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In this guide, we'll cover every aspect of the program. This includes the best ways to earn points, how to achieve elite status, and all the best Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards redemption opportunities.
Overview of Alaska Airlines
Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the carrier has additional hubs in Anchorage (ANC), Los Angeles (LAX), Portland (PDX), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO), and since merging with Hawaiian Airlines, Honolulu (HNL).
Alaska's international network includes destinations throughout Canada, Mexico, Central America, Europe, and the Pacific. And following its merger with Hawaiian Airlines, its reach now extends much farther, including destinations such as Tokyo (NRT), Seoul (ICN), Sydney (SYD), and Rome (FCO).
Still, Alaska's domestic network isn't as extensive as those of larger U.S. carriers like American, Delta, United, and Southwest, particularly outside the West Coast.
How To Earn Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Points
Beyond flying, you can build your Atmos Rewards balance through Alaska's co-branded
Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards co-branded credit cards
Bank of America issues three Atmos Rewards credit cards: the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent
The Atmos Ascent Visa Card and Atmos Visa Business Card also offer the opportunity to earn Alaska's Companion Fare each year after meeting an annual spending requirement. The Companion Fare lets you book an eligible companion ticket for $99 plus taxes and fees starting at $23. The Atmos Summit Visa Card offers a Global Companion Award and additional premium travel benefits.
- Earn unlimited 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
- Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
- Earn unlimited 1 point for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
- Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) purchases
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
- 3X points on eligible dining, foreign transactions, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
- 1X point on all other purchases
- 10% points bonus with an eligible Bank of America® account
If you're considering applying for an Atmos Rewards card, keep in mind that Bank of America has its own 2/3/4 rule that can affect your eligibility.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Transfer credit card rewards
Until a short time ago, Alaska Airlines didn't partner with any credit card transferable rewards programs. Now, you can earn points on the three Bilt credit cards and transfer Bilt Rewards Points to Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards at a 1:1 ratio.
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 1X points on everyday spend
$95Rates & Fees
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 3X points on your choice of grocery (up to $25K/year) or dining. Your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year.
- 2X points on travel
- 1X points on everyday spend
$495Rates & Fees
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
Marriott offers several co-branded credit cards that earn
$95Rates & Fees
- 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
- 3X points for every $1 spent on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases annually on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
$125Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy® points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
$650Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
You can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Atmos Rewards at a 3:1 ratio. Plus, for every 60,000 Bonvoy points transferred, you'll receive 5,000 bonus Atmos points — meaning 60,000 Bonvoy points become 25,000 Atmos points.
Transfers from Marriott to Alaska typically take about one day.
Earning points by flying Alaska and its partners
Atmos Rewards is also the first airline
- Distance traveled: Earn 1 point for every mile flown, which can be especially rewarding on inexpensive long-haul flights.
- Price paid: Earn 5 points per $1 spent on airfare and eligible upgrades.
- Segments flown: Earn 500 points per flight segment. Ideal for multiple short trips, like inter-island flights within Hawaii or regional flights within California.
In addition to earning points on Alaska and Hawaiian flights, you can earn Atmos Rewards points when flying with Alaska's airline partners. How many points you earn depends on the partner, fare class, and where you book your ticket.
Partner flights booked through AlaskaAir.com generally earn more, ranging from 100% of the distance flown in economy to 350% in international first class:
Book directly with a partner airline, and earning rates are lower, ranging from 25% in discount economy to 150% in first class:
Sounds great, right? Not so fast.
Alaska doesn't sell flights from every partner on its website, and the fares it does offer aren't always the cheapest. In some cases, you may find significantly lower fares by booking directly with the partner airline, even if it means earning fewer Atmos points.
Pay close attention to the earning terms before booking a partner flight. Some flights and codeshares aren't eligible to earn Atmos points, depending on factors such as the flight number and operating carrier.
Earn points with travel partners
You can earn Alaska points by renting a car with one of several Alaska Airlines rental car partners. The typical earning rate is 50 points per day, though you can find promotions for up to 2,000 points on certain rentals.
