Atmos Rewards Ascent card vs. Atmos Rewards Summit card

Metro Loud
17 Min Read


Atmos Rewards entered the factors and miles area this yr, changing into the joint loyalty program for Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways.

Whereas Atmos Rewards’ major goal is somebody who often flies with these carriers, this program provides greater than meets the attention. Atmos Rewards factors are invaluable, value 1.5 cents apiece per TPG’s October 2025 valuations, and can be utilized to e-book flights with Oneworld companions reminiscent of American Airways.

This system provides two private cobranded bank cards issued by Financial institution of America. The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Credit score Card is a rebranding of the Alaska Airways Visa Signature® (now not out there) and stays a strong entry-level rewards card with a $95 annual payment.

In the meantime, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit score Card is a premium card for Alaska and Hawaiian loyalists, loaded with perks for a $395 annual payment.

Which card is best for you? Let’s dive in and see which Atmos Rewards card you need to add to your pockets.

The data for the Alaska Airways Visa Signature has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

Atmos Ascent vs. Atmos Summit comparability

Card Atmos Ascent Atmos Summit
Annual payment $95 $395
Incomes charges
  • 3 factors per greenback spent on eligible Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways purchases
  • 2 factors per greenback spent at electrical car charging and gasoline stations; on native transit; and with cable, ride-hailing and choose streaming providers
  • 1 level per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases
  • 3 factors per greenback spent on eligible Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways purchases, eligible eating purchases, and overseas transactions
  • 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases
Welcome bonus Earn 80,000 bonus factors and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and costs from $23) after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first 120 days from account opening. Earn 100,000 bonus factors and a 25,000-point World Companion Award after spending $6,000 on purchases inside the first 90 days from account opening.
Journey perks
Advantages when flying Alaska or Hawaiian
  • Annual $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and costs from $23) every account anniversary after spending a minimum of $6,000 on the cardboard within the prior anniversary yr
  • One free checked bag for the cardholder and as much as six different passengers on the identical reservation
  • Most popular boarding on Alaska Airways (out there now) and Hawaiian Airways (coming this fall)
  • 1 standing level for each $3 spent on purchases, as much as 30,000 standing factors
  • 20% again on all inflight purchases
  • Annual 25,000-point World Companion Award every account anniversary, plus the possibility to earn a 100,000-point World Companion Award in case you spent $60,000 or extra on the cardboard within the prior anniversary yr
  • No change charges when you have to make a same-day change to an Alaska flight
  • One free checked bag for the cardholder and as much as six different passengers on the identical reservation
  • Most popular boarding on Alaska Airways (out there now) and Hawaiian Airways (coming this fall)
  • 10,000 standing factors yearly in your account anniversary
  • 1 standing level for each $2 spent on purchases with no spending cap
  • 20% again on all inflight purchases
  • $50 voucher for Alaska Airways flight cancellations or departure delays of two or extra hours
  • Eight Wi-Fi passes annually (two passes per quarter)
Lounge perks $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership Eight Alaska lounge passes yearly (two passes every calendar quarter)

Atmos Ascent vs. Atmos Summit welcome bonus

Each playing cards present strong welcome bonuses.

New candidates for the Atmos Ascent can earn 80,000 bonus factors and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and costs from $23) after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first 120 days from account opening.

Per TPG’s valuations, this provide is value $1,200 in factors plus the worth of the Companion Fare.

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Atmos Rewards Summit Vs Atmos Rewards Ascent
THE POINTS GUY

In the meantime, the Atmos Summit is providing new cardholders the possibility to earn 100,000 bonus factors and a 25,000-point World Companion Award after spending $6,000 on purchases inside the first 90 days from account opening.

This provide is value $1,875 if you mix the worth of the bottom factors and the World Companion Award, based on TPG’s valuations.

Winner: Atmos Summit. Regardless that the spending requirement is greater, you will obtain extra factors with this bonus. Nonetheless, in case you’d be extra comfy with a decrease spending requirement or incomes the Companion Fare as a substitute of extra factors, the Ascent could possibly be a greater possibility.

