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Alaska Trifecta: Why I signed up for the premium Atmos Rewards Summit credit card
Clint Henderson is a managing editor at TPG who has worked in the journalism industry for more than 25 years. He is obsessed with travel and has used points and miles to explore the world.
August 21, 2025 • 8 min read
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Quick summary
A new premium loyalty program and credit card have launched for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, featuring valuable perks and a substantial introductory bonus.
The program introduces annual companion awards, lounge passes, status point-earning opportunities and flight delay vouchers for cardholders.
Atmos Rewards points, formerly Alaska miles, retain strong value for both international and domestic travel, per TPG's April 2026 valuations.
Existing HawaiianMiles will convert to the new program on Oct. 1, with current Hawaiian Airlines credit cards remaining unchanged for now.
What to consider
Some offers discussed are no longer available; check for current details before applying.
The premium card requires a significant spend within the first 90 days to unlock the full introductory bonus and companion award.
Annual companion fares require a minimum spend each year and include taxes and fees starting from $23.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of the new loyalty program's status tiers, companion awards and strategies for maximizing points and elite status.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
It's been a good day for fans of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. A rebranded loyalty program launched without a major devaluation, perks for elite members were revealed and, perhaps best of all, a premium credit card that comes with some impressive benefits and a huge welcome bonus was unveiled.
I've been a longtime holder of both the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® (no longer available and now known as the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card) and the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card (no longer available and now known as the Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card).
I've been able to use the companion certificates that come with those cards to bring family members to Hawaii each year, but the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card brings the party to a whole new level.
The information for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card and the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Highlights of the Atmos Rewards Summit card
Because I had been one of the first to sign up for a waitlist for the card, I got 500 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles (now called Atmos Rewards points). This morning, I was emailed an application link for another 5,000 bonus points for being one of the first approved for the card.
Given its solid bonus, earning rates and benefits, I felt this card was an absolute no-brainer to get. In fact, I would have signed up even without the bonus points.
The Atmos Rewards Summit card comes with a welcome bonus of 100,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6,500 on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. Plus, new cardholders will also receive a 50% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening their account. That bonus is worth $1,750 when you include the value of the 25,000-point Global Companion Award, based on TPG's April 2026 valuations.
There are a lot of awesome perks cardholders receive, too, including:
A 25,000-point Global Companion Award each year, plus a second 100,000-point Global Companion Award after $60,000 in annual spending
Eight Alaska Lounge passes per year (two per quarter)
10,000 status points each year on card anniversary
1 status point for every $2 spent (with no cap)
A $50 voucher for delays of two or more hours or cancellations within 24 hours on Alaska flights (coming to Hawaiian flights in 2026)
Waiving of Alaska's $12.50 partner award booking fee
Plus, cardholders earn Atmos Rewards points at the following rates:
3 points per dollar spent on all foreign transactions
3 points per dollar spent on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
3 points per dollar spent on dining
1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
There are plenty of other reasons why this card may be a good fit for your wallet, but that's already a pretty substantial list for a card that has a $395 annual fee.
Applying for the Atmos Rewards Summit card
If, like me, you signed up for the early access waitlist, know that applying is initially a bit confusing. The special offer will be in your inbox in an email labeled "Our new loyalty program has arrived." Open that email and scroll down to find the special application link to use.
Once you locate the correct application link to use for earning the early access bonus, the application process is very straightforward. It simply asks for your Social Security number and personal details.
After applying, I was instantly approved.
Approval notice for the new Atmos Rewards Summit card. BANK OF AMERICA
Why the Atmos Rewards card and program have me considering Alaska as my primary airline again
From the moment I applied, I knew that this card would become a centerpiece of my card and status strategies moving forward. I love the fact that I will earn 1 status point for every $2 I spend on the card. I should be able to easily hit top-tier Titanium status with a combination of flying and spending.
If you spent $80,000 on the card, as one example, and never set foot on an Alaska or Hawaiian plane, you'd still earn Gold status (which translates to Oneworld Sapphire status and includes lounge access when traveling internationally).
ALASKA AIRLINES
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan had once been my go-to program for elite status, but that came to an end in 2023 when I moved back to New York from California. At one point, I had been a top-tier MVP Gold 100K member, but because Alaska lacks a big presence on the East Coast, I decided it made more sense to switch my loyalty back to American Airlines.
That didn't mean an end to my use of Alaska's program, though. I've used Alaska miles to fly to Taipei, Taiwan, and back in business class on partner Starlux Airlines several times. I've also used Alaska miles to fly business class on Japan Airlines. I find the miles (now points) super valuable.
CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Now that the program and premium card have officially launched, I'm strongly considering going for top-tier Titanium status in Atmos Rewards next year. Alaska's partnership with American Airlines means I can still enjoy elite status perks from Alaska while flying on American. Plus, the Atmos Rewards Summit card will make it even easier to earn status.
In the meantime, I'll requalify for American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum status this year, with the goal of switching my loyalty to Alaska beginning in 2026.
Benefits of having the Alaska Trifecta
CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Now that I've added the Atmos Rewards Summit card to my wallet alongside the Atmos Rewards Ascent card and the Atmos Rewards Visa card, I have a total of three Alaska-branded cards to create the Alaska Trifecta.
While I haven't historically spent much on the personal and business cards, I do get a lot of use out of their companion certificates.
You get a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) on each account anniversary for both cards after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. I usually use mine on two trips to Hawaii each year.
Because I'll be fully using the Atmos Rewards Summit card, it's nice to have all three as options. The Summit card will become my go-to card for all spending next year.
Opening those two credit cards earned me 138,000 HawaiianMiles, which converted at a 1:1 ratio to Mileage Plan miles (now Atmos Rewards points). That's enough points to book a round-trip business-class trip similar to the one I took to Taipei with Starlux last year.
The information for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner. ALASKA AIRLINES
The Atmos Rewards Summit card seems like a win-win card to have, especially if you have ways to use all the valuable Atmos Rewards points you'll get from the bonus and spending on the card.
Redeeming Atmos Rewards points on international travel unlocks stupendous value. TPG's Eric Rosen and I just used 55,000 Alaska miles (now Atmos Rewards points) to fly on American Airlines' new Dreamliner to and from London.
But remember, these points are valuable for more than just international business-class redemptions on partners. You can often book great deals on domestic American Airlines trips using Atmos Rewards points, as TPG's Summer Hull did recently.
If you can use the points and the companion awards and/or reach the status spending thresholds, it's easy to justify paying the $395 annual fee to hold this card.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
