Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card Launch

A month ago, we were able to confirm rumors regarding the launch of the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card. If you’re in the run about credit cards, you might’ve heard that Alaska Airlines has released a brand new premium credit card, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card.

Like most premium travel-rewards credit cards out there, this card comes with a high annual fee of $395 and luxury travel benefits. However, it comes with a few unique features that would make it a powerful card for many, especially people who travel abroad often.

Impressive Introductory Offer

The Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card will have a valuable introductory offer as part of its launch. You can earn 100,000 Atmos™ Rewards points, plus a 25,000 Global Companion Award, after spending $6,000 in purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Since Atmos™ Rewards was officially launched today, we can see how the value of their points will play out when it comes to award redemptions.

As seen in the example above, you can fly nonstop from Boston (BOS) to Tokyo (NRT) on Japan Airlines in Economy for 37.5k points + $19 in taxes & fees, or Premium Economy for 50k points + $19 in taxes & fees.

This is identical to what we’ve seen with the former Alaska Airlines Mileage Program, as I booked this very flight using 37.5k Alaska Airlines miles and $19 in fees.

100,000 Atmos™ Rewards points can easily cover a round-trip flight in Economy between North America and Asia, or you could even cover a business class flight between North America and Europe or Asia.

This is great news, as the 100,000-point introductory offer is already a strong feature of the credit card that is bound to return excellent value with redemptions.

However, this is just the beginning. Buckle up, because you might find the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card even more useful after you hear about all its other features.

Point-Earning Structure: Time to start filling up that passport!

The bonus categories that the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card earns bonus points are what make it truly stand out in the travel-rewards credit card game. It is especially curated for people who travel, especially internationally. Here’s how the earning rate breaks down:

• 3x points per $1 spent on Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines flights booked directly
• 3x points per $1 spent on dining purchases
• 3x points per $1 spent on all foreign purchases made outside of the U.S.
• 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases

If you travel internationally often, this card might be a no-brainer to add to your wallet. You can easily rack up lots of points when making any purchases abroad, and it comes as no surprise that people often spend a lot of money when going on vacation.

For example, I just came back from a two-week trip to Japan. Even though Japan is mainly a cash-based society, I still swiped my credit card quite a bit, especially when loading up my Suica card for use on the trains, purchasing Shinkansen bullet train tickets, and buying lots of items for myself and others at Don Quijote.

If I had the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card, I would’ve 100% used it to make all my non-dining purchases abroad. Earning 3x points per $1 spent on all foreign purchases is simply too good to pass up.

If you have an eligible Bank of America account, you might be eligible to earn a 10% bonus on points on whatever you spend. This can help you accrue points even faster.

You’ll earn 10,000 status points every year, starting with the second year that you have the credit card. Additionally, for every $2 you spend, you’ll earn 1 status point, allowing you to achieve member status with Atmos™ Rewards.

Global Companion Awards

Global Companion Awards are a benefit exclusive to the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card that allows you to save up to 25,000 or 100,000 Atmos™ Rewards points when booking an award redemption flight for two people.

You can earn a Global 25K Companion Award as a welcome bonus after spending $6,000 on purchases in your first few months of getting the card, as well as every anniversary year.

You can earn a Global 100K Companion Award after spending $60,000 or more in annual purchases.

If your companion ticket costs more than your award, you can use points to top off your award and pay the companion fare. However, if you don’t use the full value of your companion award, you’ll forfeit the remaining value.

This is an extremely useful perk, as you can easily use even just the Global 25K Companion Award to save hundreds of dollars on a flight when you’re traveling with someone else.

Additional Benefits

On top of the coveted Global Companion Awards, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card offers a host of other benefits that truly solidify the credit card as a strong and powerful credit card for frequent travelers. These benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Free checked luggage for cardholder + up to 6 companions traveling on the same reservation on Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines: I occasionally fly with checked luggage, so I’ll be able to make use of this benefit.
• 8 Alaska Airlines lounge passes (2 per quarter): I love visiting airport lounges whenever I can, so I’ll definitely be able to use some, if not all, of the lounge passes available. However, it is worth noting that you’ll need to have a same-day eligible boarding pass for a flight operated by Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Oneworld, or partner airlines.
• 8 WiFi passes (2 per quarter): I already have free WiFi on Alaska Airlines flights thanks to their partnership with T-Mobile, so I’m not sure I’d find use out of this credit besides gifting it to people.
• Preferred boarding: The cardholder and up to 6 companions traveling on the same reservation can enjoy preferred boarding on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines (coming this fall). I always enjoy being able to board earlier, so I’ll be able to make use of this benefit.
• Free points sharing: You can send points back and forth between up to 10 other Atmos™ Rewards members at no extra charge. This is a great benefit for families, as you can easily pool up points when needed to book family trips, or you can easily gift points to people as a nice treat.
• $120 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit every four years: I already have Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, so this credit wouldn’t do me any good. Still makes for a great gift, though!
• $50 Alaska Airlines flight coupon/voucher for Alaska Airlines flight cancellations or delays over 2 hours: While Alaska Airlines has gifted me compensation in the past without me asking (I once got a $100 voucher after my flight had to wait 2 hours on the tarmac after landing), it would be nice to know that I’ll be getting confirmed compensation for a delay. This benefit will be extended to Hawaiian Airlines in the future.
• Waived same-day change fee (up to $50 per change): I’ve never had to do a same-day change before, so I’m not sure I’d find any use out of this benefit. This benefit will be extended to Hawaiian Airlines in the future.
• Waived $12.50 partner award booking fee: I’ll definitely be able to make use of this benefit, as I’ve used Alaska Airlines miles to book with partner airlines in the past plenty of times, such as American Airlines and Japan Airlines.

Final Remarks

The Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card is shaping up to be one of the most compelling premium travel cards on the market. With a massive 100,000-point introductory bonus, 3x earning on international purchases, and unique Global Companion Awards, it offers tremendous value for frequent flyers, especially those who often travel abroad. Add to that the generous set of perks, like free checked bags, Alaska lounge passes, and fee waivers, and it’s clear this card is designed to compete with the very best in the premium credit card space.

While the high annual fee may not be for everyone, travelers who can maximize the perks and point redemptions will find the card pays for itself quickly. If you frequently fly with Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines, or simply love earning rewards for dining and international purchases, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card deserves a serious look.