Crediting hotel stays with Alaska Airlines' hotel partners is another way to earn additional points. Offers can be per night or per stay. This is a great option when staying with a chain in which you don't plan to accrue points. However, I would not credit stays from chains I frequent, such as IHG or Marriott. This is because the return for earning hotel points is typically much higher.
Finally, you can earn 1 Atmos point per $1 spent on eligible cruise bookings through Alaska Hawaiian Cruises.
Atmos Rewards shopping portal
The Atmos Rewards shopping portal lets you earn bonus points when shopping online with participating retailers. Earning rates vary but typically range from around 0.5 to 5 points per $1 spent.
The portal regularly offers elevated earning rates and spending bonuses. And check our guide to airline shopping portal bonuses to see what's currently available.
Atmos Rewards Dining
You can also earn up to 5 Atmos points per $1 spent through Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Dining. If you dine 11 times within a calendar year, you'll earn VIP status and unlock the highest earning rate for the remainder of the year.
New members can also occasionally earn a limited-time bonus after joining and meeting the offer requirements.
Buying Atmos Rewards points
For many people interested in flying premium cabins with Alaska Airlines partners, buying Atmos Rewards points is a great strategy. You can purchase up to 100,000 Alaska points per transaction, and up to 150,000 points per calendar year. Atmos Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium members have no annual cap when buying points.
Atmos points normally cost $27.50 per 1,000 points, plus a 7.5% tax recovery fee. However, Alaska regularly offers promotions for buying points, with bonuses sometimes reaching 50% or more.
Unless you need points immediately, it's generally worth waiting for one of these promotions before buying.
Can you transfer Atmos Rewards points to other people?
Yes, but the cost of moving points is not a great value. Alaska charges $10 per 1,000 points transferred, and there's usually no need to move points to another member since you can use your Atmos points to book an award for someone else.
For example, say you're 7,000 points short of an award. Transferring those points from another member would cost $95, including a $25 handling fee. If there's a buy-points promotion, you may be able to purchase the points you need for a similar price without taking them from someone else's account.
There's one notable exception: Atmos Summit Visa Card cardholders have access to free points pooling, which allows up to 10 people to combine their Atmos Rewards points without transfer fees.
Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Rules
Anyone can join the free Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards loyalty program. You need to sign up at AlaskaAir.com. To create an account for a child, you'll need to call Alaska at 800-252-7522.
Atmos Rewards points don't expire, so you don't need to periodically earn or redeem points to keep them active. However, travelers can only earn points from flights credited to their own Atmos Rewards accounts.
There's also a useful workaround when booking multiple travelers. If two people each have enough points for their own ticket, you can call Alaska and ask an agent to deduct the required points from each person's account while keeping everyone on the same reservation.
Track your account with AwardWallet
After you've joined Atmos Rewards, add your account to AwardWallet to track your points balance, upcoming trips, progress toward elite status, and other account details in one place.
Don't have an AwardWallet account yet? Sign up for free and track unlimited rewards programs and travel plans.
Redeeming Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Points
Atmos Rewards is arguably one of the most valuable U.S. airline loyalty programs, thanks largely to Alaska's extensive network of airline partners, competitive award pricing, and generous stopover policy.
Value of Alaska points
Points and miles valuations are always subjective, and the value you'll get from Atmos Rewards points depends heavily on how you redeem them. Personally, I try to redeem Alaska points for at least 2 cents each, which is the baseline value I assign them. I've been able to get far more value when booking premium-cabin awards.
Recent AwardWallet user redemptions range from an average of 1.39¢ for domestic economy flights up to 3.98¢ for long-haul flights in premium cabins.
In general, Alaska's domestic and partner economy awards tend to offer less value, while some of the best opportunities are premium-cabin partner awards. We'll highlight a few of our favorite sweet spots below.
Related: How Much Are Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Points Worth?
