Alaska Airlines ushered in a new loyalty program Wednesday with the launch of Atmos Rewards, the combined loyalty program born out of the Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines merger. But the biggest headline for many travelers might be the credit card launching alongside it.
The new Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card – Alaska’s most premium card yet – doesn’t just come with a massive welcome bonus offer. It also unlocks a unique Global Companion Award, automatic flight delay credits, and a faster path to status benefits that no other U.S. airline card currently offers.
About that big bonus: For a limited time, new cardholders can earn 100,000 Atmos Rewards points and a new 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6,000 in the first 90 days. But if you joined the waitlist for the card back in December when it was first teased, Alaska sweetened the pot: So long as you submit your application within the next 14 days, you'll receive an extra 5,500 points, for a total of 105,500 points after meeting the same spending requirement.
Yes, the card has a $395 annual fee, but that's reasonable compared to the likes of other banks' and airlines' top-tier cards … and its perks go beyond any other on the market.
“This co-branded card unlocks exclusive benefits and rewards for cardholders and allows travelers to earn more points while stretching their spending further,” said Lora Monfared, head of consumer card products at Bank of America.
Keep reading for the full details.
All information about the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been verified by the issuer.
Learn More about the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
What Makes This New Card Stand Out
Global Companion Awards
Alongside that eye-popping 100,000-point bonus, the Global Companion Award is the card’s biggest differentiator.
Each year upon renewal, cardholders get a 25,000-point companion certificate, reducing the cost of a companion’s ticket by 25,000 points when booking award travel for two people on the same itinerary. Most importantly, it works for redemptions across Alaska, Hawaiian, OneWorld, and other global partners — and in any cabin, including business and first.
Big spenders unlock even more value. Put $60,000 a year on the card and you’ll get a 100,000-point Global Companion Award. That’s enough to nearly cover an entire companion’s long-haul business class ticket. For example, two roundtrip business class tickets to Tokyo might cost 120,000 points apiece. With that Global Companion Award, you’d redeem 120,000 points for your ticket … and only 20,000 points for your companion’s.
No other U.S. airline card offers anything like this.
Read more: 6 Sweet Spots to Book with Alaska Miles
Alaska Lounge Passes
Cardholders get eight Alaska Lounge passes per year which Alaska says have a value of over $500. Each pass covers a full travel day – allowing you to access multiple lounges in Alaska's network if you've got connections.
These passes also allow entry for up to two accompanying children. Existing Alaska Lounge members can even gift them to friends and family. Through 2026, Summit cardholders also get a premium bar experience inside the lounges, with exclusive cocktails and wines.
Elite Status Boost
The Summit card is the fastest airline card on the market for earning status. You’ll earn one status point for every $2 spent with no cap, plus 10,000 bonus status points every year after your first anniversary.
With Atmos Silver status requiring just 20,000 points, spending just $20,000 in a calendar year can get you there starting in your second year. At 40,000 points, cardholders earn Atmos Gold … as well as broader Oneworld Sapphire status.
Bonus Spending Categories
Summit Rewards cardholders can earn 3x points per dollar spent on dining, foreign purchases, and Alaska & Hawaiian Airlines purchases. Plus, Eligible Bank of America account holders get an additional 10% rewards boost, turning that into 3.3x points per dollar spent.
With the ability to earn 3x points per dollar spent on all international purchases, this card is hard to beat overseas. Since it’s a Visa Infinite, you can count on wide acceptance and waived foreign transaction fees as well.
All other purchases will earn 1x Atmos point per dollar spent.
Waived Partner Award Booking Fees
When booking award tickets on other carriers using your Atmos points, cardholders will have the $25 roundtrip partner award booking fee waived. You'll still pay mandatory government taxes and fees on award tickets, but these savings could add up quick if you're booking partner airlines regularly with your points.
Instant Travel Delay Credit
If your Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines-operated flight is delayed by more than two hours or canceled within 24 hours, you’ll automatically receive a $50 travel voucher, which will be linked to the cardholder's Summit card and valid for 48 hours. No claims are required.
This is a pretty novel benefit, and another industry first.
Free Bags & Preferred Boarding
The card also includes a free checked bag for the cardholder plus six companions on Alaska or Hawaiian flights, plus preferred boarding on Alaska. Considering that checked bags on Alaska cost $35 each way, that savings can add up quickly.
Waived Same-Day Change Fees
Need to change your flight on the day of departure? Summit cardholders won’t pay Alaska’s standard $50 same-day confirmed change fee, making last-minute itinerary changes easier and cheaper.
