For years, U.S. airline loyalty programs have been marching toward the same model: Earn status based on how much you spend, not how much you fly. However, a new joint loyalty program is offering travelers unprecedented flexibility in how they earn points.
On August 20, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which merged in September 2024, announced their long-awaited joint loyalty program, Atmos Rewards. Melding Alaska’s Mileage Plan with Hawaiian Airlines’ HawaiianMiles, the new program promises to change how travelers think about earning points.
“One of the most unique aspects of the new program is offering travelers the chance to choose how they earn points—by distance flown, dollars spent, or flight segments,” says Julian Kheel, CEO and founder of Points Path, a browser extension that integrates with Google Flights to display award pricing alongside cash prices for flights. “That’s a first in the industry, and it gives customers more control, letting them shape the program around their own personal travel habits.”
Starting in 2026, members can pick one of three earning models (and will be able to adjust it once a year):
- Distance: one point per mile flown
- Revenue: five points per dollar spent on airfare
- Segments: 500 points per flight segment
It’s a choose-your-own-adventure approach to loyalty that could make it easier for some travelers to gain access to higher airline status brackets.
“Travelers who take the time to understand the system will find it opens the door to more valuable opportunities,” Kheel says. “From a strategic standpoint, thrifty travelers who fly long distances can benefit from distance-based earning, while premium-cabin fliers may earn more based on dollars spent. And frequent short-hop fliers, such as those living in Hawai’i who take a lot of interisland flights, can bank 500 points for each of those short segments.”
Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, a travel app and deals newsletter, called Atmos a pleasant surprise, adding, “When we hear of any ‘major changes’ coming, we [at Going] brace for reward devaluation impact,” which isn’t the case here.
Still, as with any merger, not every detail is seamless. Status thresholds are climbing, with the revamped tiers coming with higher earning requirements for Platinum and Titanium status. Under the revamped tiers, travelers earn status with the following qualification requirements:
- Silver (previously MVP in Alaska’s Mileage Plan and Pualani Gold in Hawaii’s HawaiianMiles program): 20,000 status points
- Gold (previously MVP Gold with Alaska and Pualani Platinum with Hawaiian): 40,000 status points
- Platinum (previously MVP Gold 75k with Alaska): 80,000 status points, up from 75,000
- Titanium (previously MVP Gold 100k with Alaska): 135,000 status points, up from 100,000
Though the upper tiers are harder to reach, the payoff will be bigger. Top-tier Titanium members, for example, are promised unlimited complimentary upgrades to lie-flat business-class seats on long-haul flights (including expanded flight paths, such as Alaska’s new and forthcoming routes to London, Reykjavík, Rome, Seoul, and Tokyo) even when they’ve booked the main cabin—something no other airline does.
Regional perks stay intact too: Alaskans still get Club 49 benefits, and Hawaiians keep access to Huaka‘i by Hawaiian (both programs offer locals in the airlines’ namesake states free checked bags and some exclusive sales).
If you’re already an Alaska Mileage Plan member, you’ve automatically been moved into Atmos. HawaiianMiles members will be automatically switched over on October 1, 2025.
Gary Leff, a travel expert and the founder of blog View from the Wing, said Hawaiian Airlines members are the big winners here.
“Alaska’s points are worth just as much as before, since there are no changes to the redemption side of the program happening as part of this,” Leff says. “Hawaiian Airlines miles have gotten much more valuable with the merger. Hawaiian’s miles were among the least valuable and Alaska’s among the most valuable—and Hawaiian miles convert 1:1 into this new program.”
A revamped credit card lineup also accompanies the launch, including the premium Summit Visa Infinite ($395 annual fee) with a 100,000-point sign-up bonus, eight lounge passes annually, and a “Global Companion Award” worth 25,000 points (meaning cardholders can book themselves a flight and use their companion certificate to bring a plus one). Starting in 2026, Atmos members will get another big perk: free Starlink Wi-Fi across Alaska and Hawaiian’s combined fleet.
