Alaska & Hawaiian Airlines Merge - What Atmos Rewards Means for Hawaii Travelers— Ep 33

Introducing Atmos Rewards: A Game-Changer for Hawaiian Family Travel

In this episode of 'Hawaii: Travel Made Easy,' hosted by Marcie Cheung, we dive into the significant changes affecting family travel to Hawaii due to the Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merger. Marcie discusses the newly launched Atmos Rewards, a combined loyalty program, and how it redefines earning points and status with innovative features. The episode covers key dates, including the transition phases of loyalty accounts, detailed benefits of the new Summit Visa Infinite Card, and the introduction of travel communities. Listeners will learn strategies to maximize their rewards, making Hawaii travel more affordable and enjoyable. Marcie emphasizes the importance of setting up loyalty accounts for every family member, including kids, to leverage future travel benefits.

00:00 Welcome to Hawaii Travel News
00:29 Introducing Atmos Rewards
01:45 Earning Points and Elite Tiers
02:55 Exciting Benefits for Families
03:25 Summit Visa Infinite Card
04:15 Setting Up Family Accounts
05:15 Strategies for Maximizing Rewards
06:12 Communities and One World Alliance
07:26 Important Dates and Actions
08:36 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Who this episode is for: Hawaii travelers who fly Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines and want to understand how the merger and new Atmos Rewards program affects their points, status, and travel planning.

What you'll learn: What Atmos Rewards is, how earning points and elite tiers work under the new combined program, Summit Visa Infinite Card benefits, and key dates and actions to take before the transition.

Activities discussed:

• Setting up Atmos Rewards loyalty accounts (including for kids)
• Applying for the Summit Visa Infinite Card
• Earning and maximizing points/elite status
• Joining travel communities within the program

Marcie's recommendations:

• Set up an Atmos Rewards account now, even before you're ready to book, to start capturing benefits
• Set up loyalty accounts for every family member, including kids, to build future travel benefits
• Understand the transition timeline so you don't lose points or status during the changeover
• Evaluate the Summit Visa Infinite Card if you fly Alaska/Hawaiian regularly, given its specific benefits
• Look into the new travel communities and One World Alliance connections for added value
• Act on key transition dates promptly rather than waiting

Related Hawaii Travel Made Easy episodes: 

• Hawaii Booking Mistakes to Avoid: What a Travel Agent Wants You to Know— Ep 100
• Hawaii 101: 2026 Edition— Ep 110

Related articles:

• Atmos Rewards Guide (hawaiitravelwithkids.com)

Official program information:

• Atmos Rewards website
• Program benefits FAQ

Press coverage & independent analysis:

• Fodor's comprehensive review
• NerdWallet's Summit Card review
• Alaska Airlines official video explanation

Community discussion:

• Reddit megathread: Atmos Rewards and new BofA cards

Additional resources:

• Hawaii Travel Guides
• Free Email Planning Courses
• Etsy Shop

About Your Host: Marcie Cheung is a Certified Hawaii Destination Expert who has visited Hawaii 40+ times and spent 20+ years as a professional hula dancer. Through Hawaii Travel with Kids, she helps families plan authentic, affordable Hawaii vacations that respect local culture while creating unforgettable memories.

Learn more at hawaiitravelwithkids.com

Connect: @hawaiitravelwithkids on Instagram | Book a Consultation

🌺 Join 11,000+ families receiving free Hawaii travel tips, island guides, and insider advice - subscribe now!
https://hawaiitravelwithkids.com/free-5-day-email-course-how-to-travel-to-hawaii-like-a-pro/