Hotel Transfer Partners
Unlike most other airline programs, Summit cardholders can also transfer their points to several hotel loyalty programs. At launch, Atmos Rewards points can be transferred to the following hotel programs:
- Marriott Bonvoy (on a 1:1 basis)
- Preferred Hotels (1:2)
- Wyndham Rewards® (1:1)
- Shangri-La Circle (8:1)
- IHG One Rewards (1:1, though only through early November initially – Alaska says it will return periodically but won't be a permanent option)
While we wouldn't rush out to transfer Atmos points to any of these hotel programs, it's another novel way to use those points. Alaska says more hotel partners are on the way, but a spokesperson didn't provide a timeline or other potential hotel partners.
Free Points Sharing
Cardholders will have the ability to create a points-sharing pool with up to 10 other Atmos Rewards members – family, friends, or even other fellow cardholders.
Unlike most programs, transfers are free and unlimited. That’s a rare feature in the airline world – where many airlines charge hundreds of dollars to transfer a meaningful amount of miles – and a nice holdover from the old Hawaiian Airlines program. It’s nice to see Alaska keeping this flexibility alive through official channels.
Who's Eligible to Earn to Open the Atmos Rewards Summit Card?
As far as we know, if you already have the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card or the business version, there are no restrictions in place that would prevent you from getting the new Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card.
That said, there are a few Bank of American specific card eligibility rules you'll want to be aware of before you apply.
The Bank of America 2/3/4 Rule
The Bank of America 2/3/4 rule states that you can only be approved for two Bank of America credit cards in a rolling two-month period. You can be approved for three Bank of America cards in a rolling 12-month period, and four cards in a rolling 24-month period.
This rule is specific to Bank of America credit cards (both business and personal), and applications from other banks will not be factored into this rule.
The Bank of America 3/12 & 7/12 Rule
Similar to Chase's 5/24 rule, Bank of America has something called the 3/12 & 7/12 rule. It works like this:
- If you have a bank account with Bank of America and have opened seven new cards (from any bank) in the past 12 months, your application for a new Bank of America card will not be approved.
- If you don't have a bank account with Bank of America and have opened three new cards (from any bank) in the past 12 months, your application for a Bank of America card will not be approved.
That said, these rules aren't firm. There are plenty of reports of non-Bank of America members getting approved for one of its credit cards despite having opened far more than three credit cards in the last 12 months.
The Bank of America 24-Month Rule
Like both Chase and Citi, Bank of America allows you to earn the welcome offer bonus on the same card multiple times. They will, however, restrict how often you can earn it.
You are not eligible to open a Bank of America Card and earn a welcome bonus if you've earned the bonus on that card in the past 24 months. You also can't have the card currently open if you want to get approved.
Read More: Master Guide to Credit Card Applications: All the Rules You Need to Know, Bank by Bank
With the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite®, Alaska Airlines is clearly trying to carve out space alongside the big three legacy carriers’ premium cards – like the *delta reserve card*, *united club infinite*, and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (this is not an affiliate link).
At $395 a year, the Summit card majorly undercuts all three in annual fees while still offering premium perks: annual lounge access, status boosts, and unique companion benefits.
The 100,000 point welcome bonus is a real headline grabber. Plus, travelers who joined the waitlist last year and apply in the next 14 days get a bump up to north of 105,000 points total – not massive, but a nice nod for early adopters.
But the real innovation here is the creative new Global Companion Awards. Used strategically, they could unlock thousands of dollars in value and something none of the other major U.S. airline premium cards currently offer.
Not to mention, Alaska (or Atmos?) points remain incredibly valuable and are some of the best in the points and miles world, thanks to unique sweet spots with partners like Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Aer Lingus and other OneWorld airline alliance partners. We’ve highlighted many of the best uses in our guide to unique ways to redeem Alaska miles.
Finally, while the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® will get all the attention, Alaska is also rebranding its other cards as a part of this refresh. Alaska's mass market $99 annual fee card, along with the business version, are getting new names and a fresh welcome offer bonus to boot.
Bottom line
This isn’t a replacement for flexible travel cards like the Sapphire Reserve or Amex Platinum. It’s Alaska Airlines stepping up with a premium co-branded card that finally puts them on more even footing with Delta, United, and American, and in many ways, leapfrogs them.
This could be a no-brainer for frequent Alaska flyers and those looking to earn a boatload of Alaska miles.
Learn More about the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
Heads-up: there’s conflicting information about whether a primary cardholder needs to travel in order to use the award – https://www.reddit.com/r/CreditCards/comments/1mvkzsz/atmos_summit_incorrect_info_for_the_new_global/
Approved for the Summit card this morning. I also have the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, so confirmed it doesn’t prevent you from getting the Summit.