Sean Cudahy is an aviation reporter covering news about airlines, frequent flyer programs and consumer travel issues.
August 20, 2025 • 16 min read
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Quick summary
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have launched Atmos Rewards, a unified loyalty program covering both carriers while they continue to operate under separate brands.
Atmos Rewards introduces flexible ways to earn points and elite status, allowing members to choose between distance flown, dollars spent or segments flown, with options to change preference annually.
The program features new elite status tiers, including complimentary upgrades to lie-flat business-class seats for top-tier members, and maintains Alaska's popular partner award chart for redemptions.
A new premium travel card is available, offering benefits such as lounge access, global companion travel awards and transferable points to select hotel programs.
What to consider
Atmos Rewards replaces both Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles, with all existing miles transferring at a 1:1 ratio starting October 1.
Elite status qualification thresholds will increase for top tiers beginning in 2026 for 2027 status, and some card-linked benefits have annual limits or caps that change after 2025.
Certain benefits, such as complimentary long-haul upgrades, are exclusive to the highest elite tier and do not extend to partner airline elites.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed guidance on status qualification, credit card-linked perks and how the transition impacts current loyalty members.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
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It’s a new era for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. In a long-awaited announcement on Wednesday, the two carriers revealed their brand-new combined loyalty program, which has a new name: Atmos Rewards.
The program will serve as the one loyalty program bridging Alaska and Hawaiian, which continue to fly as distinct brands even after merging last year under one parent company.
One program covering two airlines makes Atmos Rewards unique among U.S. airlines. It's far more reminiscent of how some European carriers linked brands after mergers (think: Air France and KLM for the Flying Blue program).
Alaska and Hawaiian’s new Atmos Rewards program will offer a host of frequent flyer perks not seen at any competitors. For instance, top-tier elite status members will get unlimited complimentary space-available upgrades to lie-flat business-class seats on long-haul flights.
And, uniquely, Atmos Rewards members will be allowed to choose how they earn points and status.
But it wouldn’t be a major airline loyalty announcement in 2025 without some big credit card news.
As part of the Atmos Rewards launch, the carriers unveiled a premium card packed with perks, including lounge visits and global companion travel awards — not to mention bonus points on all swipes outside the U.S.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines aircraft on the taxiway. ERIC THAYER/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES
The reveal of this new combined Alaska-Hawaiian loyalty program had been perhaps the most anticipated element of this blockbuster airline merger.
Atmos Rewards will spell the end of the long-standing HawaiianMiles program starting this October. And, it will usher in a new era for the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program, which had been a favorite of frequent travelers hoping to stretch their points and miles on both Alaska and its impressive partner network.
This new loyalty reveal comes as the two carriers are already embarking on big changes together, including a growing list of long-haul flights to Europe and Asia out of Alaska's Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) home base.
“It’s very much in service of our new global network, being the fourth major global player in the US, and then using rewards as a way to get people excited about our brand,” Brett Catlin, Alaska's loyalty chief, said in an interview with TPG leading up to Wednesday’s announcement.
Here’s what to know about the program, the changes and the premium credit card the airline also unveiled on Wednesday. The latter will be intricately connected with nearly every aspect of the program.
5 big things to know about Atmos Rewards
Alaska’s valuable partner award chart, a TPG favorite for redemptions, isn’t going anywhere.
High-level elite status will now come with higher thresholds but also an alluring new perk: free upgrades to lie-flat business-class seats.
Next year, Atmos Rewards members will be able to choose how they want to earn points and status: via eligible dollars paid for airfare, distance flown or segments flown.
There’s a premium credit card, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card, which comes with fast-tracked status, lounge passes and global companion travel awards, all for a $395 annual fee.
Transfers to Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio will remain in place (at least, for now).
Alaska Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner. ALASKA AIRLINES
What to know about the Mileage Plan/HawaiianMiles transition
Let’s get to the logistics of Atmos Rewards, starting with a few top FAQs.
When does Atmos Rewards launch?
It’s now live as of Aug. 20.
What do Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members need to do?
Nothing. You’re now an Atmos Rewards member.
The same is true for HawaiianMiles members who already linked their accounts to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.
What about the HawaiianMiles program?
The program will officially end Oct. 1. At that point, your HawaiianMiles account will be automatically transferred to Atmos Rewards.
What happens to the miles you have in your account?
They’ll transfer over to Atmos Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. That goes for both Alaska miles and Hawaiian miles.
