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Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan was long regarded as one of the most generous frequent flyer programs in the U.S. In 2025, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines combined their loyalty programs into a new platform: Atmos Rewards.
Atmos Rewards carries forward Mileage Plan’s best features — generous earning, valuable redemptions and strong global partnerships — while adding new ways to earn, more partners, and even free Wi-Fi as a member benefit.
Here’s a look at nine ways you can earn Atmos Rewards points today.
1. Fly with Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines
Flying Alaska or Hawaiian is still the most straightforward way to earn points. Members can earn based on distance flown, fare paid or segments flown — a first in the airline industry. Beginning in late 2026, you’ll be able to choose your preferred earning method once per year:
- Distance traveled: 1 point per mile flown (best for long-haul flyers).
- Price paid: 5 points per $1 spent on airfare and upgrades (best for premium cabin buyers).
- Segments flown: 500 points per segment (best for frequent short-haul flyers, like Neighbor Island or intra-California trips).
Award travel booked with points also earns status points, keeping Atmos among the most generous programs in the industry.
» Learn more: Your guide to the Alaska Airlines award chart
2. Fly with Oneworld alliance partners and other partner airlines
Atmos Rewards members can earn points when flying on more than 30 airline partners, including all oneworld alliance carriers. This opens up over 1,000 destinations worldwide.
Examples of partners include American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Japan Airlines, Fiji Airways, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Though, points earnings vary by class and airline. Here's a breakdown:
| Partner | Miles earned in lowest fare class | Partnership |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | 25%. | Non-alliance. |
| Air Tahiti Nui | 25%. | Non-alliance. |
| American Airlines | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| British Airways | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| Cape Air | 100%. | Non-alliance, earn partner only. |
| Cathay Pacific | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| Condor | 50%. | Non-alliance. |
| El Al Israel Airlines | 25%. | Non-alliance. |
| Fiji Airways | 50%. | Oneworld. |
| Finnair | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| Hainan | 30%. | Non-alliance. |
| Iberia | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| Icelandair | 25%. | Non-alliance. |
| Japan Airlines | 30%. | Oneworld. |
| Kenmore Air | 100%. | Non-alliance, earn partner only. |
| Korean Air | 25%. | Non-alliance. |
| LATAM Airlines | 25%. | Non-alliance. |
| Malaysia Airlines | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| Mokulele Airlines | 100%. | Non-alliance, earn partner only. |
| Qantas | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| Qatar Airways | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| Ravn Alaska | 100%. | Non-alliance. |
| Royal Air Maroc | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| Royal Jordanian | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| Singapore Airlines | 50%. | Non-alliance. |
| Southern Airways Express. | 100%. | Non-alliance, earn partner only. |
| SriLankan Airlines | 25%. | Oneworld. |
| STARLUX Airlines | 100%. | Non-alliance. |
Generally speaking though:
- Deeply discounted economy fares may earn fewer points (sometimes as low as 25% of distance).
- Premium cabin fares often earn double points or more.
Always include your Atmos Rewards number at booking so your points post automatically.
Check the Atmos Rewards partner page for a full breakdown.
3. Use an Atmos credit card
Alaska has a couple options for credit cards. One has a manageable annual fee of $95 (that's the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card), while the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card sits in premium card territory with its $395 annual fee. Both earn bonus points for spending on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
Annual Fee
- $395
- $95
Welcome offer
Earn 80,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award with this offer. To qualify, spend $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Get 70,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, spend $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Rewards
- 3 points per $1 spent on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases.
- 3 points per $1 spent on foreign purchases, including purchases made in a foreign currency.
- 3 points per $1 spent on dining, which includes restaurants, bars, fast food and catering.
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- 3 points per $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases.
- 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging, cable, streaming services and local transit, which includes ridesharing, trains, tolls and ferries.
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Benefits
Global Companion Award: Each year, cardholders receive one Global Companion Award of 25,000 points or less. Cardholders can get another Global Companion Award of 100,000 points or less by spending $60,000 in an anniversary year. This award is applied as a discount on the points price of a flight and may be redeemed for any service class on any flight in Alaska's full network, including eligible international partners. Terms apply.
Companion Fare: Get a Companion Fare (good for Alaska economy flights) from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Terms apply.
4. Use Marriott credit cards and transfer Marriott Bonvoy® points to Alaska
File this under the “only when desperate” category of rewards transfers. Marriott lets you transfer Bonvoy rewards points to Atmos at a 3:1 ratio, meaning 3 Bonvoy points become 1 Alaska point. We value Bonvoy points at 0.8 cent and Atmos points at 1.2 cents, so mathematically, this is not a good use of Marriott points.
That said, if you’re trying to clear out a few remaining Bonvoy points, or are reaching for a specific Alaska redemption and need just a few more miles, keep this transfer partnership in mind.
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Credit cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy® points
Marriott has three personal cards and one business credit card:
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (annual fee: $650, see rates and fees ): Earn 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026. Terms Apply.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (annual fee: $95): Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening, and an additional 1 Free Night Award after spending $4,000 total on eligible purchases within 4 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. Redeem your Free Night Awards for a one-night stay at properties with a redemption level up to 50,000 points per night, a total value of 200,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (annual fee: $0): Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (annual fee: $125, see rates and fees): Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you spend $6,000 in purchases and an extra 2 Free Night Awards after you spend an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms apply.
» Learn more: Which Marriott Bonvoy credit card should I choose?
