Alaska Airlines Rewrites Loyalty Playbook: Members Now Choose How to Earn Points—Here’s Why It’s a Game-Changer

Alaska Airlines just flipped traditional loyalty programs on their head—giving members unprecedented control over how they rack up points.

Flexibility Over Rigidity

No more being forced into a single earning structure. Passengers pick their poison—whether it's flight miles, partner spending, or ground-based activities. Finally, an airline program that doesn't treat customers like captive revenue streams.

The Personalization Push

This isn't just about points—it's about data. Alaska gets deeper insights into passenger behavior while members get tailored rewards. Everybody wins, except maybe the legacy carriers still running 1990s-style programs.

Why This Matters Beyond Travel

When airlines innovate, other industries notice. This could spark a loyalty program arms race—good for consumers, brutal for companies clinging to outdated models. Another reminder that in today's economy, if you're not adapting, you're just subsidizing someone else's innovation.

Alaska Says Offering Under Its New Rewards Program Marks an Industry First

Alaska Airlines on Wednesday announced the launch of its Atmos Rewards loyalty program, which combines its old Mileage Plan with Hawaiian Airlines' HawaiianMiles after the Department of Transportation cleared their merger last year.

Under the new program, Alaska will allow customers to choose how they earn points: by distance traveled, price paid, or segments flown, in what the airline called the first offering of its kind in the industry. "We'll remain the only U.S. airline that offers points for miles flown," the carrier said. The MOVE comes as other airlines have switched how they award loyalty points in recent years from distances flown to dollars spent.

Alaska advised that for "thrifty travelers who take cross-country or international trips," earnings points for distance traveled might be the best option. For travelers flying in its premium cabins, getting points for dollars paid might be best, it said. "Flyers who take numerous short-distance flights, such as those between Neighbor Islands in Hawai`i or within California," can select that option and earn a flat 500 points for each segment flown, guaranteeing "a set number of points on every trip."

Alaska Launches Premium Credit Card With Bank of America

Alaska and Bank of America (BAC) are also introducing a new premium credit card, the Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card, which comes with a $395 annual fee.

Highlights include a new Global Companion Award redeemable in any class of service, eight passes each year to Alaska Lounges, points pooling with up to 10 other Atmos Rewards members, and "an industry-first 3x points earning on all qualifying foreign spend," Alaska said.

Free Starlink Wi-Fi Coming Next Year

Building on Hawaiian Airlines' partnership with Starlink, Alaska said it will offer Elon Musk's high-speed, low-orbit satellite internet service "in 2026 and bring the technology to its entire fleet by 2027." The carrier is partnering with T-Mobile US (TMUS) to provide the service for free to all Atmos Rewards customers "beginning on select flights" next year.

Rival carrier United Airlines (UAL) currently is rolling out free Starlink Wi-Fi, a division of Musk's SpaceX company, to its fleet.