sure to select one. The idea is that Atmos Rewards members can choose to join one of six “communities,” and each offers a select number of perks.
To me, the most exciting options are the Global Locals community, offering 10% bonus status points on international itineraries, plus one status point for every 25 points transferred to the program, as well as the Families on the Go community, offering 20% off award tickets for children 12 and under. Keep it up, Atmos Rewards, this is awesome!
What do you make of the new Atmos Rewards Communities concept?
Global Locals definitely sounds interesting with those bonuses.
I do hope they add some more info to Active Escapes and Culinary Journeys. That chart is making them look lacking.
@ Samar -- I thought that as well, it's odd how inconsistent the perks are, with some being much more lucrative than others.
Believe it is how much AS values each perk.
For the "families on the go" communities, it lists the perk as "20% points back for childen under 12" I wonder if that includes award flights already booked but not yet flown. I have several booked through Alaska in 2027 and 20% points back on my kids tickets would be meaningful.
This is mentioned in FAQs as . "When you booked doesn't matter, travel date is what counts."
@ Diana -- We'll have to wait until this formally launches to know for sure, though I suspect it's based on the community you belong to at the time of booking, unfortunately.
@Lucky, @Jeremy, @Howie... At first, when I saw this, I thought, 'Hey, Alaska's copying OMAAT's ideas! Alaska "Community"...like, when are we gonna some Alaska Atmos "Reader Stories"! Bah!'
@ 1990_ -- Hah! Well I think it's at least the same spirit of innovation. :p
I'm still waiting for the first airline to offer a status match for OMAAT status...
I'm still hoping for invite-only OMAAT status... (Diamond Reserve 360 Global Cobalt Key Chairman's Courtesy Inner Circle...)
And a roast goose delivered every Christmas.
I don't understand what the benefits of active escape and culinary adventures are???? Why don't they have any perks past the same perks of all communities?
Agree - all I could think of was a different curated bonus point challenge?
Yea it depends on whether you will actually benefit from the features of the Bonus Point Challenges.
Culinary seems to focus mostly on domestic travel (with a couple international locations), and the Active Escapes is mostly central to West Coast (and PNW). I liked the idea of Global Locals (assuming I understand it correctly), but honestly, I am more likely to fly next year to the destinations in the Culinary Journeys. It's definitely a game to play.
Yeah, the lack of details on those two communities is glaring. I'd expect perhaps free checked sports equipment (especially skis) or free checked cases of wine (beyond what is offered on Horizon Airlines) for the Active Escape and Culinary Adventures as being added at some point.
I read the actual Alaska communities website, the culinary and outdoors communities have 20% off "Atmos Rewards Unlocked experiences designed for outdoor enthusiasts" and "tmos Rewards Unlocked experiences created exclusively for food and wine lovers."
Because the chart did make them look a little sad lol but they do have some perks
Fingers crossed on the Bilt partnership being eligible for status points from transfers--not a huge needle-mover, but useful for reaching the next incremental milestone.
What I don't see (and am curious about) is the 10% bonus status points on international travel--the release is silent as whether that applies to paid travel, or includes award bookings on partners. This could be a (small-ish) but lucrative status bonus if available on award bookings--definitely would appreciate the bonus...
Fingers crossed on the Bilt partnership being eligible for status points from transfers--not a huge needle-mover, but useful for reaching the next incremental milestone.
What I don't see (and am curious about) is the 10% bonus status points on international travel--the release is silent as whether that applies to paid travel, or includes award bookings on partners. This could be a (small-ish) but lucrative status bonus if available on award bookings--definitely would appreciate the bonus on an all-Atmos points booking.
(Admittedly niche: I have JFK>AKL>SYD>MEL>NAN>SFO>JFK already booked for March, wouldn't mind the ~2k extra status)
I look forward to seeing the details on the new communities. For example if my son is in the families group and I am in the global a group would he qualify for the points back on a companion pass ticket to Europe? Would I also get the 10% status bonus? Do we both have to be in the same group? Are these bonuses even stackable with certificates? I look forward to learning more!
Global Locals is definitely the most interesting at this point... but for someone who lives in Hawaii, the idea of 500 segment points plus a 50% status point bonus for inter-island flights sounds pretty good if you're flying around the islands a lot.
Looking forward to joining these!! Love the concept.
How much status points do you get for moving marriott points into atmos? The transfer rate is 3:1.
@ ecco -- It would be based on the Atmos Rewards points earned. So if you moved 60,000 Bonvoy points to Atmos Rewards, you'd receive 25,000 Atmos Rewards points, and then you'd receive one status point for every 25 Atmos Rewards points (so 1,000 status points, in this case).
@Lucky, I just noticed this tidbit in the FAQs (https://www.alaskaair.com/atmosrewards/content/faq/2026-update): "Global Locals (available only to members residing outside of the US)"
They might change the requirements, but this would mean Global Locals would be useless for most AS members. :-\ You might want to update your post...