Atmos Ascent vs. Atmos Summit advantages

As famous within the desk above, the Atmos Ascent and Atmos Summit share some advantages. These are:

  • One free checked bag for the cardholder and as much as six different passengers on the identical reservation
  • Most popular boarding on Alaska Airways (out there now) and Hawaiian Airways (coming this fall)
  • 20% again on all inflight purchases
Alaska's SEA-NRT inaugural flight
Major cabin on a Hawaiian Airways Airbus A330. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

The Atmos Summit has the next $395 annual payment and elevated perks in comparison with the entry-level Atmos Ascent, which prices $95 a yr. Some advantages differ barely, however the distinctions are essential to notice.

Companion perks

Atmos Summit cardholders obtain an annual 25,000-point World Companion Award every account anniversary and might earn a 100,000-point World Companion Award after spending a minimum of $60,000 on the cardboard within the prior anniversary yr.

Atmos Ascent cardholders obtain an annual $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and costs from $23) every account anniversary after spending a minimum of $6,000 on the cardboard within the prior anniversary yr.

Lounge advantages

The Atmos Summit grants eight Alaska Lounge passes per yr (two per calendar quarter). To make use of the move, you have to be flying on a same-day ticketed Alaska, Hawaiian, Oneworld or accomplice airline flight.

Alaska's SEA-NRT inaugural flight
The Alaska Lounge within the N Concourse at Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

In the meantime, Atmos Ascent cardholders obtain $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership, which prices $795 per yr and contains entry to all Alaska Lounges and almost 90 accomplice lounges.

Whereas the Atmos Ascent’s $100 low cost is beneficiant for the cardboard’s $95 annual payment, the lounge passes will present a variety of worth for these flying in or out of an airport with an Alaska Lounge a minimum of as soon as every calendar quarter.

Standing factors

Atmos Summit cardholders earn 1 standing level for each $2 spent on the cardboard, with no spending cap. You will additionally earn 10,000 standing factors annually in your account anniversary.

Atmos Ascent cardholders earn 1 standing level for each $3 spent on the cardboard, as much as 30,000 standing factors (this card will lose its standing level cap in 2026).

The Atmos Summit’s 10,000 standing factors on every account anniversary routinely places cardholders midway to Atmos Silver standing, the bottom tier in this system.

Plus, the cardboard does not have a restrict on what number of standing factors you possibly can earn by spending, in contrast to the Atmos Ascent.

Summit unique perks

Lastly, some perks are unique to the premium Atmos Summit:

  • No change charges when you have to make a same-day change to an Alaska flight
  • $50 voucher for Alaska Airways flight cancellations or departure delays of two or extra hours
  • As much as $120 in assertion credit for World Entry or TSA PreCheck each 4 years
  • Eight inflight Wi-Fi passes on Alaska flights per calendar yr (two per calendar quarter)
Alaska Airlines First Class on the Boeing 737 MAX 9.
SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

These advantages are particularly useful to those that often fly on Alaska Airways.

Winner: Atmos Summit. For the next annual payment, the Summit offers a sooner path to elite standing, extra built-in perks and higher advantages for many who often fly with Alaska, Hawaiian or accomplice airways.

Incomes factors with the Atmos Ascent vs. the Atmos Summit

The Atmos Ascent and Atmos Summit each earn Atmos Rewards factors. The playing cards share an incomes charge on direct eligible Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways purchases, at 3 factors per greenback spent.

Plus, each playing cards earn a ten% rewards bonus on all factors earned from card purchases you probably have an eligible Financial institution of America account.

Friends looking at a phone
HINTERHAUS PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES

The Atmos Summit earns 3 factors per greenback spent on eligible eating purchases and all overseas transactions, whereas the Atmos Ascent earns 2 factors per greenback spent at EV charging and gasoline stations; on native transit; and with cable, ride-hailing and choose streaming providers.

The Atmos Summit’s bonus earnings on overseas transactions are distinctive within the rewards card area, making the product a implausible possibility in case you make purchases exterior of the U.S. often. In the meantime, the Atmos Ascent has respectable earnings in a number of classes, particularly transportation-related bills and streaming.

