Why the Atmos Rewards Summit was our favorite new personal credit card last year

Last August, after months of anticipation, Alaska Airlines unveiled the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card — and its debut set the credit card world abuzz.

Yes, it had some of the perks you’d expect to find on any premium cobranded airline credit card, such as a free checked bag for you and up to six guests on the same reservation when you pay for your flight with your card, preferred boarding and a degree of lounge access. But it also had a slate of innovative benefits that made it our runaway pick for Best New Personal Credit Card at the 2026 TPG Awards.

As a Portland, Oregon, resident and frequent Alaska Airlines flyer, I was quick to add the card to my own rotation. But you don’t need to live near Alaska’s Pacific Northwest hubs or even regularly fly the airline to reap substantial value. In fact, plenty of my fellow TPG staffers scattered across the country, including several based in New York and Florida — which are almost as far away as you can get in the Lower 48 — applied.

Here’s a look at the features that set this card apart from the competition last year and made adding it to our wallets a no-brainer.

Related: I’ve never flown Alaska Airlines before — here’s why I want its new premium credit card

Earning rates

The Atmos Rewards Summit has some strong earning rates, including a standout multiplier on international purchases that quickly caught the eye of many TPG staffers. Cardholders earn:

• 3 points per dollar spent on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
• 3 points per dollar spent on eligible dining purchases
• 3 points per dollar spent on foreign transactions
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

You’ll also earn a 10% rewards bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America account.

The foreign transaction rate makes the card the best pick for purchases abroad, and if you spend a significant amount of time (or money) outside the country, it’s a reason to apply in its own right. Shortly after taking out the card, I took my family to Portugal and racked up tons of points on purchases that typically only earn 1 point per dollar, including baby supplies, boat tour tickets and souvenir bottles of port.

The 3 points per dollar spent on eligible dining purchases is another nice feature, considering how valuable Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points are — and how difficult they’ve previously been to earn through credit card spending. TPG values them at 1.5 cents per point, per our February 2026 valuations, meaning you’ll get a 4.5% return on each dining dollar spent.

Global Companion Awards

On the benefits side, the card’s Global Companion Awards steal the spotlight. Each anniversary, cardholders receive a 25,000-point award, and they can earn a second award worth 100,000 points after spending $60,000 or more on purchases each anniversary year.

The annual perk discounts the award price for a second person traveling on an itinerary with Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines or a partner airline, and they apply to tickets in any cabin class. For example, if you want to travel one-way from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) in business class with fellow Oneworld alliance member American Airlines, a ticket costs 55,000 Atmos Rewards points. The primary traveler would pay that sum, while the companion’s flight, after applying the 25,000-point award, would cost 30,000 points for a total of 85,000 points (plus taxes and fees) for a one-way flight.

In economy, where a ticket for the primary traveler only costs 27,500 points, the grand total for two tickets would be just 30,000 points (plus taxes and fees).

Related: Alaska Trifecta: Why I signed up for the new premium Atmos Rewards Summit credit card

Elite status boosts

If securing elite status is on your vision board this year, you can’t do better than the Atmos Rewards Summit. The card not only offers 10,000 status points for every card anniversary — a tally that will put you halfway to earning Atmos Rewards Silver status — but it includes a spending-based status fast-track, too.

Cardholders earn an uncapped 1 status point for every $2 spent on the card, marking the fastest path to status available on any airline credit card. By putting $20,000 on the Summit, you’ll lock in Atmos Rewards Silver status (equivalent to Oneworld Ruby status), and by spending $60,000, you’ll earn Atmos Rewards Gold status (equivalent to Oneworld Sapphire status).

Other travel benefits (for a reasonable fee)

Like other premium travel cards, the Atmos Rewards Summit sports a host of additional benefits that help offset its $395 annual fee — which, by today’s standards, is on the lower side for a premium product.

Many of those can help make the travel experience smoother and more comfortable, including:

• Eight Alaska Airlines lounge passes per year (two per calendar quarter)
• A free checked bag for you and up to six guests on the same reservation when you pay for your flight with your card
• Preferred boarding
• Free points sharing
• Waived same-day confirmed fees
• An instant $50 voucher for cancelations or 2+ hour departure delay
• Waived booking fees on partner award redemptions

Those waived partner award booking fees on their own can really add up, with fees starting at $12.50 per person one-way. When booking round-trip partner award flights for a family of three like mine, I’ll save at least $75.

Bottom line

Alaska Airlines shook up the airline card market in the best possible way with the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa. The card’s unique foreign transactions bonus category and its slate of innovative benefits differentiated it from other premium cards and airline cobranded cards on the market — and scored it the Best New Personal Credit Card win at the TPG Awards along the way.

To learn more about the card, read our full review of the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa.

Apply here: Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card