I can’t help but feel that when Alaska Airlines replaces Mileage Plan with “Atmos Rewards” when it combines loyalty programs with Hawaiian Miles, the result for consumers will not be positive. But it’s not too late to ensure that Alaska Airlines remains an outlier in the world of frequent flyer programs.

Alaska Airlines Plans To Replace Mileage Plan With “Atmos Rewards”

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, the long-standing loyalty program of Alaska Airlines, will merge with Hawaiian Miles, the longstanding loyalty program of Hawaiian Airlines, on October 1, 2025. View From The Wing reports that the name of the new program will be Atmos Rewards.

We’ll get into the program specifics in a moment, but first, the name. All I can think of is whether venerable aviation consultant Henry Harteveldt had anything to do with this…his own company is called Atmosphere Research Group. And while that company name works well for him, I do wonder why Alaska Airlines would choose such a generic name for its combined loyalty program.

I look back on loyalty program name changes and see two glaring mistakes over the last decade: Marriott and Hyatt. After its merger with Starwood, Marriott took Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) and created Marriott Bonvoy, a name that has become the butt of many jokes (to be “bonvoyed” means you had a negative or problematic experience with the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program or a Marriott hotel). We may have become accustomed to the Bonvoy name, but it still strikes me as a foolish brand progression.

The same is true with World of Hyatt. Gold Passport was such a recognizable and cherished brand. Why muck it up by changing to World of Hyatt, with all those odd tiers like Explorist, Discoverist, and Globalist?  I still dislike it.

Mileage Plan is not only widely recognized, but it is also widely beloved. Alaska Airlines should really think twice before changing it.

Alaska Airlines Must Continue to Distinguish Its Loyalty Program From Others

But ultimately, the name is tertiary to the program itself. Until now, Alaska has offered a unique and compelling loyalty program. It has excellent redemption partners and competitive pricing and in what has become almost archaic, still awards miles based on miles flown…what a concept!

This should not be altered.

I don’t have a problem with a revenue alternative…rewarding high spenders is not bad business (although rewarding business travelers who spend other people’s money does not strike me as nearly as valuable). But the fundamental value of rewarding people who go out of their way to fly great distances on Alaska Airlines is a appealing to those customers on the margin…exactly the sort of discretionary flyers Alaska is smart to court.

Offering published redemption charts, partnerships beyond the oneworld alliance like Singapore Airlines, Condor, and Icelandair, and continuing to improve technology on the website and app and will ensure that this “boutique” loyalty program will be a customer-favorite.

Finally, I’d love to see Alaska Airlines team up with its bank partner, Bank of America, to offer a more compelling card product (I also think it’s a great chance for B of A to introduce a Chase Sapphire-type card that allows transfers into the new Alaska Atmos Rewards program).

CONCLUSION

Alaska Airlines is preparing to unveil its rebranded loyalty program called “Atmos Rewards.” I’m against the name change, but the name of the program is far less important than the substance of the program.

Competitive flight redemption options with published award charts and earning miles based on how far you fly will continue to ensure that Alaska offers a meaningful alternative in a crowded space of loyalty programs.

image: Alaska Airlines