Credit Card News
Alaska Airlines Debuts Premium Card, Rebrands Loyalty Program
As previously teased, Alaska Airlines has introduced a premium rewards credit card while also rebranding its loyalty program.
About the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Card:
Alaska Airlines is rolling out a new co-branded credit card in partnership with issuer Bank of America. The new Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite joins the newly-renamed Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature card (formerly the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card).
With the Summit card, flyers will be able to earn 3x Atmos points on eligible Alaska and Hawaiian purchases. Additionally, the card earns 3x on dining and 3x on foreign transactions (purchases made while abroad). All other purchases earn 1x points. What’s more, those with an eligible Bank of America account can earn a 10% bonus in these categories, equating to 3.3 points per dollar spent in the top categories.
As for the other benefits, Atmos Summit cardholders can enjoy eight Alaska Lounge passes annually (two per calendar quarter). Each of these passes allows admission for one adult and up to two accompanied children for same-day access to all Alaska Lounge locations. Note that these complimentary passes expire at the end of the quarter in which they were issued. Through 2026, Alaska will also be offering premium bar experiences to Summit Card customers, allowing them to enjoy elevated wines, signature cocktails, and more when they show their card at Alaska Lounge locations.
Those with the Atmos Summit card can also spend their way toward status. For every $2 spent on the card, customers will earn 1 status point. Additionally, cardholders will receive 10,000 bonus status points each anniversary year when they renew.
Speaking of account anniversaries, Summit cardholders will receive Glocal Companion Awards each cardholder anniversary. These awards can be used for a companion ticket when booking at least two people on the same itinerary and are valid for Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, OneWorld alliance member flights, or other global partners. These annual Companion Awards are worth up to 25,000 points. Plus, those who spend at least $60,000 on their card during the year will earn a 100,000 Global Companion Award.
Another perk of the card involves travel delays. In what Alaska says is an industry first, cardholders who experience flight delays on the airline exceeding two hours or a cancellation within 24 hours of scheduled departure will automatically receive a $50 voucher. Alaska states that these will be issued if delays happen “for any reason.”
Cardholders can also take advantage of free checked bags for themselves and up to six additional guests on the same reservation. This perk is valid on Alaska and Hawaiian-operated flights. Additionally, the flights must be booked using the Summit card in order to get the free checked bags. Summit cardholders and their party also enjoy priority boarding in Group C.
Lastly, Summit customers can have their same-day confirmed Alaska Airlines flight change fees waived. This amounts to savings of up to $50 per change.
The Atmos Rewards Summit card carries an annual fee of $395.
With the launch of the Summit card, Alaska is also offering a special welcome bonus. Currently, new cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points as well as a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending at least $6,000 on the card within their first 90 days.
About Atmos Rewards:
The debut of the Atmos Rewards Summit card comes with the launch of Atmos Rewards itself. Formerly Alaska Mileage Plan, Atmos is the new loyalty program — which Hawaiian Airlines will also join this fall.
My Thoughts:
There are some really interesting ideas packed into this new Atmos Rewards Summit Card. For one, the Instant Travel Delay Credits are truly interesting — especially if they even apply to weather delays and cancellations. I’m also intrigued by the Global Companion Awards, the foreign purchases 3x category, and the 10% bonus for eligible Bank of America accountholders.
Meanwhile, although access to Alaska Lounges is great, it is kind of a bummer that passes expire each quarter. Personally, I think it’d be fair if they rolled over at least for one quarter, allowing those who might travel more in certain seasons to be accommodated.
At a price point of $395, I do think that regular Alaska/Hawaiian flyers could see great value from this new card. That said, with so many components included in the Summit card, you’ll definitely want to dive into the specifics and calculate how much you can expect to get from the card before applying.
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