Why American Airlines flyers should pay attention to Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards

5 Mins read

Don’t let regionally named airlines fool you. You don’t have to live in the Pacific Northwest (or Hawaii) to find great value in the new joint loyalty program for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, Atmos Rewards.

Take it from me. I live in South Carolina and fly most often out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) or Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP). Because CLT is my nearest major airport, I frequently fly on American Airlines, which operates a large hub there.

Considering where I live and how I fly, beginner award travelers may not understand why Alaska and Hawaiian’s Atmos Rewards program would be so valuable to me.

I’ll let you in on the secret: Atmos Rewards has some of the best award rates on American Airlines flights, thanks to its Oneworld alliance partnership. If you’re a fellow American Airlines traveler who hasn’t dived into Atmos Rewards yet, allow me to share some tips illustrating why you absolutely should.

How I redeem Atmos Rewards points for American flights

While many loyalty programs have switched to dynamic pricing and watched redemption rates soar, Atmos Rewards maintains the popular award chart from the former Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program. Therefore, you can find great value when searching for award redemptions on partner airlines.

Plus, TPG’s September 2025 valuations deem Atmos Rewards points are worth 1.5 cents apiece, which is one of the highest valuations for an airline loyalty program.

As someone who loves to stretch my points for multiple redemptions, I often redeem Atmos Rewards for economy tickets to visit my friends living in New York City and Louisville, Kentucky.

I frequently find award availability to fly American Airlines from CLT to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) or Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) for 4,500 to 6,000 points.

But you aren’t limited to these cities. You can redeem Atmos Rewards points to fly American Airlines across the U.S. and to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. Award rates are based on the distance flown and the cabin you choose. You can check out Atmos Rewards’ award charts here.

Using Seats.aero, I’ve found American Airlines premium economy seats from JFK to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for 35,000 points plus $18.10 in taxes and fees and business-class availability from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) for 45,000 points plus $18.10 in taxes and fees.

These are just a few examples. Pick your destination and run your own search to see how much value Atmos Rewards could unlock.

How to earn Atmos Rewards points

Of course, you can earn Atmos Rewards points by flying on Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines, buying points or making purchases with partners.

I don’t live in an area of the U.S. that either airline frequently flies to, so I earn my Atmos Rewards points with a credit card. In my case, I transfer Bilt Rewards Points earned from my Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees).

Young mixed race couple using on a laptop sitting on a bed in a cabin of a vintage sailing boat — JORDI SALAS/GETTY IMAGES

Atmos Rewards is a 1:1 transfer partner with Bilt Rewards, and Bilt points are the only transferable currency that partners with Atmos Rewards.

You don’t have to have the Bilt Mastercard to earn Bilt points, but I find it easy to earn with the no-annual-fee card. I primarily use my Bilt Mastercard to earn 1 point per dollar spent on rent (up to 100,000 points in a calendar year). Note that you need to use your Bilt Mastercard at least five times each statement period to earn points (see rewards and benefits).

Atmos Rewards also issues three cobranded credit cards that earn Atmos Rewards points. These cards provide perks when flying with Alaska and Hawaiian as well, but this article will focus on earning points within the program.

Card	Welcome offer	Earning rates	Annual fee
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6951?pid=6951&name=Atmos%E2%84%A2%20Rewards%20Ascent%20Visa%20Signature%C2%AE%20Credit%20Card&issuer=Bank%20of%20America” target=”_blank”>Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Credit Card</a></strong>	Earn 80,000 bonus points and a $99 <a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/alaska-visa-companion-fare/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Companion Fare</a> (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 120 days from account opening.	<ul> <li>3 points per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases</li> <li>2 points per dollar spent on cable, eligible gas and electric vehicle charging station, local transit (including ride-hailing services) and streaming service purchases</li> <li>1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases</li> </ul>	$95
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/oc/10987?pid=10987&name=Atmos%E2%84%A2%20Rewards%20Summit%20Visa%20Infinite%C2%AE%20Credit%20Card&issuer=Bank%20of%20America” target=”_blank”>Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card</a></strong>	Earn 100,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening.	<ul> <li>3 points per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, dining and foreign transactions</li> <li>Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases</li> </ul>	$395
<strong><a href=”https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6338?pid=6338&name=Atmos%E2%84%A2%20Rewards%20Visa%20Signature%C2%AE%20Business%20Card&issuer=Bank%20of%20America” target=”_blank”>Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card</a></strong>	Earn 80,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $5,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening.	<ul> <li>3 points per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases</li> <li>2 points per dollar spent on eligible gas and EV charging station, local transit (including ride-hailing services) and shipping purchases</li> <li>1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases</li> </ul>	$70 for the company and $25 per card

You don’t have to have a cobranded credit card to earn Atmos Rewards points, but it can help you collect them faster by adding one to your wallet.

If you want to add to your Atmos Rewards account balance, Hawaiian Airlines also offers two credit cards: the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® and the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®.

Though HawaiianMiles does not officially integrate with the Atmos Rewards program until October, your Hawaiian miles currently transfer to Atmos Rewards at a 1:1 rate; note that all Hawaiian miles will automatically transition to Atmos Rewards points Oct. 1.

The information for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

I’ve only flown on Alaska Airlines twice, but I’ve redeemed points within its Atmos Rewards loyalty program (formerly Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan) many times.

I discovered Atmos Rewards thanks to my Bilt Mastercard. Even if you don’t fly on Alaska or Hawaiian, it could be worth checking out how you can earn Atmos Rewards points to redeem for travel. In my experience, I’ve found Atmos Rewards has some of the best redemption rates for many American Airlines routes.

I’d advise any American Airlines flyer to check out Atmos Rewards and consider picking up a card that earns Atmos Rewards points to unlock the value for themselves.

For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.

For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.