Alaska Airlines launches new Summit card with premium perks

It's a big day for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flyers. Not only have the two carriers officially rolled out Atmos Rewards, their combined loyalty program, but they've also launched a brand-new premium credit card: the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card.

This top-tier product has a $395 annual fee, a six-figure welcome bonus and perks built for frequent international travelers. It's the most feature-packed card in the Alaska-Hawaiian portfolio, although it's not without its flaws.

Let's break down the benefits to see where it shines and falls short.

New Atmos Rewards premium card details

Welcome bonus

With the Atmos Rewards Summit card, new applicants can earn 80,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

This bonus is worth $1,575, including the Global Companion Award (based on TPG's October 2025 valuations). That is not quite as high as the top welcome offers on the market, but it is still a strong incentive.

If you registered your interest in the card before the end of 2024, you can earn an additional 5,000 bonus points if approved.

You are eligible for the Summit welcome bonus even if you currently have or have had other Alaska or Hawaiian cards.

Bank of America has two main application rules:

• 2/3/4: You can typically be approved for at most two new Bank of America cards in two months, three in a year and four in two years.
• 3/12: You'll usually be denied if you've opened three or more new cards with any issuer in the past year; this increases to seven or more if you have a Bank of America deposit account.

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These rules aren't enforced 100% of the time but serve as a useful guideline.

Annual fee

The $395 annual fee compares favorably to other airlines' premium consumer cards. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines each charge at least $595 for their top-tier options, while Southwest Airlines charges $229 for its top card.

Earning rates

The Summit has a straightforward structure. You'll earn:

• 3 points per dollar spent on dining, foreign, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

The biggest draw is the 3 points per dollar spent on foreign purchases.

For example, I am moving to Spain next week and had planned to use my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for everyday spending abroad, as it earns 2 miles per dollar spent (a 3.7% return based on our October 2025 valuations).

If approved for the Summit, I would consider switching for the 4.5% return, although that means committing to Atmos Rewards points instead of Capital One's 15-plus transfer partners.

The dining and airline bonus categories are solid for Alaska-Hawaiian loyalists but are less compelling if you want to diversify your points portfolio. Cardholders with an eligible Bank of America account earn a 10% bonus on all points earned.

Related: How diversifying my rewards helped me book a vacation to the UK and Ireland on points and miles

Companion certificates

This perk differs from the existing cards' Companion Fare. Summit cardholders receive a 25,000-point Global Companion Award each year with no spending requirement, plus a second 100,000-point Global Companion Award after $60,000 in annual spending.

The certificates can be used for travel on Alaska, Hawaiian or partners in any class of service. You can also top off the certificate with additional points.

For example, a one-way Aer Lingus business-class flight to Ireland normally costs at least 90,000 points for two passengers. By applying your 25,000-point award, you would only pay 65,000 points total.

The annual 25,000-point award is worth about $363, covering 92% of the annual fee on its own.

Lounge access

Summit cardholders receive eight Alaska Lounge passes per year, split into two per calendar quarter. Passes can be used when traveling on same-day flights operated by Alaska, Oneworld partners or other Alaska partners. Existing Alaska Lounge members can share passes with friends or family.

This setup may frustrate travelers who prefer unlimited access or who fly frequently in certain months but not others. American and United all offer unlimited lounge access on their top-tier cards. On Delta's top-tier Reserve card, you get 15 annual visits unless you spend $75,000 in a calendar year. That level of spend unlocks unlimited visits for Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.

Through 2026, Summit cardholders showing their card at Alaska lounges will also get access to an "all-new premium bar experience with elevated wines, signature cocktails and exclusive curations."

Elite status boosts

Cardholders will:

• Receive 10,000 status points each year on their card anniversary.
• Earn 1 status point for every $2 spent (with no cap).

With $60,000 in annual spending, you can reach Atmos Rewards Gold status, which is equivalent to mid-tier Oneworld Sapphire status. Other Atmos Rewards cards earn status points more slowly at 1 point per $3 spent.

Travel perks

When traveling on Alaska or Hawaiian and paying with your card, you and up to six people on the same booking receive a free checked bag. You'll also get preferred boarding on flights with Alaska or Hawaiian.

Alaska-only perks (for now) include free same-day flight changes and a $50 voucher for delays of two or more hours or cancellations within 24 hours. This benefit will extend to Hawaiian Airlines-operated flights once both carriers are operating on the same reservation system, expected in 2026.

Cardholders also receive up to a $120 credit every four years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Redemption options

The $12.50 partner award booking fee is waived for Summit cardholders. This can add up if you frequently redeem with partners like American Airlines, Japan Airlines and Qantas.

Summit cardholders can also share points for free with up to 10 Atmos Rewards members, avoiding the standard $10 per 1,000-point transfer fee.

The Summit card is the only Atmos Rewards card with hotel transfer partners:

• IHG One Rewards (1:1, limited-time availability)
• Marriott Bonvoy (1:1)
• I Prefer Hotel Rewards (1:2)
• Shangri-La Circle (8:1)
• Wyndham Rewards (1:1)

While this adds flexibility, hotel points are generally worth less than Atmos Rewards points, so transferring usually means losing value. Unless you need to top up for a specific redemption, flights are a better use of your points.

Other card perks

The Summit card is a Visa Infinite card and comes with the following protections and services:

• An auto rental collision damage waiver
• Extended warranty protection
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Roadside dispatch
• Travel and emergency assistance services
• Access to Visa Infinite concierge services

These perks are fairly standard for a Visa Infinite product, but they still enhance the card's overall value proposition. Frequent travelers may find the lost luggage reimbursement and rental car coverage especially useful.

There are also no foreign transaction fees.

Minor changes to other Alaska Airlines cards

The $95 Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is now the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Credit Card, and the $95 Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card has also been rebranded as the Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card.

Starting in 2026, there will be no cap on earning status points (formerly elite qualifying miles) with these cards. Until the end of this year, you can earn 1 status point per $3 spent, up to 30,000 points per year.

The information for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature and the Alaska Airlines Visa Business has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The former Alaska cards were last refreshed in March 2023, so it's good to see that their annual fees remain unchanged, as many mid-tier cards now cost closer to $150.

The welcome bonus on these cards are as follows:

• Ascent: Earn 60,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account, plus receive a 30% global flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account.
• Business: Earn 60,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $4,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

No changes to Hawaiian Airlines cards

There are no changes to the Barclays-issued Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® and Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®.

HawaiianMiles members will automatically transition to Atmos Rewards on Oct. 1.

The information for the Hawaiian Airlines 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

The new Atmos Rewards Summit card offers strong value for frequent Alaska and Hawaiian flyers, especially those who travel abroad and can make full use of the bonus points on foreign purchases and the valuable Global Companion Awards.

Status boosts and waived partner booking fees add even more value, but the capped lounge passes and fairly limited travel protections prevent it from being a slam dunk.

For travelers who can regularly redeem the companion awards and reach the status spending thresholds, the $395 annual fee is worth it. For everyone else, a lower-tier Atmos Rewards card or a flexible travel rewards card with transfer partners may deliver better long-term value.

Related: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?

Updated 10/29/2025