Alaska Airlines’ and Hawaiian Airlines’ joint loyalty program, Atmos Rewards, launched in August 2025 with flexible ways to earn points and achieve elite status. The new program offers members unique choices for earning points and introduces several under-the-radar perks while still utilizing Alaska’s award chart for redemptions.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore all the ways you can earn Atmos Rewards points, from flying to credit cards to everyday spending opportunities. Note that Hawaiian Airlines will fully integrate with the Atmos Rewards program on October 1, 2025.
Alaska Airlines partners with over 30 airlines, including members of the Oneworld alliance. You can earn Atmos Rewards points with all these partners, though some don’t offer Atmos Rewards award redemptions.
Starting in 2026, Atmos Rewards will introduce a unique feature allowing members to choose their preferred earning method from three options:
For distance- or spending-based earning, you’ll earn points according to the current earning charts, which vary depending on which airline operates the flight and where you book. Premium fare classes earn bonus points on top of the usual 100% base points, while basic economy tickets (fare class X or U) only earn 30% of the base points.
To illustrate how these earning methods compare, consider a one-way nonstop Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to New York (JFK), covering approximately 2,421 miles in economy fare class Y for $200:
You can change your selection once per calendar year. If you don’t actively choose, you’ll default to the spending-based option.
All Atmos Rewards elite members earn bonus points on flights, including on Alaska’s 30-plus partner airlines. The bonus depends on your status tier:
Alaska recently unveiled its overhauled cobranded credit cards, including an all-new premium card. All offer substantial welcome bonuses and ongoing earning opportunities for Atmos Rewards points.
Beyond earning points, these cards provide perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, inflight discounts, and status points toward elite status.
Hawaiian Airlines also offers two credit cards that currently earn HawaiianMiles, which transfer to Atmos Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. Starting October 1, all Hawaiian miles will automatically convert to Atmos Rewards points.
You can transfer points to Atmos Rewards from select partners:
Bilt Rewards points transfer to Atmos Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, though these transfers don’t count toward elite status qualification. Additionally, if you hold the Atmos Rewards Summit or Ascent card, you can earn 3 Atmos Rewards points per dollar spent on eligible rent when paying through Bilt, up to $50,000 per calendar year.
Marriott Bonvoy allows members to transfer points to Alaska Airlines at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred. While this ratio results in some value loss, it can make sense in certain situations.
You can transfer Atmos Rewards points to friends and family members for a fee of $10 per 1,000 points transferred. This might be worthwhile for small transfers to complete a redemption but can be expensive for larger amounts.
The Atmos Rewards Summit card offers a valuable benefit: the ability to transfer points at no cost with up to 10 Atmos Rewards members, making it ideal for families who want to pool their resources.
Alaska’s business rewards program, EasyBiz, allows companies to earn Atmos Rewards points on employee travel in addition to what employees earn on their personal accounts. Businesses earn 1 Atmos Rewards point per dollar spent on base airfare.
According to Alaska, EasyBiz will soon be replaced by Atmos for Business, with bookings expected to open in September 2025. You can already log in with your EasyBiz credentials to explore the new portal.
With Alaska Vacations, the program’s hotel booking site, members can earn 1 point per dollar spent at nearly 1 million properties worldwide. You’ll also earn 1,000 status points for every 3,000 points earned through non-air spending with Alaska Vacations.
You can also earn Atmos Rewards points when booking through Alaska’s hotel partners:
Alaska Car Rentals lets members save up to 35% on base rates and earn bonus points on Avis and Budget car rentals:
Elite members can match their status to Avis Preferred Plus or Avis President’s Club.
You can also earn points through other car rental partners:
Alaska Airlines offers a cruise booking platform where members can earn 1 point per dollar spent on the purchase price (excluding taxes and fees). You’ll also earn 1,000 status points for every 3,000 points earned through Alaska Airlines Cruises.
Alaska’s shopping portal, recently renamed Atmos Rewards Shopping, allows members to earn points at over 1,100 online retailers by clicking through the portal. You can also install the Atmos Rewards Shopping browser extension to get alerts for points-earning opportunities. Additionally, there are in-store offers that you can link to your credit card for earning points during in-person shopping.
When you set up an Atmos Rewards Dining account and add a credit card, you’ll automatically earn points when dining at participating restaurants. The earning rate depends on your membership status:
You may earn additional points by leaving restaurant reviews or participating in promotions. For example, at the time of writing, new members can earn 500 bonus points when they join and spend $30 on dining in the first 30 days.
Atmos Rewards partners with several other companies to award points on everyday purchases and activities:
Many of these partnerships are eligible for status points. You can learn more on Alaska’s “Everyday partners” page.
If you need more points, you can purchase them directly from Alaska at a rate of 3.5 cents each. Considering that Atmos Rewards points are valued at approximately 1.5 cents each, this isn’t generally a good deal.
However, if you only need a small number of points to reach a redemption threshold, purchasing might make sense—especially during promotional periods when Alaska offers discounts on point purchases.
To get the most from the Atmos Rewards program, consider these strategies:
The new Atmos Rewards program offers numerous ways to earn points beyond just flying. With flexible earning options, generous credit card bonuses, and partnerships across travel, shopping, and dining, you can accumulate points for valuable redemptions without being a frequent flyer or big spender.
One of the program’s most innovative features is the upcoming ability to choose how you earn points on flights. By analyzing your travel patterns and selecting the most advantageous earning method, you can maximize your returns and work toward elite status more efficiently.
As Hawaiian Airlines fully integrates into the program on October 1, 2025, members will have even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across an expanded network, making Atmos Rewards an increasingly valuable loyalty program for travelers.
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