Alaska Airlines partners and award charts
Alaska's membership in the Oneworld alliance, combined with several valuable non-alliance partnerships, gives Atmos Rewards members access to an extensive global network of airline partners.
Alaska's current partner airlines include:
| Airline | Redeem Points | Earn Points |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | Yes | Yes |
| Aleutian Airways | No | Yes, when booked with Alaska Airlines |
| Air Tahiti Nui | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Bahamasair | No | Yes, when booked with Alaska Airlines |
| British Airways | Yes | Yes |
| Cape Air | No | Yes, when booked with Alaska Airlines |
| Cathay Pacific | Yes | Yes |
| Condor | Yes | Yes |
| Contour Airlines | No | Yes, when booked with Alaska Airlines |
| Fiji Airways | Yes | Yes |
| Finnair | Yes | Yes |
| Hainan Airlines | Yes | Yes |
| Icelandair | Yes | Yes |
| Iberia | Yes | Yes |
| ITA Airways | No | Yes, when booked with Alaska Airlines |
| Japan Airlines | Yes | Yes |
| Kenmore Air | No | Yes, when booked with Alaska Airlines |
| Korean Air | Yes | Yes |
| Malaysia Airlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mokulele Airlines | No | Yes, when booked with Alaska Airlines |
| Oman Air | Yes | Yes |
| Philippine Airlines | Yes | Yes |
| Porter Airlines | Yes | Yes |
| Qantas | Yes | Yes |
| Qatar Airways | Yes | Yes |
| Royal Air Maroc | Yes | Yes |
| Royal Jordanian | Yes | Yes |
| Singapore Airlines | No | Yes, when booked with Alaska Airlines |
| Southern Airways Express | No | Yes, when booked with Alaska Airlines |
| SriLankan Airlines | Yes | Yes |
| Starlux | Yes | Yes - but only earns Status Points if booked via Alaska Airlines (tickets still earn redeemable points). |
You can find more details about earning and redeeming points with each carrier on the Atmos Rewards partners page.
How many points you'll need for an award depends on whether you're flying Alaska or one of its partners. Awards on Alaska's own flights are priced based on distance and region, with flights starting at just 5,000 points one way:
Partner awards use three region- and distance-based award charts. Pricing shown on these charts represents the starting rate for an award.
For travel within and between the Americas:
| Distance (miles) | Economy (starting at) | Premium Economy (starting at) | Business Class (starting at) | First Class (starting at) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 700 | 4,500 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 13,500 |
| 701–1,400 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 25,000 |
| 1,401–2,100 | 12,500 | 17,500 | 25,000 | 40,000 |
| 2,101–4,000 | 17,500 | 22,500 | 35,000 | 52,500 |
| 4,001–6,000 | 25,000 | 32,500 | 50,000 | 75,000 |
| 6,001 and above | 30,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
For travel within and between Asia and the Pacific:
| Distance (miles) | Economy (starting at) | Premium Economy (starting at) | Business (starting at) | First (starting at) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,500 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 22,500 |
| 1,501–3,000 | 25,000 | 32,500 | 50,000 | 75,000 |
| 3,001–5,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| 5,001–7,000 | 37,500 | 50,000 | 75,000 | 110,000 |
| 7,001–10,000 | 42,500 | 55,000 | 85,000 | 130,000 |
| 10,000 and above | 65,000 | 85,000 | 130,000 | 195,000 |
And for travel within and between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa:
| Distance (miles) | Economy (starting at) | Premium Economy (starting at) | Business Class (starting at) | First Class (starting at) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,500 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 22,500 |
| 1,501–3,500 | 22,500 | 30,000 | 45,000 | 67,500 |
| 3,501–5,000 | 27,500 | 35,000 | 55,000 | 82,500 |
| 5,001–7,000 | 35,000 | 45,000 | 70,000 | 105,000 |
| 7,001–10,000 | 42,500 | 55,000 | 85,000 | 130,000 |
| 10,000 and above | 55,000 | 72,500 | 110,000 | 165,000 |
One of my favorite redemptions is flying Condor business class to Frankfurt and beyond. Living in Seattle, I can connect on Alaska to one of Condor's U.S. gateways, fly business class to Frankfurt, add a stopover, and then continue elsewhere in Europe. It's a screaming deal when you can find the award space.
