Regardless of an all-new loyalty program that launched final week, among the finest methods to rapidly earn factors with Alaska Airways is remaining precisely the identical.
The airline’s partnership with Bilt Rewards is not going wherever, which suggests renters can nonetheless flip their month-to-month funds into award flights aboard Alaska and its huge community of companions.
Do not mistake that, although, as an indication that the airline is throwing the door open to extra switch partnerships with different main financial institution packages.
“These are in the end opponents,” Brett Catlin, Alaska Air Group’s vp of loyalty, alliances and gross sales, instructed TPG.
Learn extra: Atmos Rewards reveal: 5 under-the-radar perks, from upgrades to lounge entry
Alaska, Atmos and Bilt
Bilt and Alaska launched their tie-up in 2024, providing renters a sexy choice to money in on what’s, for a lot of, their largest month-to-month expense.
As a part of the association, Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and costs) members can earn 1 level per greenback spent on hire funds* after which switch these factors to the issuer’s airline and resort companions, Alaska amongst them.
Which means $2,000 in your month-to-month hire can rapidly flip into 2,000 airline factors — a helpful proposition with Alaska, the place just some thousand factors are good for an award flight, together with aboard high home associate American Airways.
*As much as 100,000 factors every calendar yr; should use the cardboard 5 occasions every assertion interval to earn factors
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That Bilt-to-Alaska switch choice remained in place regardless of Alaska’s rebranding of Mileage Plan as Atmos Rewards, launched this month with Hawaiian Airways.
So did the power for Atmos bank card holders to, alternatively, cost hire to their airline card through Bilt’s community and earn 3 Atmos factors per greenback spent — albeit with a 3% charge tacked on.
“We’re excited to help Atmos Rewards’ launch and deepen our partnership with Alaska Airways, together with our industry-leading advantages that permit Atmos members earn rewards just by paying their hire or spending of their neighborhood with Bilt,” the issuer stated in an announcement to TPG.
A extra cautious strategy with switch companions
Usually talking, although, Alaska is rather less bullish on the broader concept of shoppers transferring versatile financial institution factors into its loyalty program — a setup that, in Catlin’s eyes, could push prospects to spend outdoors the Atmos Rewards ecosystem.
“I feel that is a debate that is happening all through the {industry} is, ‘how a lot do you wish to incubate a competitor,'” Catlin stated.
1 switch partnership already ended
Remember, Alaska’s 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian already spawned the tip of 1 main bank card switch partnership.
Earlier this summer season, American Categorical cardholders misplaced their skill to maneuver Membership Rewards factors to HawaiianMiles, the outgoing Hawaiian loyalty program that is set to finish Oct. 1.
And based mostly on Catlin’s feedback, it feels like Alaska and Hawaiian are unlikely to strike up a brand new take care of another financial institution companions anytime quickly.
A part of the explanation: In launching Atmos Rewards, Alaska hoped to create an ecosystem that incentivized prospects to spend, both on Alaska and Hawaiian, with Atmos companions (like Lyft) or on Atmos cobranded bank cards, Catlin stated.
To not point out, the brand new premium Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit score Card truly comes with a form of transferable forex of its personal; cardholders can switch Atmos Rewards factors to a handful of resort packages, together with Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards.
“Once we take into consideration our portfolio and what we’re aiming to construct with Atmos Rewards, loads of the worth is our members partaking with our companions,” Catlin stated. “In some respects it might make sense to work with a competitor. And others it might not.”
Learn extra: Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit score Card evaluate: The very best card for purchases overseas
So, what about Bilt?
Bilt, after all, is one “competitor” Alaska continues to work with.
And Catlin, at this level, is hanging a collegial tone in regards to the airline’s ties to Bilt.
“We’re pleased with the Bilt relationship. We did one thing that was revolutionary,” Catlin instructed TPG. “It is working with the place we’re at immediately.”
I requested how he views that partnership, long-term. Catlin once more referenced the airline’s general view of switch partnerships:
“Philosophically — not particular to Bilt,” he replied, “Whether or not it is the airline, our rewards program, we’re not within the enterprise of incubating opponents.”
Associated studying:
For charges and costs of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