Winner: Atmos Summit. The cardboard has extra profitable incomes charges and boasts one of the uncommon bonus classes in the marketplace.

Redeeming factors with the Atmos Ascent vs. the Atmos Summit

You possibly can redeem Atmos Rewards factors earned on the Atmos Summit or Atmos Ascent in the identical methods. Our favourite redemption choices are for flights on Alaska, Hawaiian, Oneworld or a accomplice airline.

This system provides a variety of worth, due to the truth that the revamped Atmos Rewards program maintained Alaska Airways’ fashionable award chart, which the provider applied with its former Mileage Plan program.

Japan Airlines business class March 2024
CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

I like utilizing Atmos Rewards factors to e-book short-haul American Airways flights for 4,500 to six,000 factors.

Nonetheless, you possibly can unlock luxurious redemptions with Atmos Rewards too. For example, you possibly can redeem 75,000 factors to fly Japan Airways enterprise class to Tokyo from the U.S. West Coast.

Different Oneworld companions you possibly can e-book with Atmos Rewards factors embrace British Airways, Fiji Airways and Qantas.

Winner: Tie. Each playing cards share the identical redemption choices.

Transferring factors with the Atmos Ascent vs. the Atmos Summit

You probably have the Atmos Summit, you possibly can switch your Atmos Rewards factors to resort companions. The Atmos Ascent doesn’t have this characteristic.

These are the resort loyalty packages you possibly can switch your Atmos Rewards factors to, together with their switch ratios:

  • IHG One Rewards (1:1; out there by early November 2025)
  • Marriott Bonvoy (1:1)
  • I Choose Resort Rewards (1:2)
  • Shangri-La Circle (8:1)
  • Wyndham Rewards (1:1)
JW Marriott Anaheim
SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY

We typically do not advocate transferring your Atmos Rewards factors to resort companions since you will not get as excessive a worth as you’ll utilizing them to e-book flights. Nonetheless, you probably have a selected redemption in thoughts and want just some extra factors to succeed in it, it could possibly be possibility.

Winner: Atmos Summit. Though we do not advocate utilizing your factors this manner, you need to have the Atmos Summit to entry this feature. You possibly can’t switch Atmos Rewards factors you probably have the Atmos Ascent.

Ought to I get the Atmos Ascent or the Atmos Summit?

In case you’re on the lookout for extra advantages and better incomes charges, I like to recommend the Atmos Summit. The cardboard offers strong perks for Alaska and Hawaiian loyalists for a $395 annual payment.

Alaska Airlines aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Alaska Airways plane at Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Nonetheless, in case you do not want the bonus perks and desire a easy card to earn extra Atmos Rewards factors and obtain primary perks if you fly Alaska or Hawaiian, I counsel the Atmos Ascent, since it is a sturdy possibility in its personal proper.

Associated: Are premium bank cards well worth the annual payment?

The way to improve from the Atmos Ascent to the Atmos Summit

In case you’re hoping to improve from the Atmos Ascent to the extra premium Atmos Summit, you possibly can attain out to Financial institution of America and request a product change.

Nonetheless, in case you go for an improve as a substitute of making use of, it’s possible you’ll miss out on the Atmos Summit’s welcome bonus. So, think about your choices earlier than you decide.

In case you maintain the Atmos Summit and need to downgrade to the Atmos Ascent, it’s also possible to contact Financial institution of America to make that product change.

Associated: 4 main issues earlier than upgrading your bank card

Backside line

In case you’re into premium perks and are loyal to Alaska, Hawaiian or their companions, the Atmos Summit offers implausible worth at a $395 annual payment.

Nonetheless, the Atmos Ascent is a gradual possibility for a decrease annual payment. At $95, this card will present a variety of worth for a lot of sorts of vacationers.

When making your resolution, assess your spending habits and what you need out of the Atmos Rewards program.

To study extra, learn our full opinions of the Atmos Ascent and the Atmos Summit.


Apply right here: Atmos Ascent

Apply right here: Atmos Summit


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