How to search for award space
The easiest way to search for awards with Alaska Airlines and its partners is at AlaskaAir.com. Most partner awards are bookable online, and you can search for one-way, round-trip, or multi-city awards without having to log in.
Alaska's award search engine is generally good at constructing reasonable itineraries, but it can return some unusual routings as it pieces together available award space. For example, a search from Orange County (SNA) to Sydney (SYD) might route you through Seattle and Los Angeles — sending you nearly 1,000 miles in the wrong direction before bringing you back south for your flight overseas.
Beware of mixed-cabin awards
One of the biggest things to watch for is mixed-cabin awards. Alaska's results can combine economy and premium-cabin segments, and there's no way to filter these itineraries out.
Thankfully, Alaska now makes mixed-cabin awards much easier to spot in the search results. You can now see the cabin for each segment displayed below the price:
For awards that aren't available online, call Alaska at 800-ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522) to have a representative search for space and book over the phone.
A note on award space availability
Alaska's online search shows award space up to 331 days in advance. All program members have the same award availability. There is no increase in inventory for elite members or co-brand cardholders.
Note that the award space that Alaska agents see may be different than the award space you find through another search engine.
Related: How Far in Advance Can You Book Airline Award Tickets?
Booking fees and other rules
Alaska doesn't charge change or cancellation fees on most award tickets. There are a few other award fees to understand, though:
- Same-day change/cancellation fee: $50 for eligible Main Cabin and first-class tickets. Saver fares are also eligible for same-day confirmed changes for a fee but aren't eligible for same-day standby.
- Partner award fee: $40 ($20 per direction)
- Call center booking fee: $30
The partner award fee applies when booking awards on one of Alaska's global partners. The fee is non-refundable. This is the case even if you later cancel the ticket and redeposit the points. The only way out of this partner booking fee is by holding the Atmos Summit Visa Card, which includes a fee waiver.
The call center booking fee only applies if you book over the phone. Alaska Atmos Gold or higher elites do not pay call center booking fees.
Finally, make sure to cancel an award before departure if your plans change. If you miss your flight without canceling, you'll forfeit the points used to book it.
Some surcharges are passed along
Alaska Airlines does not charge additional fees for awards on its own aircraft, aside from the TSA fee and any other departure fees for Alaska's international destinations. However, some partner awards include fuel surcharges and other fees.
British Airways awards are particularly notorious, with taxes and fees sometimes exceeding $800 on a one-way business-class award. Other partners charge much less, making it worth comparing your options before booking.
Add a stopover to an award
Alaska's routing rules are one of my favorite features of its award program. Why? In one word: stopovers.
Alaska allows one stopover on a one-way international award, meaning you can visit an additional destination without booking a separate award. On partner awards, stopovers generally need to be in the partner airline's hub or another eligible city.
To book an award with a stopover, use Alaska's multi-city search and enter each segment separately.
In some cases, searching for two one-way awards with a stopover individually will return better results (or simply work), rather than searching for a round-trip award with two stopovers.
Related: How To Add a Free Stopover Using Alaska Airlines Points
Best Atmos Rewards sweet spots
We won't be listing every Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards redemption that provides top value, but we'd like to highlight what we think are the best. In general, Alaska has specific partners with great premium cabin award rates. You can also find massive value on business class flights to Europe and on some Japan Airlines flights.
A few of our favorite one-way redemptions include:
- American Airlines business class from Boston (BOS) to London (LHR) for as few as 45,000 Atmos points
- You can also fly British Airways and Aer Lingus for the same price — but mind the fees!