What if you already had an Alaska Airlines credit card?
The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is now called the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card.
The Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card is now called the Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card.
Most card benefits won’t change, but we’ll outline a few tweaks in a moment.
What about the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® and the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®?
These cards will remain unchanged. The cards will continue to earn HawaiianMiles until Oct. 1.
After Oct. 1, those miles will transfer to Atmos Rewards.
These cards will now earn status points as well.
The information for the Alaska Visa Signature, the Alaska Airlines Visa Business, the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite and the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite 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.
Earning points and status with Atmos Rewards
Under the new Atmos Rewards program, you’ll see some slightly different terminology:
Miles will be known as “points.”
You’ll earn status by accumulating “status points.”
How do you earn status points?
This is one of the more uncommon twists of Atmos Rewards. Starting later in 2026, members will be able to choose how they earn points and status points.
Your three options:
Earn 1 status point for every mile flown (“distance-based”).
Earn 5 status points for every $1 spent on flights (“revenue-based”).
Earn 500 status points for every segment flown (“segment-based”).
You’ll be allowed to change your preference once per year.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines planes at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
For years, we’ve seen airlines shift toward calculating status based on how much money you spend with the airline.
But Alaska had been the outlier, still labeling customers as “elite” based on how many miles they flew.
Now, Atmos Rewards members can choose either of those two options or gain status by flying a set number of individual flight segments.
Alaska executives expect segments will be a popular option among Hawaiian passengers who frequently travel between neighbor islands.
A Hawaiian Airlines aircraft in Hawaii. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Credit cards offer a boost
No matter which path to status you choose, you’ll be able to earn additional status points via an eligible Atmos Rewards credit card.
Members with the Atmos Rewards Summit card will earn 1 status point for every $2 spent on purchases. They’ll also get 10,000 status points each card anniversary.
Atmos Rewards Ascent (previously Alaska Airlines Visa Signature) and Atmos Rewards Visa (previously Alaska Airlines Business Visa) cardholders will earn 1 status point per $3 spent. These cardholders will be limited to 30,000 status points this year, but that cap will end after 2025.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard members will likewise earn 1 status point per $3 spent from Oct. 1 on, with a 30,000-point limit in 2025.
Revamped elite status tiers
As part of the Atmos Rewards rollout, elite status will sound a little different.
You’ll see the end of Hawaiian’s Pualani status and what is essentially a rebranding of Alaska’s MVP tiers.
Alaska will increase the qualification requirements for its top two tiers, too:
Atmos Rewards status tier
Previous Mileage Plan/HawaiianMiles tier
Status points required in 2026 (for 2027)
% change from Mileage Plan 2025-26
Corresponding Oneworld tier
Silver
MVP
Pualani Gold
20,000 status points
No change
Ruby
Gold
MVP Gold
Pualani Platinum
40,000 status points
No change
Sapphire
Platinum
MVP Gold 75K
80,000 status points
+6%
Emerald
Titanium
MVP Gold 100K
135,000 status points
+35%
Emerald
Note that the qualification changes mentioned above will take effect in 2026 for Atmos Rewards members qualifying for 2027 status — this isn’t for next year’s status requirements.
Additionally, Atmos Rewards Platinum and Titanium elite members will get a one-time head start on earning 2027 status:
5,000 status points for Platinum members
20,000 status points for Titanium members
Global upgrades
Most U.S. airlines offer elite status members complimentary upgrades to their domestic first-class recliners.
Alaska is taking that one (big) step further.
Atmos Rewards Titanium members will be eligible for unlimited free upgrades to long-haul, lie-flat business-class seats on Alaska and Hawaiian flights.
“Even if you’re sitting in the back,” Catlin said, “we will put you in a lie-flat business-class seat, including on our 787 suites with doors, so that seat will not go out empty if there’s a Titanium sitting in the main cabin.”
This is especially notable as Alaska ramps up global flying from Seattle, including new flights to London, Rome and Seoul, South Korea, planned to launch next spring.
A sign touts Alaska and Hawaiian's new service between Seattle and Tokyo. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
If you’re an American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum member and your ears just perked up, we should note: This benefit does not extend to partner elite members. The upgrade perk will be exclusive to Atmos Rewards Titanium members flying on Alaska- and Hawaiian-operated flights.
Redeeming
If there was one thing TPG staffers and frequent travelers were nervous about in Alaska’s loyalty revamp, it was award redemptions.
