The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® bank card is an entry-level card choice within the Atmos Rewards ecosystem.
The cardboard earns invaluable Atmos Rewards factors that can be utilized to ebook flights with Alaska Airways, Hawaiian Airways and its Oneworld and nonalliance companions like American Airways, Condor and Japan Airways. This card packs a punch with a free checked bag and most popular boarding on Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways flights.
Even in the event you do not fly on Alaska or Hawaiian usually, there are many causes why award-savvy vacationers ought to think about including this cobranded card to their wallets. Card ranking*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
*Card ranking relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.
Atmos Rewards Ascent: The fundamentals
The Atmos Rewards Ascent is a cobranded airline card inside Atmos Rewards, the joint loyalty program between Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways.
For a $95 annual price, the cardboard earns invaluable Atmos Rewards factors and offers just a few added advantages.
A number of the greatest methods to maximise these factors embody redeeming for premium cabins with Oneworld companions, reminiscent of Cathay Pacific and Fiji Airways. Nevertheless, Atmos Rewards factors are additionally stable for short-haul home routes on Alaska Airways and American Airways.
One of many card’s standout perks is its annual $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and costs from $23) that’s earned every account anniversary so long as you’ve got spent $6,000 or extra within the prior anniversary yr.
Usually, it is a stable choice for Alaska Airways or Hawaiian Airways frequent flyers, because of the perks they will get pleasure from when flying with both airline, reminiscent of free checked luggage and most popular boarding.
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Nevertheless, in the event you’re in search of extra premium perks like lounge entry, this card will not meet your wants.
Associated: Which bank card must you use for Alaska Airways flights?
Atmos Rewards Ascent execs and cons
Free checked bag
Inflight low cost
Most popular boarding
Precious factors
Prices an annual price
No lounge entry
Atmos Rewards Ascent advantages
The Atmos Rewards Ascent affords fewer advantages than different cobranded airline playing cards. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to nonetheless anticipate some perks.
Perks when flying Alaska Airways or Hawaiian Airways
Cardholders obtain one piece of free checked baggage for themselves and as much as six different passengers on the identical reservation when flying Alaska or Hawaiian and paying with the Atmos Rewards Ascent. This protects not less than $30 per individual every means on checked luggage, which is a major financial savings in the event you fly with both airline ceaselessly.
Cardholders additionally get most popular boarding on Alaska and Hawaiian, they usually’ll obtain 20% again on inflight purchases with each airways once they use the cardboard.
When you’re working towards Atmos Rewards standing, you’ll be able to earn through the use of the cardboard. You may anticipate to earn 1 standing level for each $3 spent. There isn’t any cap on standing factors you’ll be able to earn by means of spending.
Companion Fare
As talked about above, among the best advantages of the Atmos Rewards Ascent is the $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and costs from $23). This may be unlocked after spending $6,000 or extra on the cardboard inside the prior anniversary yr.
You will get worth from this perk so long as you fly Alaska Airways with a buddy or member of the family on paid fares not less than annually.
Carly Helfand, TPG’s director of content material technique, just lately used the Ascent’s Companion Fare to take a last-minute journey to Chicago together with her husband. The round-trip flights from Portland Worldwide Airport (PDX) in Oregon to Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) price $542.60 per individual, however she paid $679.63 for each tickets because of the Companion Fare.
Alaska Lounge+ membership low cost
Whereas the Atmos Rewards Ascent would not present outright lounge entry, you may get $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership if you pay with this card. A membership prices $795 per yr.
This profit alone offsets the cardboard’s $95 annual price. Nevertheless, given how costly membership is, this perk is not too helpful except you have been already going to pay for an Alaska Lounge+ membership.
Different issues
It is value noting that this card would not present primary journey protections like baggage delay insurance coverage, misplaced baggage insurance coverage, buy safety and journey cancellation/interruption protection. If these perks are necessary to you, chances are you’ll wish to think about an alternate choice.
On a extra optimistic observe, this can be a good card to take overseas because it would not cost overseas transaction charges.
Associated: The 5 greatest airline bank cards with annual charges of $150 or much less
Tips on how to earn and use Atmos Rewards factors
The Atmos Rewards Ascent earns Atmos Rewards factors on purchases. These factors are sometimes greatest used for flight purchases. Let’s dive into what to know.
Incomes Atmos Rewards factors
With this card, you will earn:
3 factors per greenback spent on eligible Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways purchases2 factors per greenback spent on cable, at electrical automobile charging and gasoline stations, on native transit and ride-hailing providers, and on choose streaming services1 level per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases
Plus, cardholders with an eligible Financial institution of America account can even obtain a ten% bonus on all factors earned.