- Finnair business class from New York (JFK) to Tallinn (TLL), with a stopover in Helsinki (HEL) for 55,000 Atmos points
- Condor business class from Minneapolis (MSP) to Split (SPU), with a stopover in Frankfurt (FRA) for 55,000 Atmos points
- Japan Airlines business class from Seattle (SEA) or Vancouver (YVR) to Tokyo (HND/NRT) for 60,000 Atmos points
- Qatar Airways Qsuite from New York (JFK) to Male (MLE) via Doha (DOH) for 85,000 Atmos points
These are just a few of the best uses of Alaska points. Most of these are very competitive with the pricing you can find with other programs.
Related: The Best Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Award Chart Sweet Spots
Other ways to redeem Alaska points
Award flights are generally the best use of Atmos Rewards points, but you have a few other redemption options.
For example, you can redeem points for Atmos Rewards Unlocked experiences, including concert and sporting event tickets, travel packages, and food and wine experiences. Some can provide unique opportunities, although redemption values vary considerably.
Atmos Summit Visa Card cardholders can also transfer Atmos points to several hotel loyalty programs:
- Marriott Bonvoy: 1:1
- Preferred Hotels & Resorts I Prefer: 1:2
- Wyndham Rewards: 1:1
- Shangri-La Circle: 8:1
IHG One Rewards
Not all of these transfers provide great value, but more options are always welcome.
How To Earn Atmos Rewards Elite Status
Atmos Rewards offers a competitive elite status program, with perks ranging from free checked bags and complimentary upgrades to bonus points and other benefits.
Unlike most major U.S. airline programs, Atmos Rewards doesn't require members to meet a specific spending threshold to earn status. That can make it an especially attractive program for frequent Alaska flyers and those based on the West Coast.
Atmos Rewards elite status requirements
Atmos Rewards has four elite status tiers with the following qualification requirements:
| Atmos Rewards Tier | Mileage Plan Tier | Oneworld Status Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Atmos Silver (20K) | MVP | Ruby |
| Atmos Gold (40K) | MVP Gold | Sapphire |
| Atmos Platinum (80K) | MVP Gold 75K | Emerald |
| Atmos Titanium (135K) | MVP Gold 100K | Emerald |
You can earn status points by flying Alaska, Hawaiian, and eligible partner airlines. As discussed above, Atmos Rewards is also rolling out the ability to choose whether you earn based on distance flown, the price of your ticket, or the number of segments you fly. Once that feature launches, earning rates on premium-cabin partner flights booked outside AlaskaAir.com will improve as well.
One important exception: Alaska Saver fares no longer earn Atmos Rewards points or status points, although the miles flown still count toward Million Miler lifetime status.
Earn status points on award travel
A new and positive development is the ability to earn status points on award tickets when redeeming your Atmos points. You'll earn 1 status point for every mile flown. For example, a flight from Seattle to London clocks in at 4,800 miles, meaning that if you redeemed your Atmos points for a flight, no matter the cabin of service, you'll earn 4,800 status points for that redemption.
Earn status points with credit cards
Atmos Rewards credit cards offer another path toward elite status. You'll earn 1 status point for every $3 spent on purchases with the Atmos Ascent Visa Card and Atmos Visa Business Card, while the Atmos Summit Visa Card earns 1 status point for every $2 spent.
There's no annual cap on the number of status points you can earn through credit card spending, meaning it's possible to earn Atmos Rewards elite status without ever stepping on a plane.
Atmos Rewards milestone awards
You don't have to wait until you earn elite status to unlock extra perks. Atmos Rewards offers milestone rewards beginning at 10,000 status points, with additional rewards available as you reach higher thresholds.
Depending on the milestone, you can choose from perks such as bonus Atmos points, upgrade certificates, Alaska Lounge passes, status for yourself or someone else, rollover status points, and discounts on Atmos Rewards Unlocked experiences.
