- \n
- Earning choices open October 1, 2026, for flights departing January 1, 2027, onward.<\/li>\n
- Four new Atmos Communities launch October 1, 2026.<\/li>\n
- Premium Class upgrade benefits expand for Platinum and Titanium members November 2, 2026.<\/li>\n
- The business credit card will get new benefits in late 2026.<\/li>\n
- A debit card and Bank of America points transfers are planned for 2027.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Let\u2019s break these Atmos Rewards changes down and go into a few more details beyond the bullet points.<\/p>\n
Choose How You Earn Atmos Rewards Points and Status<\/span><\/h2>\n
At the launch of Atmos Rewards<\/a>, Alaska announced that members would be able to choose how they earn points. Finally, Alaska has set a date for members to make their selections.<\/p>\n
Starting October 1, 2026<\/strong>, members can choose how they earn both redeemable points and status points on eligible flights departing on or after January 1, 2027<\/strong>. The three options are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Distance traveled:<\/strong> Earn 1 point per mile flown.<\/li>\n
- Price paid:<\/strong> Earn 5 points per $1 in eligible flight spending.<\/li>\n
- Segments flown:<\/strong> Earn 500 points per flight segment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The best option will depend on your travel habits. Distance-based earning could favor travelers booking inexpensive long-haul flights, while price-based earning could reward those paying more for their tickets. Segment-based earning could make sense for frequent short flights. Atmos will also recommend an option based on your travel profile.<\/p>\n
Existing members who do not make a selection will continue earning based on distance traveled.<\/strong> However, Atmos Rewards members who join on or after January 1, 2027 will default to price-based earning. Members can change their earning choice once per calendar year<\/em>, with changes applying to future travel.<\/p>\n
Atmos Rewards Debit Card Launching in 2027<\/span><\/h2>\n
Alaska plans to launch an Atmos Rewards debit card in early 2027<\/strong>, with pre-registration now open. Interestingly, the product is being developed with fintech company Alviere — rather than Bank of America, which issues the program\u2019s credit cards.<\/p>\n
Debit card spending will earn redeemable points at the following rates:<\/p>\n
- \n
- 1 point per $1 spent<\/strong> on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, dining, and rideshare services.<\/li>\n
- 0.5 points per $1 spent<\/strong> on most other purchases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The account will earn points for maintaining a balance — with those earning rates expected to be announced later this year.<\/p>\n
Debit cardholders will also earn status points through spending, receive a $50 annual discount code, and pay no foreign transaction fees. The monthly fee will be $6.99, with a waiver for qualifying balances above $2,000.<\/p>\n
Although its spending rewards are less generous than those of Atmos credit cards, the debit card offers another earning option for travelers who prefer debit or aren\u2019t ready to apply for a credit card. Alaska shared that debit cards appeal particularly to younger travelers and those new to the U.S. \u2014 and more than half of its new status members are Gen Z.<\/p>\n
The debit card designs feature striking motifs evocative of the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and the airline\u2019s aircraft:<\/p>\n
![\"Atmos](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\")
Credit: Alaska Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Atmos Business Credit Card Getting New Benefits<\/span><\/h2>\n
The Bank of America-issued Atmos\u2122 Rewards Visa Signature\u00ae<\/sup> Business Card<\/a> will get a revamp in late 2026<\/strong>. Planned benefits include:<\/p>\n
- \n
- 10X points on eligible purchases through Atmos Rewards for Business<\/li>\n
- Lounge passes<\/li>\n
- Free same-day confirmed flight changes<\/li>\n
- Instant delay credit for qualifying flight delays<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Alaska expects to share complete details later this fall, including the lounge-pass allotment and terms of the new benefits.<\/p>\n
Bank of America Points Transfers Planned for 2027<\/span><\/h2>\n
Starting in 2027, Bank of America and Atmos Rewards will deepen their relationship by allowing customers with eligible Bank of America cards to transfer points into Atmos Rewards.<\/p>\n
This could give travelers another way to build an Atmos balance without regularly flying Alaska or Hawaiian. Atmos points can be redeemed for flights on both airlines and their international partners, making the program useful beyond its West Coast and Hawaii hubs.<\/p>\n
However, the announcement does not identify the eligible Bank of America cards, transfer ratios, or a specific launch date. So, stay tuned.<\/p>\n
Four New Atmos Communities Launching October 1<\/span><\/h2>\n
Starting October 1, 2026<\/strong>, Atmos Rewards Communities<\/a> will expand from two groups to six.<\/p>\n
