Elite status with an airline is something most frequent flyers covet. Whether due to a lack of flying experience or an inability to meet rigorous requirements, elite status may not be attainable for everyone. However, even if you don’t fly regularly, it’s still possible to achieve elite status and enjoy the perks and perks that come with it.
Alaska Airlines, for example, offers one of the easiest ways to achieve elite status without requiring much flying. If you hold Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Cardyou don’t need to step foot on a plane to enjoy Atmos Rewards elite status.
Here’s how you can get status with just a co-branded credit card in your wallet.
Atmos Rewards Summit Card Overview
this Atmos Rewards Summit It is the latest top card product offered by Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. It provides the following benefits:
In addition, there are many other benefits that can benefit frequent or infrequent fliers on Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. These benefits alone are enough for you to consider adding this card to your wallet, but a notable reason is the ability to earn elite status without having to fly.
Related: Who qualifies for the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card?
Why You Should Want Atmos Rewards Elite Membership
Atmos Rewards is the recently launched joint loyalty program of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. The program’s elite status benefits are the same ones offered by most airlines, such as priority boarding and free upgrades on select routes. However, the significant difference between Atmos Rewards and other airline loyalty programs is that you can choose how You will achieve elite status in 2026.
You can choose one of the following models:
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- Distance-Based: Earn 1 status point for every mile flown
- Spend-based: Earn 5 tier points for every $1 spent on flights
- Segment-based: Earn 500 status points for each award segment flown
This flexibility is especially helpful for travelers who may not be able to fly long distances or take enough Alaska Airlines flights to earn status through traditional means. That is Atmos Rewards Summit Helps you jumpstart your pursuit of elite status, as you earn 1 status point for every $2 spent on the card.
There are four status levels: Silver, Gold, Platinum and Titanium.
With any level of Atmos Rewards elite status, you can enjoy benefits such as earning bonus points, priority service, free first class upgrades when flying on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines or American Airlines, free first class upgrades on Alaska Airlines, extra comfort upgrades on Hawaiian Airlines and extra main cabin upgrades on American Airlines, free preferred seats on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines and Oneworld partners, and Oneworld equivalency status.
Silver Elite status is the entry-level level and the easiest to obtain. It’s the counterpart to Oneworld Ruby, which offers minimal perks such as access to business class check-in, preferred or reserved seats, and priority standby.
However, Gold level is the best choice for Elite level. Once you reach this level, you will unlock Oneworld Sapphire status, which gives you access to Oneworld lounges when traveling internationally with Oneworld airlines, regardless of the cabin class you are flying.
If you plan to spend a lot of money on your Atmos card, it’s possible to get Platinum or Titanium status (both correspond to Oneworld Emerald status). In addition, starting in 2026, Titanium members will receive global business class upgrades where available.
Elite status holders will also receive reciprocal benefits when flying on American Airlines, such as extra legroom seats (subject to availability) and free upgrades.
Related: Which credit card should you use for Alaska Airlines flights?
Use the Atmos Summit Card to qualify for Atmos rewards
Below are details on Atmos reward tiers and the spending requirements to earn Summit card tiers. Plus cardholders can earn 10,000 tier points on every account anniversary. This is half the battle to achieving Silver status. Since cardholders can earn 1 tier point for every $2 spent (with no limit), here are the details on how much you need to spend on the card to reach each tier level.
| status level | Atmos Elite Level Points Threshold | Summit card required spending |
|---|---|---|
| Silver level (equivalent to Oneworld Ruby) | 20,000 | $20,000 (earn 10,000 tier points) |
| Gold level (Oneworld Sapphire level) | 40,000 | $60,000 (earn 30,000 tier points) |
| Platinum level (equivalent to Oneworld Jade level) | 75,000 | $130,000 (earn 65,000 tier points) |
| Titanium (oneworld jade equivalent) | 100,000 | $180,000 (earn 90,000 tier points) |
Since it costs over $100,000 to reach Platinum or Titanium elite status, I only recommend this spend-based method for achieving Silver or Gold status. For most people, reaching Platinum or Titanium status through credit card spending is unrealistic; you have a better chance of earning status naturally by flying with Alaska and its partners. This method works best for those with high spending who might not otherwise have enough flight time to qualify.
RELATED: Last-Minute Strategies for Earning Elite Status with Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards
bottom line
If you can’t earn Atmos Rewards elite status organically, the Atmos Rewards Summit card can help you get there quickly through spending. Even if you’re not chasing status and prefer flying with Alaska Airlines, this is still a worthwhile addition to your wallet, as it comes with perks like eight annual lounge passes and earning 3 foreign transaction points per dollar spent.
To learn more, read our full review of the Atmos Summit card.
Apply here: Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card