Perhaps anyone can join, but it may be designed for those outside of the US. For eligible flights, it says "Any flight — including partner flights — that starts or ends outside the U.S..." I imagine if I book a round trip or open jaw from my home in the U.S. it wouldn't qualify be cause the ticket started and ended in the US and is not about the individual segment. Although the text suggests it's a flight segment?
@kmcgrady, it says 'any flight ... that starts or ends outside the US'. To me that means that it applies to individual flight segments not to the entire itinerary, so regardless of whether the departing and returning international flights were on the same or separate tickets, the bonus would apply to both. (And, presumably, to any flight that is entirely outside the US, but not to a domestic US flight to the US international departure (or arrival) gateway.)
@ Tennen -- Wait, this is really odd. When I go to the FAQs page, there's a question about "who can join Global Locals?" The answer is the following:
"Any Atmos Rewards member. Joining also means accepting the Community terms and conditions and subscribing to marketing emails."
I wonder what's going on here...? For what it's worth, while logged into my account I can register for Global Locals, but I can't register for the...
@ Tennen -- Wait, this is really odd. When I go to the FAQs page, there's a question about "who can join Global Locals?" The answer is the following:
"Any Atmos Rewards member. Joining also means accepting the Community terms and conditions and subscribing to marketing emails."
I wonder what's going on here...? For what it's worth, while logged into my account I can register for Global Locals, but I can't register for the Alaska or Hawaii specific ones, so I suspect that may be an error? At least I hope it is, or else that would be seriously annoying.
@zigzagged8, @Lucky, and @dent2600, hmmm.... the link was working yesterday (9/30, when I posted the comment). I guess they updated things now that the communities are live. Maybe their original plan was to make Global Locals non-US residents only?
I replied to another user in another post, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions, so hopefully, they'll (eventually) clear things up for everyone.
Your link doesn't seem to work, but I see this:
Who can join Global Locals?
Any Atmos Rewards member. Joining also means accepting the Community terms and conditions and subscribing to marketing emails.
On this FAQ page: https://www.alaskaair.com/atmosrewards/content/global-locals#terms
So for that family one does each member of the family have to join or just the kids frequent flier mile numbers? I’m curious what the parents do for theirs?
@Tennen That is incorrect--the Global Locals is available to all (just enrolled, I'm in NY).
For Global Locals, will bonus be awarded if I, say, credit Cathay international flight to AS?
Yes, 10% of your total earnings will be added in status points.
Something I am trying to figure out is when booking using the Atmos Summit 25k companion ticket on a child. I assume if I choose Families on the Go, the 20% back will only apply to the excess beyond the 25k points.
I had used the companion fare on my spouse and one of my children as it can only be applied on a booking of 2 travelers. My daughter is the one that is...
Something I am trying to figure out is when booking using the Atmos Summit 25k companion ticket on a child. I assume if I choose Families on the Go, the 20% back will only apply to the excess beyond the 25k points.
I had used the companion fare on my spouse and one of my children as it can only be applied on a booking of 2 travelers. My daughter is the one that is counted as the companion, so 25k off of her ticket. In the future, I may have to look at this more closely as to who is the companion, to ensure the 20% is maximized.
Is the Global Locals 10% bonus effective immediately, or starting 1/1/27?
I'm reading that Bilt transfers don't qualify for the 25 to 1 on the global option. Can you confirm?
It has Bilt and Marriott as the only ones that DO qualify for the 25:1 status points on transfers
Atmos members that select Global Locals as their community receive 1 status point for every 25 points transferred from Bilt to Atmos. (400 status points for every 10K.) Pretty good benefit!
The under 12 20% back is awesome. Just booked a flight today and it is effectively 10% off for me (two adults, two children under 12, plus a lap child).
Is it clear how they define “International” itineraries for the Global Local? Does it have to be cross-border or anything that is not US domestic qualify? I.e. what about a Sydney to Melbourne flight?
Is there any advantage to committing right away? Or should I wait until I'm ready to book my next flight?
Unfortunately the Families option interacts badly with the Companion Award discounts. Checkout requires the primary passenger to be the adult if there’s a child under 18 on the booking. So the companion discount always applies to the child, which reduces the rebate. I called in and there doesn't seem to be a way to book over the phone either with the companion discount applied to the adult instead of the child. So now it's best...
Unfortunately the Families option interacts badly with the Companion Award discounts. Checkout requires the primary passenger to be the adult if there’s a child under 18 on the booking. So the companion discount always applies to the child, which reduces the rebate. I called in and there doesn't seem to be a way to book over the phone either with the companion discount applied to the adult instead of the child. So now it's best to use the companion discount for two adults and put children on separate PNR and link. They created an incentive to put kids on their own bookings instead of with their parents, which is crazy.