Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of Atmos Rewards hub
GUIDE
How to keep Atmos Rewards award and ticket costs down
Atmos Rewards is the combined loyalty programme of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, and its awards are priced in points — redemptions start at 4,500 points one-way — while taxes and fees are excluded when members earn points on the price they paid. [7] [4]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Atmos Rewards award seats start at 4,500 points one-way and can be booked with Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and more than 30 airline partners, including oneworld members. [7]
- On the price-paid earning method, members earn 5 points for every $1 spent, and taxes and fees are left out of that calculation. [4]
- The three earning methods apply to flights departing on or after 1 January 2027, and a member can change method once per calendar year for future trips. [4] [6]
- Bag costs depend on the product held: eligible Atmos Rewards Visa cardholders have access to a free checked bag, while Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard cardmembers get two free checked bags on eligible flights. [7]
How much do Atmos Rewards awards cost in points?
Atmos Rewards award travel starts at 4,500 points one-way, and points can be redeemed on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and more than 30 global airline partners, including oneworld member airlines. [7]
Discounted award fares are published as offers. In the October 2026 Atmos Members Day offer, members could save up to 50% on award travel to six destinations, and had to book by 10 October 2026 for travel between 15 January and 8 March 2027. [5] Members book by selecting "use points" when searching on alaskaair.com or hawaiianairlines.com, and the discounted award fare appears in the search results. [5]
| Destination | Points one-way, from |
|---|---|
| Seoul, South Korea | 20,000 |
| Helsinki, Finland | 25,000 |
| Paris, France | 25,000 |
| Munich, Germany | 25,000 |
| Sapporo, Japan | 30,000 |
| Stavanger, Norway | 30,000 |
Each figure was a one-way starting price for that promotional offer, which required booking by 10 October 2026 for travel between 15 January and 8 March 2027. [5] Award bookings also count towards status progress, because members can earn status points when they book award travel. [7]
Which taxes and fees sit outside Atmos Rewards earning?
Under the price-paid method, members earn 5 points for every $1 spent, and taxes and fees are excluded from that calculation. [4] Airfare and upgrades purchased in premium cabins are part of the price paid. [7] The other two methods do not use price at all: distance traveled earns 1 point per mile flown, and segments flown earns a flat 500 points per segment. [4]
These methods apply to flights departing on or after 1 January 2027, and members could start choosing from 1 October 2026. [4] [6] Current members who make no choice keep earning on distance traveled, while members joining on or after 1 January 2027 earn on price paid unless they select another method. [4] [6] A member's choice applies to all Alaska, Hawaiian and partner flights, and credit card and partner earning stays the same. [4] Members can change their choice once per calendar year, and no change applies to travel that is already completed. [4] [6]
On partner airlines, booking directly with Alaska or Hawaiian earns 100% of the points for the miles flown, and Business Class fares earn 250% of the distance flown with all partners. [5]
How do bags and cards change the total?
Baggage rules and chargeable extras sit alongside the points price: Alaska Airlines sets out its baggage policies on one page and lists optional services and fees separately. [2] Two co-brand cards carry bag benefits. Eligible Atmos Rewards Visa cardholders have access to a free checked bag across Alaska and Hawaiian, to the Companion Fare, and to 3x points on eligible purchases with both airlines. [7] Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard cardmembers get two free checked bags on eligible flights and 3x points on eligible Alaska and Hawaiian purchases. [7]
Atmos Communities add benefits that range from free bags to award-flight discounts for children, bonus status points for international travel, and resident benefits in Club 49 and Huakaʻi by Hawaiian. [6]
Some card products carry their own fees: the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card has an annual fee. [7] A debit card planned for early 2027 is described with no foreign transaction fees, free points sharing, flight and onboard purchase discounts, and the ability to pay certain account fees with points, all as planned features rather than current ones. [6]
Do Atmos Rewards points expire while you re-plan a trip?
Atmos Rewards points do not expire, and the launch conversion set one Mileage Plan or HawaiianMiles mile at one Atmos Rewards point. [7]
Change flexibility appears as a card benefit: the refresh of the Atmos Rewards Visa Business card planned for late 2026 is to include free same-day confirmed flight changes, along with 10x points on eligible purchases and lounge passes. [6]
Exceptions and limits
- Earning defaults differ by joining date: members who joined earlier keep distance-based earning if they make no choice, while members joining on or after 1 January 2027 default to price paid. [4] [6]
- The earning choice can be changed once per calendar year and applies to future travel only; completed trips are not recalculated. [4] [6]
- The October 2026 Global Getaways prices were one-way starting prices for bookings made by 10 October 2026 for travel between 15 January and 8 March 2027, and the discounted award fare showed up in the search results. [5]
- Bag benefits are conditional: the free checked bag applies to eligible Atmos Rewards Visa cardholders, and the two free checked bags apply to Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard cardmembers on eligible flights. [7]
- Debit card features and transfers from eligible Bank of America card products into Atmos Rewards were announced as plans for 2027, not as current features. [6]
Frequently asked questions
Are taxes and fees counted when I earn Atmos Rewards points on a paid ticket?
Not under the price-paid method: members earn 5 points per $1 spent, with taxes and fees excluded from the calculation. [4] The distance and segment methods use miles flown and segments flown instead of price. [4]
How many Atmos Rewards points do I need for an award?
Award redemptions start at 4,500 points one-way on Alaska, Hawaiian and partner airlines. [7] Discounted offers are published for specific destinations; in October 2026, Global Getaways awards started at 20,000 points one-way to Seoul. [5]
Can I change the way I earn Atmos Rewards points?
Yes, once per calendar year, and the change applies to future travel only. [4] [6]
Do Atmos Rewards points expire?
No. The programme states that points do not expire. [7]
Which Atmos Rewards cards include a free checked bag?
Eligible Atmos Rewards Visa cardholders have access to a free checked bag on Alaska and Hawaiian, and Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard cardmembers get two free checked bags on eligible flights. [7]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines tickets and Atmos Rewards awards only, and it is not a quote; government taxes and airport charges vary by itinerary. Other programmes, including United MileagePlus, Delta SkyMiles, American AAdvantage, Flying Blue and The British Airways Club, are not covered here.
- Alaska Airlines baggage policies, checked 18 October 2026
- Atmos Rewards: choose how to earn fact sheet, checked 18 October 2026
- October's Atmos Members Day flight deals, checked 18 October 2026
- Atmos Rewards expands with customized ways to earn, checked 18 October 2026
- Introducing Atmos Rewards, checked 18 October 2026