Atmos Rewards Elite Status Benefits
Alaska Airlines' elite status provides its frequent fliers with a vast array of perks. From free checked bags to complimentary upgrades and bonus redeemable points, earning Alaska Airlines elite status can be well worth it.
| Benefit | Atmos Silver (Oneworld Ruby) | Atmos Gold (Oneworld Sapphire) | Atmos Platinum (Oneworld Emerald) | Atmos Titanium (Oneworld Emerald) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus points earning | 25% | 50% | 100% | 150% |
| Premium class upgrades for you and a companion at time of booking if U space is available | Y, B, or H fares | Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S or N fares | All fares except Saver (X) | All fares except Saver (X) |
| First class upgrades for you and a companion if U space is available | Y or B fares | Y, B, H, or K fares | Y, B, H, K, or M fares | Y, B, H, K, or M fares |
| First and business class upgrades on day of travel for you and a companion for all global flights | Yes | |||
| Premium class upgrades on day of travel for you and a companion for all global flights | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preferred seating for you and all companions (except on Saver fares) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Complimentary same-day flight changes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Free drink or chocolate on Alaska Airlines flights over 250 miles | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Free drink on Hawaiian Airlines flights over 250 miles | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Free meal when flying economy | Yes | |||
| Free checked baggage | 1 bag for you and up to 6 companions | 2 bags for you and up to 6 companions | 3 bags for you and up to 6 companions | 3 bags for you and up to 6 companions |
| Preferred boarding | Group B | Group A | Group A | Priority |
| Priority bags | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Priority check-in and security screening | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Access to oneworld business class lounges for you and a guest on international flights (excludes U.S., Canada, and Mexico flights) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Access to oneworld first class lounges for you and a guest on international flights (excludes U.S., Canada, and Mexico flights) | Yes | Yes | ||
| Priority call center routing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Status protect for new parents (to retain Atmos status earned for an extra year while on parental leave) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Access to Icelandair Saga Lounge in Keflavík International Airport (KEF) for you and a guest | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Some of the most valuable benefits are complimentary upgrades, bonus points on eligible flights, and free checked bags. Upper-tier elites also unlock additional perks, including Titanium Global Upgrades.
Titanium Global Upgrades
Atmos Titanium members — plus one companion on the same reservation — are eligible for complimentary Titanium Global Upgrades to international business or first class when space is available.
Unlike Alaska's standard complimentary upgrades, Titanium Global Upgrades don't clear until the day of departure, so they're far from guaranteed. You'll also need to proactively join the upgrade waitlist to take advantage of the benefit.
Lounge access
Atmos Rewards elites have several ways to access Alaska Lounges, depending on their status, itinerary, and milestone benefits. Members can also purchase an Alaska Lounge or Lounge+ membership, with the latter providing access to nearly 90 partner lounges.
Atmos Summit Visa Card cardholders receive eight Alaska Lounge passes each year, issued as two passes per quarter.
Related: How To Save on an Alaska Airlines Lounge Membership
Atmos Rewards lifetime status
Alaska offers a lifetime status program. There are two tiers, with straightforward qualifications:
- Fly 1 million qualifying miles to earn Atmos Gold status for life.
- Fly 2 million qualifying miles to earn Atmos Platinum status for life
Only qualifying miles flown on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines count toward Million Miler status, so earning it requires some serious loyalty.
Alaska Airlines status match
If you're interested in making the switch to Alaska Airlines, you can ease the pain of qualification by requesting an Alaska Airlines status match. Alaska Airlines has a dedicated elite status match page, where you can provide info on your current status level with another program.
Approved members receive matched Atmos Rewards status for 90 days, with the opportunity to extend it by earning a set number of base points on Alaska and Hawaiian flights. Timing matters, too: Complete a status match challenge started between July and December, and you can keep your status through the end of the following calendar year.
Alaska only allows one status match per member, so it's worth being strategic about when you use it.
Bottom Line
Atmos Rewards remains one of our favorite airline loyalty programs, particularly for travelers who can take advantage of Alaska's network and valuable airline partners. Between flexible ways to earn points and elite status, valuable premium-cabin partner awards, and the ability to add stopovers to international awards, there's plenty to like.