Joining the existing Club 49<\/em> and Huaka\u02bbi by Hawaiian<\/em> communities will be:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Active Escapes<\/li>\n
- Culinary Journeys<\/li>\n
- Families on the Go<\/li>\n
- Global Locals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These communities will offer benefits and targeted promotions based on members\u2019 travel habits, interests, and where they live. Benefits will vary by community and may include free checked bags, bonus-point challenges, discounts on Atmos Rewards Unlocked experiences, award-flight discounts for children, and bonus status points for international travel.<\/p>\n
Club 49 and Huaka\u02bbi by Hawaiian will also receive expanded resident benefits.<\/p>\n
Make sure to check each community\u2019s eligibility requirements and benefits to see which fits your travel plans.<\/p>\n
Credit: Alaska Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Expanded Premium Class Upgrades for Elite Members<\/span><\/h2>\n
Atmos Rewards Titanium elites have long enjoyed the most generous upgrade policies in the program. Now, these upgrades are getting even better.<\/p>\n
Beginning November 2, 2026<\/strong>, Atmos Rewards Platinum and Titanium members will be eligible to receive complimentary space-available upgrades into Premium Class for themselves, a companion, and eligible children.<\/p>\n
What isn\u2019t clear yet is how Alaska\u2019s upgrade program will work on aircraft with four cabins. We\u2019ll be curious to see if upgrade certificates will be limited to a one-cabin bump or if certain elite members will be able to jump from Main Cabin to First Class, for example.<\/p>\n
Improved Points Activity Tracking<\/span><\/h2>\n
Alaska plans to introduce a redesigned Atmos Rewards activity page later this year, making it easier to see how you earn points, track progress toward status, and manage benefits.<\/p>\n
This is good news for those of you who meticulously track your points activity and progress toward elite status \u2014 especially if you\u2019ve struggled to get enough detail from the Atmos Rewards website.<\/p>\n
With more earning options coming to the program, clearer tracking should help members confirm that their points post correctly and monitor their progress.<\/p>\n
Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n
Atmos Rewards is adding more ways to earn points and tailoring benefits to a wider range of travelers. The earning choices and expanded family upgrade benefits have firm rollout dates, while the debit card, business card refresh, and Bank of America transfers still need more details.<\/p>\n
If you're an Atmos Rewards member, compare the three earning options before your 2027 travel begins. You can keep distance-based earning without making a selection, but choosing another model could help you earn more points and qualify for status faster, depending on how you fly.<\/p>\n
Page Contents<\/p>
- Choose How You Earn Atmos Rewards Points and Status<\/a><\/li>
- Atmos Rewards Debit Card Launching in 2027<\/a><\/li>
- Atmos Business Credit Card Getting New Benefits<\/a><\/li>
- Bank of America Points Transfers Planned for 2027<\/a><\/li>
- Four New Atmos Communities Launching October 1<\/a><\/li>
- Expanded Premium Class Upgrades for Elite Members<\/a><\/li>
- Improved Points Activity Tracking<\/a><\/li>
- Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Alaska Airlines unveiled several exciting announcements at its Investor and Media Day event today in Seattle. And AwardWallet was there to get the full scoop. Here’s a few of those announcements related to the Atmos Rewards loyalty program, credit cards, and many other details you should know to stay up to date on this exciting rewards program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":234217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"","timeOption":"","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":""},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12069],"tags":[12770,12036],"coauthors":[36499],"class_list":["post-279682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-alaska-mileage-plan","tag-major-updates"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279682"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":279733,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279682\/revisions\/279733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279682"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=279682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Atmos Rewards Debit Card Launching in 2027<\/a><\/li>
- Choose How You Earn Atmos Rewards Points and Status<\/a><\/li>
- 0.5 points per $1 spent<\/strong> on most other purchases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Price paid:<\/strong> Earn 5 points per $1 in eligible flight spending.<\/li>\n
- Distance traveled:<\/strong> Earn 1 point per mile flown.<\/li>\n
![\"Atmos](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AtmosDebitCard_LineUp-750x424.webp\")
![\"Atmos](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AtmosCommunities-ChooseHero-750x422.webp\")