Is the Atmos Ascent Card Worth Its Annual Fee?

Alongside the launch of the new Atmos Rewards loyalty program in August 2025, Alaska Airlines released a trio of co-branded credit cards issued by Bank of America. Among them is the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card, which has been rebranded from the old Alaska Mileage Plan card. The new version retains the companion fare that helped popularize the old card, along with flight benefits like free checked bags and priority boarding.

Tailored to Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flyers, the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card is best suited to travelers on the West Coast, though it may appeal to award travelers elsewhere given the broad usefulness of Atmos Rewards points.

The Ascent card is a good fit for Alaska Airlines loyalists

The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card is best suited to travelers who fly semi-regularly with Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines. If you rarely fly with those carriers, you’ll have limited opportunities to use the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card benefits. Like other airline credit cards, the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card card is also less valuable to those who qualify for Atmos Rewards elite status, which renders some card benefits redundant.

If you’re in the sweet spot of flying with Alaska and Hawaiian at least a few times a year but not often enough to earn elite status, then several of the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card benefits can justify the annual fee by themselves. Here are four scenarios where the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card likely to provide value.

You travel with a companion

Each year as an Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card holder that you spend at least $6,000 on net qualifying purchases, you’ll earn an Alaska Airlines companion fare valid on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights within North America, including to and from Hawaii. The companion fare allows you to book a second passenger on saver and main cabin itineraries for $99 plus taxes and fees, regardless of how much the first ticket costs. If you regularly book flights for more than one passenger on Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines, then this benefit alone should provide ample opportunities to recoup the card’s $95 annual fee.

The Alaska companion fare has several features that compare favorably to other airline companion fares. It’s valid on both one-way and round-trip fares, as well as multi-city itineraries, so it can accommodate a wide range of travel plans.

While you can’t use the companion fare on award bookings, both passengers are eligible to earn rewards on their itinerary. One limitation to the companion fare is that you must book with your Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card, which prevents you from using another credit card with superior travel protection benefits. Additionally, the companion fare expires 12 months after it is issued, though you can use it for travel dates beyond the expiration date

» Learn more: Top airline credit cards with companion tickets

You regularly check bags

When you use your Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card to book flights on Alaska and Hawaiian airlines, you’re eligible to check your first standard sized bag at no charge. This benefit extends to up to six additional passengers traveling on the same reservation, increasing the appeal for cardholders who tend to travel with others.

Alaska Airlines normally charges $35 for the first checked bag, while Hawaiian Airlines charges $30 on inter-island flights and $40 on flights between Hawaii and North America. That means this benefit could more than outweigh the card’s annual fee for a solo traveler checking a bag on three one-way flights. On a reservation with seven passengers, getting a free checked bag could save you as much as $245 on a single Alaska Airlines flight or $280 on a single Hawaiian Airlines flight.

One downside of this benefit is that only flights booked with the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card are eligible. Similar to the companion fare, that requirement means you won’t be able to pair free checked bags with superior travel protections available on a different credit card. Additionally, this benefit doesn’t apply if you’re already eligible for a free checked bag, which makes it redundant if you have Atmos Rewards elite status.

» Learn more: Guide to Alaska Airlines baggage and other fees

You make a lot of in-flight purchases

The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card offers a 20% inflight rebate on food, beverage and Wi-Fi purchases made onboard Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights. When you make qualifying purchases, you’ll be charged full price, and then a statement credit for 20% of the purchase amount will be issued to your account within seven days of the transaction posting date. Getting a rebate instead of a discount is advantageous because you’ll earn 3 points per dollar even on the amount that is eventually credited back.

Most eligible items cost between $5 and $15, yielding a rebate of $1 to $3 per item. Those small savings can add up for frequent flyers. If you’d typically spend $475 or more each year on qualifying in-flight purchases, then this benefit alone covers the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card's annual fee.

You’re likely to use other card perks

The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card offers several additional benefits that can provide value in more limited circumstances.

First, cardholders earn 1 status point for every $3 in net qualifying purchases made on the card, up to a total of 30,000 status points for 2025 (limit is uncapped in 2026). You can qualify for elite status more quickly with the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card, which earns 1 status point for every $2 of qualifying purchases and offers 10,000 bonus status points each year on your account anniversary. Nonetheless, status points from the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card may be useful if you need a small boost to earn Atmos Rewards elite status.

Second, cardholders with an eligible Bank of America checking or savings account receive a 10% bonus on rewards earned from card purchases. This effectively raises the card’s earning rates to 3.3 points per dollar on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2.2 points per dollar on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit purchases, and 1.1 points per dollar elsewhere. Other credit cards may provide a better return on everyday spending, but this benefit should make the Ascent card more palatable to Bank of America account holders.

Finally, the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card provides a $100 discount off the cost of an Alaska Lounge+ Membership, which offers access to Alaska Airlines lounges and nearly 90 partner lounges. A Lounge+ membership normally costs $795, so the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card reduces the price to $695 annually. Many credit cards offer airport lounge access, but this benefit may be useful if you would normally pay for a Lounge+ membership.

The Ascent card isn’t a good fit for everyone

If you fly Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines at least a few times a year and you can make good use of the benefits described above, then the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card is likely to serve you well. Otherwise, you may find another credit card better suits your needs. Consider other travel rewards credit cards if you prefer to earn transferable rewards you can redeem with a variety of airline and hotel programs or you want a card that offers complimentary airport lounge access.