Last-Minute Strategies for Earning Elite Status with Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards

With 2026 just around the corner, now is the perfect time to check your Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards (formerly Mileage Program) frequent flyer mile balance, calculate your travel earnings for the rest of the year, and determine which elite tier you’ll qualify for by December 31, 2025.

If you think you might not meet your goal by the deadline, the good news is there’s still time to earn membership points until the end of 2025. Additionally, with the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, getting elite status on Alaska Airlines may be at the top of your list.

Here’s what you need to know about Alaska’s new Atmos rewards program, including eligibility requirements, tier benefits and last-minute strategies for earning Alaska Airlines elite status.

Related: Are We (Mostly) Winners? My Thoughts on Alaska’s New Unified Atmos Rewards Program

What are the requirements for elite status on Alaska Airlines?

Alaska Airlines has four announced elite tiers, and Atmos Rewards members can earn tier points by flying with Alaska, Hawaii, Oneworld and other global partners and spending with co-branded credit cards to qualify for elite status each calendar year.

Additionally, there is no minimum number of segments that Atmos Rewards members need to fly each year on Alaska-operated flights to achieve elite status.

The following are Atmos Rewards status level requirements:

Atmos Rewards members who achieve Platinum or Titanium status in 2025 will receive a head start in 2026: 5,000 tier points will carry over to Platinum and 20,000 tier points will carry over to Titanium.

However, by 2026, members will be able to choose how they earn flight points and status points based on:

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• flight distance:Flying 1 mile equals earning 1 point
• expenditure: 1 USD spent on basic fare (including upgrades) equals 5 points (or 1 point for every 20 points redeemed)
• flight segment: 500 points per segment

You may only change your selection once per calendar year.

Last-Minute Alaska Airlines Elite Status Earning Strategies

Here are some ways you can rack up more status points so you can cross the finish line and reach your desired elite status level before time runs out.

Alaska Airlines co-branded credit card spending

Co-branded card holders can earn tier points through daily purchases:

You can also earn tier points with select partners. Be sure to check out Atmos Rewards’ full list of partners to see which airlines, hotels and everyday brands offer tier points.

This means you can qualify for the basic level of Atmos rewards purely through credit card spending.

Redeem Atmos Reward Points

If you have a lot of Atmos Rewards points, strategically redeeming them can now help you achieve elite status faster. Under the updated program, award flights booked using Atmos Rewards points will earn tier points (including partner rewards) at a rate of 1 tier point per mile flown.

This means that even if you don’t pay cash, every mile you fly on a reward flight will still earn you Silver, Gold, Platinum or Titanium status.

To maximize this benefit before the end of the year:

• Redeem for long-haul routes on flights operated by Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines, rather than short-haul flights, as 2025 status points are still based on distance (minimum 500 points per segment).
• Avoid X-class fares on award tickets, which only count toward 30% of miles flown.
• Combine reward bookings with credit card earnings boosts – for example, charging taxes and fees on a co-branded credit card earns you extra redeemable points, while your flights themselves accrue tier points.

Alaska Airlines Status Match Challenge

If you don’t already have elite status with Alaska, but already have elite status with another airline, Airline Status Match may be your best option to quickly achieve elite status. If you qualify, you will receive temporary status in Alaska based on your current rank among competitors.

Alaska has a complete list of its status matching partners on its website.

Then, to retain your Alaska membership status after the 90-day promotional period, you will need to earn the following number of membership points on flights marketed by Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines (operated by Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon Air or SkyWest Airlines; excluding special fares):

• Atmospheric silver: 5,000 status points
• Atmospheric gold: 10,000 status points
• Atmospheric platinum: 20,000 status points

Alaska’s elite take time off for new parents

Are you falling behind on elite status because your recent travel plans have been limited by new pleasures? Alaska Airlines has an “Elite Vacations” policy for new parents, allowing travelers to extend elite status for an additional year during pregnancy or maternity leave.

To take advantage of this offer, you must provide the airline with your full name, date of birth, Atmos Rewards number and proof of pregnancy or parental leave, such as a note from your doctor or employer, via email upon return. If approved, the airline will assume you are eligible for elite status in the year your parental leave ends and extend it to the following year.

Alaska Airlines mileage operation scenario

Since earning tier points is not tied to specific dollar amounts, Atmos Rewards members can earn elite status with the airline by booking low-cost cash tickets to Alaska or its partners.

If you’re just a few thousand points away from elite status before the new year, here are some route suggestions worth considering:

• Still 1,000 status points short: Atmos rewards are very generous, and regardless of whether you have elite status, you can earn at least 500 Member Points on flights within 500 miles on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, except for tickets booked in Saver fare classes, which only earn 30% Member Points. So you might consider taking two very short flights to earn 1,000 status points.
• Still 5,000 status points short: The easiest way to fill this gap is to seek low-cost transcontinental flights from the West Coast to the East Coast. These routes will be more expensive than shorter flights, but the prices are usually reasonable enough to justify traveling quickly to maintain elite status.
• More than 10,000 status points are left: If you’re nowhere near your goal (which probably applies best to those who want to achieve Atmos Rewards Gold or above status), you may still earn 10,000 or even 20,000 status points this year. The easiest way is to book two back-to-back transcontinental flights, since you can do each flight within a day or two and could end up earning around 10,000 status points. But flying a narrow-body jet to a destination you may have already visited takes a lot of time.

If you want to earn a lot of tier points quickly and all at once, consider taking a cheap, long-haul flight on one of Alaska’s many airline partners. Consider giving it a vacation.

However, you’ll want to pay special attention to airline partner earnings rates, as the number of tier points earned varies by partner and fare class. Check your fare class and operating airline’s partner page to calculate the tier points you will receive from partner flights.

Related: The best credit cards for booking flights

bottom line

Even though the end of the calendar year is less than three months away, you still have time to lock in your 2025 Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards elite status so you can enjoy a variety of perks and perks until 2026.

You should first evaluate your current situation in pursuing elite status and then decide which strategy will help you achieve your goals, especially if significant spending is required to achieve or maintain your elite status.

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