Atmos Rewards Takes Flight: Alaska Airlines Announces New Loyalty Program
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Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have a new, combined loyalty program. Atmos Rewards offers travelers the option to choose how they earn points when they fly—which the airline calls a first of its kind.
Together with a revamp of the mileage credit card, a new premium credit card option, and an update of the old EasyBiz program, Atmos Rewards will provide even more ways for business and casual travelers to earn and redeem points.
New Name, Continued and Enhanced Benefits
“Mileage Plan has been around for years and years, and the core set of generous benefits that members have known and loved will continue to be there,” says Alison Carpentier, Alaska Airlines Director of Loyalty.
Atmos Rewards builds on Alaska Airlines’ award-winning member program with more ways to earn and redeem points for travel, most notably through an ability for travelers to tailor the program to their travel style, beginning in 2026. Members can decide whether to earn points and status points based on the distance they travel, the price they pay, or the segments they fly. This preference can be changed annually, Carpentier says.
“If you know you’re taking some big international trips and would maximize your benefit with a different earning option that year, you can go in and make that change at that point,” she explains. “For business travelers, in particular, that choice is going to be really impactful.”
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Individuals whose work requires travel throughout the state or to the Lower 48 will likely reap the most rewards by selecting the revenue-based model, earning five points for every dollar spent, including upgrades purchased in premium cabins.
Additional features of Atmos Rewards include the opportunity to earn points with a growing roster of partners; new perks for travelers who reach milestones, starting at 10,000 points; and, for Atmos Titanium members and a travel companion, complimentary day-of-departure upgrades into global Business Class beginning next year.
EasierBiz
Atmos for Business also soft-launches this week, replacing Alaska Airlines’ twenty-year-old program for corporate travelers, EasyBiz. From now until September 15, Atmos Business administrators will have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the features of the new program, before it launches fully.
“EasyBiz was an online booking tool we created to empower our corporate partners,” says Scott Habberstad, managing director of the Alaska market for Alaska Airlines. “It opened up a new world for customers… Flash forward twenty years, it’s unstable because it’s built on old technology. Atmos for Business will evolve over time, but right out of the gate, travelers will be able to achieve status a lot quicker through this program.”
Travelers using Atmos for Business will earn a point for every base fare dollar spent and will enjoy a 10 percent bonus on elite-qualifying miles (now called status points).
Shortly after the launch of Atmos for Business, corporate flyers will also have access to Duty of Care, a feature that will allow travel planners to see where their travelers are at any point in time. In the event of an emergency or national disruption in air travel, Duty of Care will ensure that employers can locate business travelers quickly.
Habberstad emphasizes that, combined with Alaska Airlines’ low redemption rates, the ability for businesses to book travel directly through Atmos for Business is an advantage that cuts costs for local businesses and stimulates travel.
A New Premium Credit Card, Starlink WiFi, and More
In addition to the new loyalty program, Alaska Air Group announced a new premium credit card, the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa. While the popular Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card will be rebranded and offer the same rewards it always has, the Summit Visa has additional benefits that will appeal to international travelers.
Most notably, the Summit Visa features the Global Companion Award, a variation on the companion fare offered by the current Signature card; the new award covers a companion ticket when travel for two people is booked. Cardholders can earn up to two Global Companion awards per year.
“This card opens up a ton of new benefits, with accelerators on foreign purchases and additional ways to earn,” Carpentier says.
In 2026, Alaska Airlines will install Starlink inflight connectivity across its entire fleet, providing business and casual travelers with ultra-fast streaming WiFi, free to all Atmos members.
Also in 2026, Atmos Communities will join Club 49 and Hawaiian’s Huaka’i program, providing added rewards for travelers. Members will also be able to join Atmos Communities that offer benefits tailored to their interests, like travel with families, wellness, and more.
“Club 49 members saved over $25 million last year in benefits, so that’s a reinvestment in the state,” Habberstad says.
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