Alaska Air Group, parent company for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, unveiled its new, combined, loyalty program earlier today. While we’ve known this was coming for a while, this is the first look at the new program and I’d say the changes overall are positive. That’s something we don’t see much of from airlines these days.
Atmos Rewards: A Combined Loyalty Program for Alaska and Hawaiian
After the merger between Alaska and Hawaiian late last year, the combined entity that both the Alaska and Hawaiian brands would be retained. With each brand having its own loyalty program, it made sense for them to combine the two instead of consolidating under one of the existing programs. That evolution is now complete with the launch of Atmos Rewards.
According to Alaska Airlines, Atmos Rewards continues the generosity that Mileage Plan has long been known for. It offers new ways to earn points across an extensive worldwide network spanning over 1,000 destinations, connected by the strength of Alaska, Hawaiian and more than 30 global airline partners. The carriers have also assembled a collection of partners to earn points with when not flying.
Andrew Harrison, Chief Commercial Officer at Alaska Airlines, said this about the new program:
“Atmos Rewards is more than a loyalty program – it’s a reflection of how guests travel today. We listened to what our members value most and built a program that’s grounded in generosity, personalization and practicality. We’re putting our members in the pilot’s seat, giving them control over how they earn and redeem, while honoring the legacy and values of both Alaska and Hawaiian.”
Ben Minicucci, the Chief Executive Officer of Alaska Airlines, released a video announcing the launch of the program:
All Alaska MileagePlan members have been automatically converted to Atmos Rewards and HawaiianMiles members will be converted as of October 1, 2025.
What to Expect With Atmos Rewards
While Alaska Airlines notes that there will be additional benefits coming to the program in 2026, here is what you can expect now.
Atmos Rewards Offers Passengers Three Ways to Earn
One of the most impressive things about the new Atmos Rewards program is the fact that passengers can choose how they earn status. Years ago, status used to be earned based on miles and segments flown. Recently, we’ve seen airlines move towards revenue based status which included spend on co-branded credit cars. This means passengers could earn top tier status without ever stepping on a plane.
With this program, that’s changing. Beginning next year, passengers can earn points based on one of the following options:
- Distance traveled: Earn based on how far you go with one point for every mile flown.
- Price paid: Earn five points for every $1 spent when purchasing a flight. This includes airfare and upgrades purchased in premium cabins.
- Segments flown: Earn a flat 500 points for each flight segment flown.
Insane mileage runs on dirt cheap fares from New York to Anchorage are back baby!
Status Tiers and Perks
With the introduction of Atmos Rewards, Alaska Mileage Plan’s premium tiers have been renamed. Unlike Mileage Plan, the new tiers are more traditional and straightforward:
- Atmos Silver: Replaces MVP Status (OneWorld Ruby)
- Atmos Gold: Replaces MVP Gold Status (OneWorld Sapphire)
- Atmos Platinum: Replaces MVP Gold 75K Status (OneWorld Emerald)
- Atmos Titanium: Replaces MVP Gold 100K Status (OneWorld Emerald)
Begining in 2026, for 2027 status qualification, the earnings criteria will shift slightly, but only for the top two tiers. To qualify for status, passengers must earn:
- Atmos Silver: 20,000 points (No Change)
- Atmos Gold: 40,000 points (No Change)
- Atmos Platinum: 80,000 points (Up From 75,000)
- Atmos Titanium: 135,000 points (Up From 100,000)
While the Titanium level seems like quite the jump, there are additional perks that come with that status that didn’t exist under the old system. The new perks by tier are as follows:
You can find the full list of benefits here.
As part of the changes at the Titanium level, passengers will be eligible for same day Business Class upgrades on a space available basis anywhere in the Alaska and Hawaiian networks beginning in 2026. No special certificates or points are required here, making this a huge perk. Upgrades for flights within North America will continue to clear earlier, depending on your status tier.
Also in 2026, Atmos Rewards members will be eligible for upgrades on flights operated by Alaska and Hawaiian, regardless of which carrier you’ve booked through. While this seems like a no brainer, the two airlines are still working to integrate systems on the back end to make this possible.
Brett Catlin, Vice President of Loyalty, Alliances and Sales Alaska Airlines, said this about the upgrades to the loyalty program:
“Atmos Rewards is designed to set a new standard for airline loyalty – more generous, more flexible and easier to use, whether members are flying across the globe or just across the Islands. With the combination of Alaska and Hawaiian, we seized a rare opportunity to imagine how we could make the most generous loyalty program even better. With industry-first features like customizable ways to earn and unique benefits tailored to how people travel, we’re giving our guests more control, more value and more reasons to engage.”
Upgraded Co-Branded Credit Cards
Atmos Rewards will have three co-branded credit cards, up from two under Mileage Plan, that will make it easier to earn points through credit card spend. Card and annual fee overviews are below and the full list of perks can be found here:
- Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card ($95 Annual Fee): An annual $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after qualifying purchases, a free checked bag and preferred boarding for up to six guests on the same reservation when you pay with your card. Earn 1 status point per $3 spent.
- Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Card ($395 Annual Fee): Includes an annual 25,000-point Global Companion Award, a 100,000-point Global Companion Award after qualifying purchases, eight Alaska Lounge passes annually, and the fastest path to status with 1 status point for every $2 spent on purchases.
- Atmos Rewards Visa Business Card ($70 for Business, $25 Per Card): An annual $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after qualifying purchases, preferred boarding on Alaska Airlines flights and a free checked bag for you and up to six guests on the same reservation when you pay with your card. Earn 1 status point per $3 spent.
My Thoughts
Overall, I find the changes to the new, combined, loyalty program for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines to be positive. Typically we see carriers devalue perks when making changes and, with the exception of a slight change in qualification levels, the updates are positive overall.
One thing that may take some time to get operational is the integration of the combined carrier’s systems. With the passenger facing unified program being fully rolled out in October, but many of the changes coming in 2026, there may be some pain points.
For instance, a friend of mine was flying from Anchorage to Hilo today, via Seattle and Honolulu, and called into the Alaska Mileage Plan number to make a change to his reservation. This was prior to the official Atmos announcement but he was welcomed as an Atmos Gold during the automated portion of the call.
On his return, he is flying from Hilo to Honolulu on Hawaiian and Honolulu to Anchorage on Alaska. Since the initial flight on that trip is on Hawaiian, he is restricted to their baggage rules and would need to pay for checked bags, as he has no status.
The workaround would be to status match his HawaiianMiles account to his Alaska Mileage Plan account, giving him free bags. He asked the customer service rep if it was till necessary given the fact Atmos is a combined account. She stated yes as things haven’t been connected on the back end.
While this will likely be a fairly unique situation, it goes to show the complexities that accompany a rollout like this.
Summary
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have officially unveiled their new loyalty program, Atmos Rewards. Overall, I’d say the changes are overwhelmingly positive with additional perks for travelers and more ways to earn points. Additional upgrades to Atmos Rewards status is coming in 2026, though there may be a few growing pains as the two airlines work to integrate their loyalty systems.
Currently, Atmos Rewards is definitely the most appealing loyalty program of the major U.S. carriers but, being based in the middle of the country, I’ll have to decide if status with them is worth pursuing.
(Images courtesy Alaska Airlines)