The program isn't perfect — especially if Alaska's route network doesn't work for you — but Atmos points remain well worth earning for the right traveler.
Page Contents
- Overview of Alaska Airlines
- How To Earn Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Points
- Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards co-branded credit cards
- Transfer credit card rewards to Atmos Rewards
- Earning points by flying Alaska and its partners
- Earn points with travel partners
- Atmos Rewards shopping portal
- Atmos Rewards Dining
- Buying Atmos Rewards points
- Can you transfer Atmos Rewards points to other people?
- Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Rules
- Redeeming Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Points
- How To Earn Atmos Rewards Elite Status
- Atmos Rewards Elite Status Benefits
- Bottom Line
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Bilt Blue Card (Rates & Fees), Bilt Obsidian Card (Rates & Fees), Bilt Palladium Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
I used Alaska years ago for an Emirates first class LAX to Dubai and onto the Maldives. One of the best redemptions I’ve ever had. 90000 points per person.
But, since then I can never seem to find any business or first class space for any of the destinations we want to go to.
Are all partner awards available on their website or are there some that you have to call in for?
thanks
Alaska has done a pretty solid job recently of adding online bookings for partners. But I’ve found that I’ve had to call for some awards that were showing as available through other Oneworld partners but not on Alaska’s website — even on routes where those awards have shown online.
Good programme because there are a lot f partners and now also belonging to an official airline alliance (OneWorld).
Another advantage is the fact that most of the rewards can be book online.
The fact they joined OneWorld was a net positive especially for folks not on the West Coast as it greatly enhanced the redemption and earning possibilities for what is the single most valuable domestic airline point program. Looking forward to redeeming my AK miles one day for a set in the front of the plane to Asia.
I love AS! I won’t ever get enough to be elite on them but that’s ok. I still enjoy flying with them. I am building points for redemption with them and I cannot wait til I get to fly again and use them. I have a companion ticket I have not been able to use cuz covid hit right when I got their card. ugh!
Good information. I had the Alaska card some years back. Do you know how many years you have to wait to get the sign up bonus again?
There is no time requirement stated in the terms.
Great recap on the program!!
Looks like Cathay 1st is now 70k? Hoping to use my bonus for either that or JAL.
I wish there were more Alaska Airlines flights and routes available. I wonder if they will become an acquisition target for another airline down the road.
Joining OneWorld really unlocks so many more redemption opportunities. The sweetspot of business class with Cathay Pacific with stopover in Hong Kong is truly a good deal.
Something to think about, but somehow I feel that eventually most programs will be watered down and the benefits eroded. However, the airlines will try their best to get us flyers back in the air.
I have earned Alaska miles 4-5 years ago.
If I open the card again will I be able to get welcome bonus miles?
Michael – yes. Bank of America’s website does not list any terms such as “you are not eligible if you previously…” on the Alaska airlines co-brand cards.
Alaska just announced flights from Boise to Idaho Falls, and a couple of others, starting mid 2022.
Is there a way to find the approximate cost of pre-announced flights?
Alaska publishes its distance-based award chart here: https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mileage-plan/use-miles/award-charts
And you can use a resource like Great Circle Mapper to figure out the distance: http://gcmap.com/
So, does Alaska base its prices on distance, or are there other factors?
Hey Jan, great question! Alaska does base award pricing on distance for flights operated by Alaska Airlines. For partners, the pricing is based on a fixed cost from one region to another (i.e. USA to Europe has the same price even when the distance is different). If you check this page https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mileage-plan/use-miles/award-charts and choose US, Alaska, & Canada as origin and destination, you can see how the distance bands work.
Love Alaska but changed flights are getting ridiculous.
This is one program I’m still working to learn. It will much easier for me personally when their award flights are fully synced with AA.
Has anybody experienced CX J redemptions from Europe to Asia susing Alaska miles? In which routes?
Thanks
Alaska’s nearest airports to me are Orlando and Tampa, and almost all of the routes involve a transcon layover for domestic destinations (Orlando-Seattle-Boston, etc.), so saying that it’s less than ideal for Florida fliers is an understatement. I joined Mileage Plan because it’s nice to have options, and since my primary airline is American, it could prove useful in the future with those sweet spots.