Alaska’s Mileage Plan (and miles) have routinely ranked among the most valuable of any airline, thanks to the carrier's partner award chart, which has regularly offered well-priced award space — such as seats in American’s brand-new Flagship Suites this summer.
Alaska executives told me its Mileage Plan award chart will remain intact as part of this shift to Atmos Rewards.
“We’re really happy with where our redemptions are at, particularly on the partner side,” Catlin said. “We have no plans at this point to radically change how we’re structuring redemptions.”
He did note, though, that the carrier will need to make some updates to its chart to account for new long-haul Alaska and Hawaiian flights, but this should be reassuring news for former Mileage Plan fans.
Communities
The Atmos Rewards program will also offer a handful of loyalty communities with special promotions and discounts for travelers, including Mileage Plan's Club 49 for travelers in the nation’s 49th state and Huaka’i by Hawaiian, which gives Hawaii residents a free checked bag and a quarterly 10% discount on flights.
Alaska plans to introduce a variety of additional communities in the coming months, with themes focused on food, family travel and travelers based outside the U.S.
An Alaska Airlines plane taxis at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Premium credit card option
Alaska didn’t just announce a major loyalty program revamp. It unveiled its long-expected premium credit card: the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite credit card, which has a handful of perks we haven’t seen on any other cobranded airline card.
The card has a $395 annual fee, falling squarely between many entry-level airline cards with annual fees around $100 and pricier competitor cards that now often charge upward of $550 annually to hold.
You can read all about the card in this story, but here's a rundown of the top benefits that will tie in with the new Atmos Rewards program.
Global Companion Awards
Cardholders can book themselves a flight and then use their companion certificate to take a friend or family member with them on that flight.
There are four things to know here:
You’ll get one certificate worth up to 25,000 points each year after the account anniversary.
You’ll get another one worth up to 100,000 points after spending $60,000 in the account year. This could get you to Europe or Asia.
You can “top up” the certificate — so, if you want to book your companion on a 110,000-point round-trip itinerary, you can use 10,000 Atmos Rewards points in your account to complete the booking.
These awards can be redeemed on Alaska or Hawaiian flights or any partner flights booked through those airlines’ websites. That includes partners like American Airlines, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific and dozens more.
Up to 8 Alaska Lounge passes
You can visit the Alaska Lounge network up to eight times annually, though (unfortunately) these visits will be limited to two per calendar quarter. Cardholders can, however, share these passes with family members and friends.
To get a full-fledged Alaska Lounge (or Lounge+) membership, you’ll still have to pay the annual dues or select access as a choice benefit of Atmos Rewards Titanium (previously MVP 100K) elite status.
The Alaska Lounge in SEA's N-Concourse. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Each pass is valid for the entire travel day and includes entry for up to two accompanying children.
Hotel transfers
In some ways, the Atmos Rewards Summit card isn’t just an airline card — it (sort of) has transferable currency.
Cardholders will be allowed to transfer their Atmos Rewards points to five hotel loyalty programs:
Marriott Bonvoy (1:1 transfer ratio)
IHG One Rewards (1:1, available through November)
Wyndham Rewards (1:1)
I Prefer Hotel Rewards (1:2)
Shangri-La Circle (8:1)
Flight delay vouchers
Cardholders who run into a delay of two hours or more on Alaska will get a $50 card-linked voucher, regardless of the reason for the disruption.
This will also apply to cancellations within 24 hours of departure.
“Instead of, like, stewing at SeaTac here, we want you to go and shop in one of the stores, have a cocktail, take advantage of it,” Catlin said. “... whether it was in our control or not.”
This benefit is expected to eventually extend to passengers on Hawaiian, likely later in 2026.
Other perks
The Atmos Rewards Summit comes with a few other perks, including:
Fee credits on partner award bookings (up to $25 per reservation)
Waived same-day confirmed change fees on Alaska (and eventually Hawaiian, expected later in 2026)
A 10,000 status point boost annually
The ability to earn 1 status point for every $2 spent on purchases
A free first checked bag for you and up to six companions
Additionally, cardholders will earn 3 Atmos Rewards points per dollar spent on:
Eligible Alaska and Hawaiian purchases
Dining
All eligible purchases outside the U.S.
For all other eligible purchases, cardholders will earn 1 point per dollar spent.
Welcome offer
New applicants can earn 100,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6,500 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. Plus, receive a 50% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your account.
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.
