Atmos Rewards: Alaska & Hawaiian’s Revolutionary New Loyalty Program

In a significant development for frequent flyers, Alaska Airlines has officially launched Atmos Rewards. This revolutionary loyalty program unifies Alaska’s Mileage Plan and Hawaiian Airlines’ HawaiianMiles into a single, enhanced platform. This comprehensive new program, which took effect in August 2025, maintains many beloved features from Alaska’s highly-regarded Mileage Plan while introducing innovative benefits and flexibility unprecedented in the airline industry.

Atmos Rewards replaces Alaska Mileage Plan effective immediately, with existing Mileage Plan members automatically transitioned to the new program while retaining their account numbers and accumulated miles (now called “points”). HawaiianMiles members will transition to Atmos Rewards on October 1, 2025, receiving new account numbers unless they previously linked their HawaiianMiles account to a Mileage Plan account.

The familiar MVP tiers have been rebranded with more conventional names while maintaining oneworld alliance status levels:

Perhaps the most innovative aspect of Atmos Rewards is the unprecedented flexibility in how members earn points and status. Beginning in 2026, members can choose one of three earning options:

• Distance Travelled: Earn 1 point and 1 status point per mile flown
• Price paid: Earn 5 points and 5 status points per dollar spent on base airfare and upgrades
• Segments Flown: Earn 500 points and 500 status points per flight segment

Atmos Rewards members can select their preferred earning method once per year, allowing them to optimize based on their travel habits.

Atmos Rewards introduces significant upgrades enhancements, particularly for top-tier members:

Starting spring 2026, Titanium members will receive complimentary day-of-departure upgrades to business class throughout the global Alaska and Hawaiian network without using points or certificates

All elite members will be eligible for complimentary upgrades on Hawaiian flights within North America beginning in spring 2026

These upgrade policies make Atmos Rewards the first U.S. airline program to offer unlimited global upgrades to top-tier elites without requiring certificates. However, upgrades outside North America are subject to availability on the day of departure.

Unfortunately, there is no way to earn Atmos Rewards points with a Canadian credit card. However, Atmos Rewards will be offering three co-branded credit cards in the U.S.; you can find all the details in our article on Atmost Rewards published on Milesopedia USA.

In Canada, you can use VIPorter points to book flights with Alaska Airlines, but this is a separate program with different availability from Atmos Rewards.

Alaska is installing Starlink Wi-Fi across its entire fleet (including regional jets) throughout 2026 and into early 2027. This high-speed connectivity will be free for all Atmos Rewards members, regardless of elite status.

Atmos Rewards members can earn:

• 2 points per dollar on regular Lyft rides
• 3 points per dollar on airport and premium Lyft rides

The program will continue to offer milestone rewards, with members unlocking choice benefits starting at just 10,000 status points, allowing more frequent recognition throughout the qualification journey.

Alaska has confirmed that “the value of points does not change, and points do not expire.” The airline is committed to maintaining its partner award chart structure, which has long been one of the most valuable aspects of Alaska Mileage Plan. Redemptions will start at just 4,500 points one-way.

Members can redeem points for award travel to more than 1,000 destinations on Alaska, Hawaiian, and 30+ global airline partners.

While most changes appear positive, there are a few potential drawbacks:

• Increased Elite Requirements: Higher qualification thresholds for Platinum and Titanium status in 2026
• Partner Booking Fee: The $25 partner redemption fee remains in place
• Day-of-Departure Global Upgrades: While a nice perk, some may prefer confirmable upgrades rather than last-minute upgrade possibilities

Atmos Rewards represents a significant evolution in airline loyalty programs, maintaining the core strengths of Alaska’s highly respected Mileage Plan while introducing new innovations such as customizable earning methods.

For most members, particularly those who valued Alaska’s distance-based earning model, the changes are overwhelmingly positive. The new program strikes a balance between preserving what frequent flyers loved about Mileage Plan while expanding benefits to accommodate Hawaiian’s network.

With these changes, Alaska positions Atmos Rewards as potentially the most competitive loyalty program among U.S. carriers, particularly for savvy points maximizers who appreciate the flexibility to choose how they earn and the continued ability to accrue status through award travel.