5. Use the Atmos Rewards shopping portal
Shopping portals offer a nifty, if sometimes cumbersome, way to earn extra rewards points and miles. The Atmos Rewards shopping portal lets you earn extra Atmos points when you shop at certain retailers (on top of whatever rewards you receive from the credit card you use to pay).
Most offers let you earn 1 or 2 points per dollar spent. Since we value these points at 1.2 cents each, this adds a small cherry on top of your earnings — but doesn’t provide tons of value unless you use the shopping portal to shop online often.
Additionally, Alaska often rotates through various promotional offers, such as the 8x miles per dollar spent at Adidas pictured above, which can provide plenty of bang for your rewards buck.
Sign in through your Mileage Plan account to see the current offers.
6. Earn with Lyft rides and everyday partners
Atmos has expanded earning beyond flights:
- Lyft: Earn 2 points per $1 on everyday rides and 3 points per $1 on airport/elevated rides.
- Hotels & vacations: Earn points when booking hotels, car rentals, cruises and vacation packages through Alaska.
- Shopping & dining portals: Atmos Shopping and Atmos Dining let you earn bonus points at partner retailers and restaurants — sometimes as high as 20 points per $1 spent.
This everyday ecosystem makes it easy to earn even when you’re not flying.
7. Stay at partner hotels or book with partner rental car agencies
Visit the Atmos website for details on how to earn miles with these partners.
Hotel partners
Atmos Rewards allows you to earn points for qualifying stays with the following hotels.
| Earn rate | |
|---|---|
| Best Western | 250 points per qualifying stay. |
| Choice Hotels | 250 miles per qualifying stay. |
| Coast Hotels | 500 points per qualifying stay. |
| IHG | Earnings rates vary by destination, from 1-2 points per $1 spent or 500 points per qualifying stay. |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Earn 1-2 points per dollar spent depending on the specific hotel brand. |
| Rocketmiles | 500 to 10,000 points per night on every reservation booked through Rocketmiles. |
| Westmark Hotels | 2 points per $1 spent on qualifying stays. |
Car rental partners
You can also earn points with the Atmos Rewards car rental partners.
| Earn rate | |
|---|---|
| Alamo | 50 points per day. |
| Avis | Up to 1,250 points on qualifying rentals based on credit card and Mileage Plan membership standing. |
| Budget | Up to 1,250 points on qualifying rentals based on Mileage Plan membership standing. |
| Dollar | 150 points per day on all rentals of three days or more. |
| Hertz | 200 points per day for rentals up to four days and 2,000 points total for rentals of five or more days. |
| National | 50 points per day. |
| Thrifty | 50 points per day. 150 points per day on all rentals of three or more days. |
Note: The following car rental partners offer discounts on base rates with use of a promo code:
- Avis: Up to 35% off base rates using AWD# K197800.
- Budget: Up to 30% off base rates using BCD# U072200.
8. Reach Atmos elite status
High-level members unlock milestone bonuses:
- Atmos Platinum (75K; 80k in 2026) and Atmos Titanium (100K; 135k in 2026) members earn complimentary upgrades and milestone perks.
- Milestone bonuses: At 10K, 30K, 55K, etc., members can choose perks like bonus points, free meals or Alaska Lounge passes.
- Titanium exclusive: Complimentary same-day upgrades into long-haul international business class for member + 1 companion (launching in 2026).
Elite flyers not only earn more on flights but also receive tangible rewards along the way.
9. Buy Atmos Rewards points directly
Points can be purchased directly, though buying is usually more expensive than their redemption value. It can make sense if:
- You’re close to an award redemption.
- Alaska is running a bonus sale (sometimes up to 50%).
- You’re targeting a specific high-value redemption, like international business class on a partner airline.
Keep in mind that NerdWallet values Atmos Rewards points at 1.2 cents each, so crunch those numbers before deciding to buy points.
Is Atmos Rewards a good loyalty program?
Atmos Rewards keeps Alaska’s reputation as NerdWallet's choice for the best U.S. airline loyalty program, while adding even more ways to earn points: flexible flight earning, expanded partners, everyday shopping, and credit cards with powerful perks.
For most travelers, the fastest ways to build a balance are:
- Flying Alaska, Hawaiian, or partners and crediting flights to Atmos.
- Earning a new-card bonus with the Atmos Summit or Ascent Visa.
- Using everyday partners like Lyft, shopping, and dining programs.
And starting in 2026, just being an Atmos Rewards member will unlock free Wi-Fi on Alaska flights — proof that Alaska is pushing loyalty benefits well beyond points.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I earn Atmos points?
In addition to earning miles by flying with Alaska, Hawaiian and its partners, you can earn Atmos points by signing up for and using cards such as the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card, renting cars through its car rental partnerships, and by buying more points (though that one isn't really recommended).
Can I get points for past flights on Alaska Airlines?
Yes. If you forgot to apply your loyalty account number to a flight or are missing miles you should have earned, you can use the information on the Atmos website to claim any missing miles.
There are many ways to earn Alaska miles
Alaska offers plenty of ways to earn Mileage Plan miles. Signing up for the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card and earning the welcome offer is the fastest way to boost your Mileage Plan balance. If you fly often with Alaska or its partners, crediting your flights to Alaska’s rewards program would also help accelerate your earnings.
If you don’t have any trips planned, you can earn Alaska miles through the shopping portal or dining program.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, see this page.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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