Now that Alaska Airlines (ALK) has completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines in a $1.9 billion deal in September 2024, the airlines that will continue to operate under the individual brands form a single network connecting non-mainland states to hundreds of domestic and international destinations.
On Aug. 20, Alaska announced that it will also merge the loyalty programs Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles into the single Atmos Rewards alongside with launching the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite (V) credit card to be used for collecting points and building status.
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A merged rewards program, same status updates
The new rewards program allows members to earn points by either distance traveled (one point for every mile), price paid (five points for every $1) or segment flown for those who would benefit from that option because they often travel back-and-forth between nearby cities.
The same status milestones that Alaska reworked last fall — 10,000 points unlocks the first perks while 250,000 are needed to achieve the most elite level offering lounge access and fare upgrades — will be available to travelers flying on either of the airline brands. Alaska Mileage Plan travelers have been automatically transitioned to Atmos Rewards when the news was announced while HawaiianMiles members will be migrated over by Oct. 1.
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The Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite created in partnership with the Bank of America (BAC) is also designed to combine the existing Alaska Airlines Visa Signature and Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard (MA) .
The card comes with ample perks – a Global Companion Award that lets those who hit spending milestones book a discounted second seat, eight lounge passes per year, a free checked bag and premium boarding, waived same-day ticket change fees and tripled points collection on dining and foreign purchases — but similarly to other premium cards has a hefty entry bar: a $395 annual fee, qualifying credit and income as well as the high spending thresholds to take advantage of some of the top benefits.
Alaska Air Group
‘We crafted this card from the ground up’
As part of its launch promotion, travelers who use it to spend over $6,000 within the first 90 days of opening will get 100,000 bonus points to put toward flights or other purchases with the airline.
As part of the card’s rules, points can also be transferred to partnering hotel credit card programs to spend there. Those who used the card to book a flight will also be eligible for an instant $50 credit for flights that are canceled within 24 hours of departure time or delayed by more than two hours — it will be added to one’s card as a voucher that needs to be used within 48 hours.
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“The Atmos Rewards Summit card sets a new bar for what a premium travel card can be – globally connected, deeply rewarding and designed to elevate every step of the journey,” Brett Catlin, vice president of loyalty, alliances and sales at Alaska Airlines said in a statement. “We crafted this card from the ground up to offer unique, industry-leading benefits with outsized rewards and experiential enhancements unmatched by any other airline card.”
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