Hello, San Diego: Earn elite status and extra points on Alaska and Hawaiian with these Atmos promotions
Atmos Rewards, the new joint loyalty program of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, rolled out just over a week ago, but the airlines are wasting no time in launching new promotions.
Atmos Rewards is offering a fast track to elite status and double points on flights into and out of San Diego.
Let's get into the details of these Atmos Rewards promotions so you can decide if they make sense for your travel plans.
Related: Atmos Rewards reveal: 5 under-the-radar perks, from upgrades to lounge access
Atmos Rewards' San Diego status fast track promotion
The first promotion is offering an accelerated path to Atmos elite status. You can earn Atmos Silver status (the lowest tier) for completing just five qualifying flight segments, and Atmos Gold (the next level up) when you complete 10 qualifying flight segments.
But there's a catch: To qualify, a flight segment must have San Diego International Airport (SAN) as either the origin or destination airport.
In addition, qualifying flight segments must be marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines, or operated on behalf of Alaska by Horizon Air or SkyWest. Codeshare flights, flights operated by other partner airlines (including Oneworld partners), award tickets and Saver (X) fares, aka basic economy fares, are ineligible.
Flight segments must also be credited to your Atmos Rewards account to count toward the elite status fast track, so be sure to add your Atmos Rewards number (the same as your old Mileage Plan number) at booking.
To start your accelerated journey to Atmos status, register by March 20, 2026. Then, complete your qualifying flight segments between Oct. 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.
Once earned, your promotional status will be valid through Dec. 31, 2026 — so the sooner you earn it, the longer you'll reap the benefits of your shiny new status. Both Atmos Silver and Atmos Gold members get valuable perks like seat upgrades, preferred boarding, free checked bags and bonus points earned on flights. Plus, you'll get the perks of Oneworld elite status (Oneworld Ruby for Atmos Silver members, Oneworld Sapphire for Atmos Gold members) on American Airlines and other partner flights.
Obviously, this offer is a no-brainer for frequent travelers based in or near San Diego. Even if you're not, it could still be a relatively easy way to reach Atmos elite status if you can fly into or out of San Diego at least five times between October and March.
Atmos Rewards' San Diego double points promotion
Whether or not you decide to go for Atmos Silver or Atmos Gold status with the above promotion, you can double your points on eligible flights into and out of San Diego with this second promotion.
To qualify for the double points offer, flights must meet all the criteria discussed above:
- They must be marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines, or operated on behalf of Alaska by Horizon Air or SkyWest.
- They must be credited to your Atmos Rewards account.
- They must take place between Oct. 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.
Eligible routes include nonstop flights between San Diego and the following airports:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Boise Airport (BOI)
- O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT)
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
- Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC)
- Tampa International Airport (TPA)
According to the offer terms, "Double points are based solely on flight miles." That means you'll earn a total of 2 points per mile flown instead of the usual 1 point per mile flown for most flights. For flights under 500 miles in length, which earn a minimum of 500 points per flight, you'll receive at least 1,000 points in total.
Bonus points earned through this promotion do not count toward elite status.
If you plan to pursue Atmos Rewards elite status through the fast-track promotion, you may as well earn double points while you're at it. Even if you won't be able to reach the minimum of five qualifying San Diego flight segments to earn status, you can still earn double points on any San Diego flights you take between October and March.
But you'll have to register for the double points promotion separately. Do so by March 20, 2026.
Related reading:
- Are we all (mostly) winners? My take on Alaska's new unified Atmos Rewards program
- Earn up to 100,000 bonus points toward Alaska or Hawaiian flights with new Atmos Rewards card offers
- Alaska Airlines launches new Summit card with premium perks
- Complete guide to airline status matches and challenges in 2025
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