TRAVELAlaska Airlines Rewrote Its Entire Loyalty Program and Most Members Missed It4 min read
The Credit Cards Are Worth a Second Look
Alaska unveiled three Atmos-branded credit cards alongside the program launch. The top-tier Summit Visa Infinite carries a $395 annual fee and offers 100,000 bonus points plus a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after $6,500 in spending within the first 90 days. It also comes with a 50% flight discount code just for opening the account. The mid-tier Ascent Visa Signature drops the fee to $95 and the welcome bonus to 80,000 points plus a $99 companion fare after $4,000 in 120 days.
The business card rounds out the trio at $70 annually, with the same 80,000-point welcome offer tied to $5,000 in 90 days. All three cards earn 3 points per dollar on Alaska and Hawaiian purchases, with the Summit adding dining and foreign transactions to that rate. Beyond the points math, each card covers free checked bags, priority boarding, and inflight discounts — benefits that offset the annual fee fast for anyone flying Alaska more than a handful of times a year.
One underrated Summit perk: free point transfers with up to 10 other Atmos members. The program charges $10 per 1,000 points for standard transfers between accounts, which adds up quickly on larger redemptions. Families who pool points regularly should run the numbers — the $395 fee might pay for itself in waived transfer costs alone.
HawaiianMiles, Bilt, and Marriott
The transfer partner ecosystem is largely unchanged from Mileage Plan days. Bilt Rewards members can move points into Atmos at 1:1, though those transferred points don’t count toward elite status. Bilt cardholders with the Summit or Ascent card also unlock a bonus: 3 Atmos points per dollar on rent paid through Bilt’s platform, up to $50,000 per year.
Marriott Bonvoy transfers at 3:1 — three Marriott points buy one Atmos point — with a kicker of 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred. The ratio stings, but transferring Marriott points can still make sense when you need a top-off for a specific redemption and the alternative is paying cash for a flight.