Transcript

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0:01

Aloha and welcome back to Hawaii. Travel Made Easy. I'm your host Marcie Cheung, and today we're diving into some major news that's gonna have an impact on how families travel to Hawaii. If you've been following the travel world, you know that Alaska Airlines officially completed their acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines back in September, 2024. But the big question everyone's been asking is what happens to our miles in status? Well, the wait is over on August 20th, 2025. Both airlines officially announced their new combined loyalty program called Atmos Rewards. It isn't just a simple rebrand. It's a completely reimagined approach to airline loyalty that could be a game changer for families planning Hawaii trips. Whether you're a longtime mileage plan member. A Hawaiian Miles collector, or you've never had an airline loyalty account before. This episode is packed with information you need to know. I'm gonna walk you through exactly what's changing, how to maximize these new opportunities, and why I'm encouraging every single family member, including your kids, to set up their own at rewards accounts. Let's jump right in. So here's what went down. Alaska Airlines, which has consistently been ranked the number one airline rewards program by US News and World Report for 11 consecutive years, just merged with Hawaiian Airlines to create something pretty spectacular. The new program is called Atmos Rewards, and it officially launched on August 20th, 2025. Alaska's mileage plan members were automatically transitioned over and got to keep their account numbers. Hawaiian Miles. Members will see their accounts transition on October 1st, 2025. But here's the really exciting part. This isn't just about combining two programs. They've created something entirely new with features I've never seen before in the airline industry, the biggest innovation, well, starting in 2026, you'll be able to choose how you earn points and status. This is industry first, and it's designed to reward different types of travelers fairly. Distance traveled. Earn one point for every mile flown. This is perfect for budget conscious families taking long trips to Hawaii. Price paid. Earn five points for every dollar spent on flights. This is great for families who book premium cabins or first class segments flown. Earn a flat 500 points per flight segment. This is ideal for families doing inner island hopping or taking multiple shorter trips, you can change your earning preference once per year so you can adapt it to your travel style. They've also renamed the elite tiers to match the new Atmo branding Silver, formally MVP Gold, which is formerly mv, which was formally MVP Gold Platinum, formally MVP Gold, 75,000 and titanium, which is formally. MVP 100,000. The really exciting news for families. Titanium members will get complimentary day of departure upgrades to live flat business class on long haul flights, and that includes a companion. Alaska will be the only US airline offering this benefit. All existing Alaska Airlines Visa cards are being rebranded as at rewards cards, but your account numbers and benefits stay exactly the same. The famous $99 Companion Fair is now valid on both Alaska and Hawaiian flights within North America. The big news is the launch of the AT Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Card with a. With a $395 annual fee, this card is packed with benefits that could be incredible for Hawaii families. There's 100,000 bonus points plus 25,000 point Global Companion Award. After spending $6,000 in 90 days. There's also the annual 25,000 point Global Companion Award. That's potentially a free companion ticket to Hawaii. You also get eight Alaska Lounge passes per year. Free check bags for you and up to six guests and three times points on dining, Alaska, Hawaiian purchases, and all foreign transactions. That last one is huge for mainland families visiting Hawaii. Every purchase you make in Hawaii. Okay, here's something I can't stress enough. If your children don't already have airline loyalty accounts, now is the perfect time to set them up with at rewards accounts. Here's why this matters for families. Future travel flexibility. Those points your kids earn on family trips will be there when they need them for college visits, study abroad or their own future Hawaii trips. Family pooling with the new Summit credit card, you can establish a sharing network with up to 10 other atmosphere Rewards members to transfer points back and forth with no fees. This makes it easy to pool family points for big trips. Building status Early. Kids who fly frequently with the families start building their own elite status, which means better travel experiences as they get older. Teaching financial literacy, managing their own points, teaches kids about rewards planning, and the value of loyalty. The process is simple. Just go to Alaska air.com/atmos, rewards and create accounts for each family member. For kids under 13, you'll manage the account, but they get their own member number and start earning immediately. So let me share some strategies I'm recommending for families. You're gonna wanna choose your earning style wisely if you typically book budget flights. But take one big Hawaii trip per year. Choose distance-based earning. If you splurge on premium economy or first class, go with the price-based earning consider the summit credit card. That $395 annual fee might seem high. But for mainland families who regularly visit Hawaii, the benefits are substantial. The annual companion award alone could save you $500 or more on a Hawaii trip. Plus earning triple points on all of your Hawaii vacation Spending adds up fast. Link your accounts. Make sure all family members accounts are linked so you can easily transfer points between them when needed. Book through Alaska's website when you book Hawaiian flights through Alaska's website. You'll earn both redeemable points and status points even on Partner Airlines. At mrss introducing something called communities. These are special interest groups with tailored benefits. They already have Club 49, that's for Alaska residents offering benefits like free checked bags and huka by Hawaiian. This is for Hawaii residents with quarterly 10% flight discounts, but coming soon, they're launching Communities for Families, wellness travelers and expats as a family travel expert, I'm really excited to see what the family focused community will offer. This could be perfect for mainland families planning Hawaii trips. One of the biggest wins is Hawaiian Airlines joining the One World Alliance. This means your at rewards points can now be used on American Airlines, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, and dozens of other partners. For mainland families planning Hawaii trips, this opens up incredible redemption opportunities. You can use points earned on Hawaii trips to book flights anywhere in the world. They're also upgrading the travel experience. Alaska is installing starlink wifi across their entire fleet by 2027, and it will be free for all at rewards members. This is huge for mainland families traveling with kids who need entertainment during those long flights to Hawaii. All right, so let's talk about the timeline and important dates now through September 30th, Hawaiian Mile accounts are still active in earning September 26th through 30th. Hawaiian Miles accounts will be frozen for migration. October 1st, 2025. All Hawaiian miles automatically transfer to AT rewards. And in 2026, new earning options and Communities launch. Okay, before we wrap up, here are the specific actions I recommend. Number one, set up atmo rewards accounts for every family member who doesn't already have one. Number two, link existing Alaska Mileage Plan accounts if you have them. Number three, consider applying for the Summit Credit card if you travel to Hawaii regularly. Number four, plan your 2026 earning strategy based on your family's travel style. And number five, join relevant communities when they launch. All the links and resources I mentioned today will be in the show notes, including the official at rewards website, credit card application links, community signup information, and my detailed blog post with even more strategies. This merger represents the biggest shakeup in Hawaii travel rewards in decades. For mainland families who are strategic about it, atmo rewards offers incredible opportunities to make Hawaii travel more affordable and enjoyable. The key is understanding your options and taking action early. These companion awards, status, benefits, and point earning opportunities can add up to significant savings on your Hawaii adventures. Remember, the families who benefit most from loyalty programs are the ones who plan ahead and stay engaged. Don't let these opportunities pass you by. Okay, that's a wrap on today's episode. I'm Marcie Cheung, your Seattle based Hawaii expert and Hawaii guidebook author. On Wednesday, we'll be chatting about Hawaii. Fall is the best time to visit Hawaii and the cheapest. Until then, keep planning those Hawaii adventures and Mahalo for listening.