Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
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GUIDE
How to buy Alaska Atmos Rewards miles
Buying Alaska Atmos Rewards miles means buying Atmos Rewards points through the Buy points tool listed in the Atmos Rewards account area. Atmos Rewards is the combined loyalty programme of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, and points are the currency it uses for award travel. Alaska lists a Buy points tool alongside sharing and gifting points, and one Mileage Plan or HawaiianMiles mile equals one Atmos Rewards point. [2] [6]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Atmos Rewards is the combined loyalty programme of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines; Alaska said at launch that one Mileage Plan or HawaiianMiles mile equals one Atmos Rewards point, and that points do not expire. [6]
- Buying points is listed in the Atmos Rewards account menu alongside sharing and gifting points. [2]
- Points pay for award travel with Alaska, Hawaiian and more than 30 partner airlines, and Alaska said at launch that redemptions start at 4,500 points one-way. [6]
- Points and status points serve different purposes: points are used for redemptions, while status points track progress toward status and milestones. [6]
What are Atmos Rewards points, and how do you buy them?
Atmos Rewards is the loyalty programme that Mileage Plan members now belong to and that HawaiianMiles members will transition into. Mileage Plan members are now Atmos Rewards members and retain their existing account numbers with no interruption to their benefits. [6] HawaiianMiles members and all their miles will automatically transition into Atmos Rewards on 1 October. They will receive a new account number if they have not previously linked their HawaiianMiles account to a Mileage Plan account. [6] Mileage Plan miles are now points, elite-qualifying miles are now status points, and one Mileage Plan or HawaiianMiles mile equals one Atmos Rewards point. [6]
The same announcement said the value of points does not change and that points do not expire. [6]
Buying points is listed in the Atmos Rewards account menu alongside sharing and gifting points. [2]
For readers weighing a purchase against other ways of topping up an account, the comparison of airline miles purchase programmes and the guide to buying miles for a specific trip set out the wider trade-offs.
What can you book with purchased points?
Points are the currency used for award travel: Alaska says members can redeem them with Alaska, Hawaiian and more than 30 global airline partners, including oneworld member airlines, to over 1,000 destinations, and that redemptions start at 4,500 points one-way. [6] Alaska and Hawaiian are members of the oneworld alliance. [5]
In October 2026, Atmos Rewards offered up to 50% off award travel to Helsinki, Munich, Paris, Sapporo, Seoul and Stavanger under its Global Getaways offers, bookable by 10 October 2026 for travel between 15 January and 8 March 2027. [4] The advertised starting prices were 20,000 points one-way to Seoul, 25,000 points one-way to Helsinki, Paris and Munich, and 30,000 points one-way to Sapporo and Stavanger. [4]
For the Global Getaways offers, Alaska says to select "use points" when searching for a flight on alaskaair.com or hawaiianairlines.com; the discounted award fare then appears in the search results. [4] Where a purchase is being made to finish off a specific itinerary, check the trip-planning guide and the note on promotional miles before paying.
How do points and status points differ?
Atmos Rewards uses points and status points for different purposes. Points are used for redemptions, while status points track progress toward status and milestones. [6] Alaska lists flights with Alaska, Hawaiian and their partners, the Atmos Rewards Visa credit cards and Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard credit cards, and purchases with non-airline partners among the ways members earn status points, and it says members can also earn status points when they book award travel. [6]
The flight-earning choice described below covers both points and status points, and it applies to all Alaska, Hawaiian and partner flights; credit card and partner earning stays the same as it is today. [3] [5]
How do members choose how to earn points on flights?
From 1 October 2026, members can choose how they earn points and status points on flights departing on or after 1 January 2027: by distance travelled, by price paid or by segments flown. [5] [3] Choosing is optional. Current members who do not select a method keep earning by distance travelled, and members who join on or after 1 January 2027 earn by price paid unless they pick another option. [3] [5] Members can change the choice once per calendar year, and a change applies only to future trips, never to travel already completed. [3]
| Earning choice | Rate in Alaska's fact sheet | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Distance travelled | 1 mile flown = 1 point [3] | Stays the default for current members who make no choice [3] |
| Price paid | $1 spent = 5 points [3] | Excludes taxes and fees; default for members joining on or after 1 January 2027 [3] |
| Segments flown | 1 segment flown = 500 points [3] | Optional alternative to the default [3] |
Alaska's fact sheet labels the three numeric rates as points; it also says the choice affects how members earn points and status points on flights. [3]
Exceptions and limits
- Which programme and which flights. The flight-earning choice applies to Atmos Rewards, the programme for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, and to flights departing on or after 1 January 2027 rather than to travel already flown. [3] [5]
- Points and status points serve different purposes. Points are used for redemptions, while status points track progress toward status and milestones. [6]
- Points and expiry. Alaska said at launch that Atmos Rewards points do not expire. [6]
- Credit card and partner earning sit outside the choice. Picking distance, price or segments changes only how points and status points are earned on flights; credit card and partner earning stays as it is. [3]
- Other routes into a balance. Alaska plans to let customers with eligible Bank of America card products transfer points into Atmos Rewards in 2027, and to add points-transfer opportunities with other select global financial institutions over time. [5] The Atmos Rewards debit card planned for early 2027 includes free points sharing among its listed features. [5]
- Booking mechanics. For the October 2026 Global Getaways offers, Alaska said to select "use points" when searching for a flight on alaskaair.com or hawaiianairlines.com, and bookings had to be made by 10 October 2026 for travel between 15 January and 8 March 2027. [4]
Frequently asked questions
Where does Alaska list its Buy points tool?
Alaska lists a Buy points tool in the Atmos Rewards account area, in the same menu group as sharing and gifting points. [2] Points are the currency the programme uses for redemptions. [6]
Do Atmos Rewards points expire?
Alaska said when it launched Atmos Rewards that points do not expire and that their value does not change. [6]
What is the difference between points and status points?
Points are used for redemptions, while status points track progress toward status and milestones. [6] Alaska lists flights, the Atmos Rewards Visa and Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard credit cards, and non-airline partners among the sources of status points. [6]
How do you search for an award flight with Atmos Rewards points?
In its October 2026 Global Getaways instructions, Alaska said to select "use points" when searching for a flight on alaskaair.com or hawaiianairlines.com; discounted award fare then appears in the search results. [4]
Can booking an award flight with points earn status points?
Yes. Alaska says members can also earn status points when they book award travel. [6]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026.
- Alaska Airlines: Atmos Rewards terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- Atmos Rewards: Choose how you earn (Alaska Airlines fact sheet, September 2026), checked 18 October 2026
- October's Atmos Members Day flight deals unlock six charming winter destinations (Alaska Airlines, 7 October 2026), checked 18 October 2026
- Atmos Rewards expands with customized ways to earn (Alaska Airlines, 29 September 2026), checked 18 October 2026
- Introducing Atmos Rewards (Alaska Airlines, 20 August 2025), checked 18 October 2026