TPG’s July 2026 valuations estimate Atmos Rewards factors are value 1.55 cents apiece.
This card might not be the most suitable choice for spending classes outdoors of Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways purchases. Nevertheless, in the event you’re all in on incomes Atmos Rewards factors, swiping this card turns into extra engaging.
Redeeming Atmos Rewards factors
Atmos Rewards offers stellar redemption charges on home journey. Brief-haul economic system tickets begin at simply 4,500 factors one-way.
Certainly one of my favourite methods to redeem Atmos Rewards factors is to ebook short-haul American Airways flights, reminiscent of Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport (CLT) to Louisville Muhammad Ali Worldwide Airport (SDF) in Kentucky, at this 4,500-point charge.
It is nonetheless a very good deal to redeem for longer home flights, as a one-way flight from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) would price simply 12,500 factors in economic system.
Premium cabins can begin as little as 15,000 factors one-way on shorter flights and 30,000 factors one-way on longer U.S. routes. For journeys to Hawaii, awards usually begin at 15,000 factors every means in economic system and 40,000 factors every means in firstclass.
Atmos Rewards is a part of the Oneworld alliance, which suggests you’ll be able to ebook accomplice flights with airways reminiscent of British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas.
TPG director of journey content material Eric Rosen‘s favourite methods to maximise Atmos Rewards redemptions embody reserving Cathay Pacific or Japan Airways enterprise class from the U.S. to Asia for 75,000 factors one-way and Fiji Airways enterprise class from the U.S. to Fiji for 75,000 factors one-way.
Associated: 10 greatest methods to redeem 100,000 Alaska Airways Atmos Rewards factors
The place the Atmos Rewards Ascent falls quick
Whereas there are a number of execs to holding the $95-annual-fee Atmos Rewards Ascent, there are just a few explanation why chances are you’ll not wish to apply:
The cardboard doesn’t embody journey protections.The cardboard’s incomes charges aren’t significantly excessive, and plenty of different journey playing cards present a greater return in your spending.You need to spend $6,000 on the cardboard in an account anniversary yr to earn the Companion Fare.You have to fly on Alaska Airways or Hawaiian Airways to obtain a free checked bag or most popular boarding.
Atmos Rewards Ascent vs. Atmos Rewards Summit
If you’re able to go all in on Atmos Rewards, think about its premium sibling: the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® bank card.
For a better $395 annual price, the cardboard offers Alaska Lounge passes, a 25,000-point International Companion Award yearly and a excessive incomes charge on overseas purchases.
Associated: Tips on how to attain Alaska Airways elite standing with the Atmos Summit Visa
Is the Atmos Rewards Ascent value it?
The Atmos Rewards Ascent is an effective way to gather invaluable Atmos Rewards factors. When you worth that foreign money extremely, this card is a unbelievable start line.
Nevertheless, in the event you discover the incomes charges restrictive and the advantages underwhelming, another choice could also be the only option.
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When to use for the Atmos Rewards Ascent
New Atmos Rewards Ascent cardholders can earn 70,000 bonus factors and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and costs from $23) after spending $2,500 on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening.
TPG’s valuations deem the factors on this provide to be value $1,085.
This card’s provide historical past is restricted (we have solely seen six affords because it was launched), and that is the second time we have seen this explicit mixture of factors and a Companion Fare. It affords a good quantity of factors for comparatively low spending, so now is an efficient time to use.
Associated: Final-minute methods for incomes Alaska Airways Atmos Rewards elite standing
Different playing cards to think about if you don’t need the Atmos Rewards Ascent
When you aren’t sure concerning the Atmos Rewards Ascent, listed here are some alternate options value contemplating:
For added choices, take a look at our full listing of the greatest journey bank cards.
Backside line
The Atmos Rewards factors you will earn on the Atmos Rewards Ascent unlock unbelievable redemption charges on home flights, in addition to worldwide routes by means of its Oneworld companions.
Award-savvy vacationers know you do not have to be an Alaska Airways or Hawaiian Airways loyalist to benefit from the rewards you earn with this card. Nevertheless, among the card’s perks could go unused in the event you do not not less than often fly with one in all its main airways.
Take into account what issues most to you in trade for a $95 annual price, and you will be in your approach to hitting the skies.
Apply right here for the prospect to earn 70,000 bonus factors and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and costs from $23) after spending $2,500 on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening: Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature bank card
