Last updated: October 3, 2026
Every U.S. airline program has spent the last decade moving the same direction: you earn miles based on how much you spend, not how far you fly. On September 29, 2026, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines did something different. Their shared program, Atmos Rewards, will let you pick.
Starting October 1, 2026, you can choose how you earn points and status points on flights that depart on or after January 1, 2027:
| Option | Points and status points you earn |
|---|---|
| Distance | 1 per mile flown |
| Price | 5 per dollar spent on the ticket |
| Segments | 500 per flight segment |
I think this is the most interesting loyalty change of the year, and also the easiest one to get wrong. Here’s how I’d decide.
The Break-Even Math
You only need two numbers to pick the right option.
- Distance beats price when your fare is less than 20 cents per mile. At 5 points per dollar, a fare has to cost more than $0.20 per mile flown to out-earn 1 point per mile.
- Segments beat distance on any flight shorter than 500 miles, and segments beat price on any flight that costs less than $100.
Here’s what that looks like on some typical routes (ticket prices are illustrative, not quotes):
| Flight | Miles | Fare | Distance | Price | Segments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu to Maui | 100 | $79 | 100 | 395 | 500 |
| Los Angeles to San Francisco | 337 | $89 | 337 | 445 | 500 |
| Seattle to San Francisco | 679 | $129 | 679 | 645 | 500 |
| Seattle to New York (economy) | 2,421 | $349 | 2,421 | 1,745 | 500 |
| Seattle to New York (first) | 2,421 | $1,200 | 2,421 | 6,000 | 500 |
The pattern is clear. Cheap long flights favor distance. Short hops favor segments. Expensive tickets favor price.
Alaska’s average fare per mile is well under 20 cents on most routes. One Mile at a Time puts Alaska’s average passenger revenue per seat mile at around 15 cents. That’s why I expect distance to remain the right answer for most members.
Who Should Switch
Keep distance if you mostly fly economy on cheap-to-moderate fares, especially on longer routes from the West Coast. That’s most leisure travelers, and it’s what I’d stick with.
Pick segments if you live in Hawaii or fly short West Coast routes constantly. On interisland flights, 500 points per hop instead of 100 or so is a 5x improvement. For status, segment earning means 40 flights gets you to Silver (20,000 status points). If you commute between Bay Area and LA airports every week, this option was built for you.
Pick price if you buy first class, premium fares or last-minute business tickets that someone else pays for. At $0.30 or $0.40 a mile, price-based earning can roughly double what distance gives you.
A few rules from Alaska and the reporting so far:
- You can change your choice once per calendar year, and it applies to future travel.
- Existing members who do nothing stay on distance. New members who join on or after January 1, 2027 default to price.
- Status points from Atmos co-branded credit cards aren’t affected by your choice, according to The Points Guy.
- Upgraded Points reports the choice applies to partner flights booked on the Alaska or Hawaiian website or app, and to all American Airlines flights no matter where you book.
- One Mile at a Time reports that distance-based earning no longer includes class-of-service bonuses or a 500-point minimum per segment. If you fly short flights in first class, compare price-based carefully.
The Quiet Downgrade for New Members
Here’s my one complaint. Making price the default for new members means anyone who signs up next year without reading the fine print earns the way United and Delta members do. On a $129 Seattle to San Francisco ticket, that’s 645 points instead of 679. On a cheap transcon, it’s 1,745 instead of 2,421.
That’s not a disaster, but it’s how programs shrink earning without announcing a devaluation. If you’re new to Atmos, log in and pick distance or segments on purpose. Don’t let the default choose for you.
The Other Big News: Bank of America Transfers in 2027
Buried in the same announcement: in 2027, eligible Bank of America cardholders will be able to transfer points into Atmos Rewards. Alaska also says it plans to add more bank transfer partners after that.
What we don’t know yet is the important part: which Bank of America cards qualify, which rewards transfer, and at what ratio. Until those are published, I wouldn’t open a Bank of America card for this.
But it’s a big deal for the program. Today, the main ways to move flexible points into Atmos are Bilt (1:1) and Marriott Bonvoy. Bank of America has a huge cardholder base and, historically, no airline transfer partners at all. If the ratio is decent, Atmos points become far easier to earn, and they’re one of the more valuable airline currencies thanks to partners like Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific.
Communities and Other Changes
- Six free “communities” went live October 1: Global Locals, Families on the Go, Culinary Journeys, Active Escapes, Club 49 (Alaska residents) and Huakaʻi by Hawaiian (Hawaii residents). You pick one and can change once per calendar year. The one I’d look at first is Families on the Go, which One Mile at a Time reports gives a 20% points rebate on award flights for children under 12.
- Premium Class for families of top elites: from November 2, 2026, Platinum and Titanium members can bring eligible children and one companion into Premium Class for free when space is available.
- An Atmos Rewards debit card is coming in early 2027, and a refreshed Atmos Rewards Visa Business Card from Bank of America arrives in late 2026.
The Verdict
This is a genuinely member-friendly change. Choice is rare in airline loyalty, and Alaska is giving you a real one.
My take: most people should keep distance, Hawaii residents and short-hop commuters should switch to segments, and premium-fare buyers should switch to price. New members should set their choice on day one. And keep an eye on the Bank of America transfer details, because that could make Atmos points much easier to earn in 2027.
Want to see which flexible-points card fits your spending, including the Bilt card that transfers to Atmos today? Try the MaxPoints optimizer, check our Bilt Rewards card guide, or see the latest transfer bonuses.
Sources: Alaska Airlines newsroom (September 29, 2026 announcement); The Points Guy and LoyaltyLobby on earning rates and status thresholds; One Mile at a Time on fare-per-mile analysis and communities; Upgraded Points on partner flights. Fares in the table are illustrative. Check the current Atmos Rewards terms before choosing.
