Nearly two years after announcing its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines has released its much-anticipated plan for incorporating HawaiianMiles into its rewards program.
But beyond combining the programs, Alaska has used this merger as an opportunity to take Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan in a new direction, or rather into the atmosphere, with the fully reinvented Atmos Rewards program.
Here’s what to know about the updates.
New program name unveiled
It may be obvious to some, but according to Alaska Airlines, Atmos Rewards is a play on the word “atmosphere.” Apparently, U.S. News’ Best Airline Rewards Programs also influenced the name choice. “The name also cues a promise of ‘most’ — demonstrating the 11 years of Alaska’s Mileage Plan being named the No. 1 airline loyalty program and cueing more rewards, more destinations and more choice,” the airline said in a press release.
In the lead-up to the announcement, the U.S. News travel editors made a few guesses and cast their votes for potential new program names. (AlaskAloha earned top marks — contact us with any marketing needs.) But much to the dismay of Hawaiian Airlines fans, the hints of purple and pink in the new logo seem to be the only nod to Hawaiian Airlines in the refresh.
Choose how you earn points
When rumors started circulating that the new Alaska Airlines program would refer to its currency as “points” rather than “miles,” the rewards world groaned. After all, the airline’s generous mileage-based earning model is one of the primary reasons it has ranked No. 1 on our Best Airline Rewards Programs list for 11 consecutive years. Alaska Airlines wouldn’t dare upset its loyal members and move to a revenue-based system, would it?
Turns out, it wouldn’t. But also, it would? Beginning in late 2026, Atmos Rewards will allow members to choose the way they earn points, whether that’s through distance traveled, the number of segments flown or the amount spent on the ticket. Travelers will be able to choose their preferred way of earning points once a year. This flexibility is a first in the industry and may open up earning opportunities for different types of travelers.
Business travelers taking the San Francisco to New York route on repeat will likely want to keep their miles-based earning. Formerly, travelers also earned a minimum of 500 miles per flight with a miles-based system, though it seems this benefit will now only exist in the segments-flown earning category. This would be a blow for those who choose the miles-based plan and occasionally take short flights.
Hub dwellers frequenting the puddle jumper from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, or hopping around the Hawaiian islands may switch to the segments-flown earning option so they’ll earn a flat 500 points per flight.
Those who tend to spend a little more on their seats, opting for the premium cabin instead of economy, can select a revenue-based model, in which they’ll earn five points for every dollar spent (an earning rate in line with the “Big Three” — Delta, American and United).
Accrual choice will launch in late 2026. Until that time, all members will continue to earn points based on the miles they fly.
Changes to perks and membership tiers
Alaska has joined many other airlines with a new pledge to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi to loyalty members. In early 2026, Atmos Rewards members will be able to surf the web in the skies thanks to complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi. This is a welcome change, considering members previously needed to reach MVP Gold 100k status before earning unlimited Wi-Fi sessions.
For the remainder of 2025, membership benefits and thresholds will remain the same, though the tier levels will have new names: Atmos Silver, Atmos Gold, Atmos Platinum and Atmos Titanium. Beginning in 2026, the status points (formerly elite qualifying miles) required to earn Atmos Platinum (the MVP Gold 75K equivalent) will increase by about 7% to 80,000 points, while the threshold for Atmos Titanium (the MVP Gold 100K equivalent) will increase by 35% to 135,000 points. The airline will continue to offer its milestone rewards between status levels and has teased new benefits, including enhanced day-of-departure upgrades for Titanium members. Still, it’s unlikely these will outweigh the threshold hike for the highest tier.
| Mileage Plan Tier | Atmos Rewards Tier | 2025 Status Point Threshold | 2026 Status Point Threshold |
| MVP | Atmos Silver | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| MVP Gold | Atmos Gold | 40,000 | 40,000 |
| MVP Gold 75K | Atmos Platinum | 75,000 | 80,000 |
| MVP Gold 100K | Atmos Titanium | 100,000 | 135,000 |
Similar ways to earn and redeem points
For the most part, the ways that members can earn and redeem points outside of flying will remain relatively the same, with a few added partnerships. One major upgrade to the program is that members will now be able to earn status points on award travel, a benefit that only one other program (Delta SkyMiles) has implemented.
As for whether or not point redemption rates for airfare will increase or remain at their current value, only time will tell. At the time of our data collection in June 2025, the average number of miles needed to redeem a round-trip flight through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan was 20,500 miles. Stay tuned for our 2026-2027 Best Airline Rewards Programs ranking next summer to see if that changes.
Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite
Alaska Airlines is entering the premium card realm with the new Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card. With a hefty $395 annual fee, the card includes perks such as eight annual lounge passes (each pass is valid for a whole travel day and includes up to two accompanying children), automatic travel delay credits, free checked bags, free points sharing and transfer opportunities with hotel partners.
The card also features a Global Companion Award, which covers a portion of a companion’s airfare when the cardholder books their ticket with points. The amount of points covered (either 25,000 or 100,000) depends on the cardholder’s spending, and the points can be applied for international flights.
Cardholders will also earn three points per dollar spent on dining and foreign purchases. Plus, they’ll earn one status point for every $2 spent on the card.
Atmos Rewards Visa
Existing Alaska Airlines Visa cards are now rebranded to Atmos Rewards Visa cards. The cards’ value will not change, and cardholders will continue to earn three points per dollar spent on Alaska Airlines purchases and have access to the $99 Companion Fare benefit.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
For now, the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard remains the same in terms of its name, earning rates and benefits. Cardholders will continue to earn HawaiianMiles until Oct. 1 and will earn Atmos Rewards at the same ratio thereafter.
Next steps for existing members
— Existing Alaska Mileage Plan members: Starting immediately, Alaska Mileage Plan members will become Atmos Rewards members. They’ll retain the same account numbers and do not need to initiate this change. One Mileage Plan mile will become one Atmos Rewards point.
— Existing HawaiianMiles members: On Oct. 1, HawaiianMiles members will have their miles transitioned into Atmos Rewards at a 1-to-1 ratio. If the member has not created an Alaska Mileage Plan or Atmos Rewards account by that time, a new account number will be provided.
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Alaska Airlines Rebrands Loyalty Program to Atmos Rewards originally appeared on usnews.com