Do redeemed and then redeposited miles count as “activity”?
Perhaps, but I’d be very wary of counting on this. It’s going to be best to earn a few miles through a shopping portal or other online activity to make sure that you have activity.
One feature that we use from Alaska Airlines is the $99 companion fare. What I don’t know is how to be sure that the miles for the paid ticket go to the right account. Any way this can be selected?
I haven’t gone through the process myself, but I’d assume that the Alaska cardholder has to book the original cash ticket. So, she or he should be the one that gets the standard-fare ticket and credit.
Are there any expansions to their network on the horizon? Only been able to fly them once, but liked them.
I wonder whether there will be any implications of COVID on AS joining OW …
Any updates on the membership proposal? Still for the 2021 join date?
Excellent information and very specific. Now my family and I are part of Alaska airlines mileage plan and I hope to use it as primordial mileage plan when we flight. Thanks for this brilliant data!
At first, I thought it would be better if Alaska stood on their own, but now I think that it is a better idea that they are joining Oneworld.
Hope Alaska joins OW alliance as soon as possible, maybe we can found interisting award fares on partners.
I am very excited that Alaska is joining in Oneworld next year since I live on the East Coast and there are very few Alaska flight. Oneworld alliance would open up a lot more opportunities for me to fly Alaska.
Alaska Airlines has one of the best loyalty programs of all the airlines. The only problem is that it is hard to earn the miles. Hopefully they will not devalue to the same as American Airlines when they join oneworld.
What I like more on the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is the stopover policy.
The stopover is possible also for a one way award redemption.
It might be a better deal for leisure travel Aussies in Australia to use cash back credit cards and then credit their QF flight mileage to their own Alaska program accounts.
Great detailed overview, so much thanks. Alaska is a good airline, but expiration of miles is a big problem now that most of us are not flying or traveling. A family member has miles expiring soon and all other options cost money.
Yes, at this point at least, the majority of airlines are just extending status, while just a few, like Hawaiian, have extended miles expiration. Hope that changes soon.
I have used Alaska miles for business class flights on JAL with great value. This article will help me make even better use of this program. I agree that it will be interesting to see what changes happen when they join Oneworld.
This is really useful. I signed up me and my family and a few friends when there was a bonus for it, and then likewise for Virgin America which later was absorbed by Alaska. I don’t recall, but I think there was a bonus for combining your own AK and VA accounts, so each of us has about 12,000 miles now. As they get ready to expire, I transfer the miles to a single account so there is enough to book flights. Even though you suggest not paying to transfer miles, it is cheaper than buying miles, and soon I’ll have enough for a flight (assuming airlines are still solvent after the pandemic).
Great guide. Always been a good program, but can’t really fly them much on the east coast and hard to manufacture miles in their program more than others.
It was not a problem when e-miles was around.
my next Emirates flights will be crediting to Alaska
I’m worried about redemption rates and unique partnerships once the OneWorld assimilation is complete.
I am really sad Alaska Airlines is joining One World.
I hope they don’t change their award charts when they join.
The Alaska program seems to be the best source for the premium Cathay awards.
Though it cannot please everybody, the Alaska sure can please its West Coast customers well.
As an east coast person, I’m a little jealous, particularly seeing tons of Hawaii sales from the west coast. 🙁
do you guys think there will be devaluation when AS joins oneworld?
No, I don’t see that a trigger personally. There might be a bit more competition for Alaska award space though, I’d say. Although many of the Oneworld Airlines (Qantas, American) already have the ability to access Alaska award space.
Very well done recap of the Alaska plan. I didn’t know that you could book refundable tickets with award miles. ( Though they are more expensive) I’ll have to check it out once travel is safe to do again.
I’ve been MVPG for 3+ years and looking to see if joining oneworld will dilute the current list of benefits I enjoy.