Atmos Rewards and its premium credit card, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card, are two of my favorite things to come out of the points and miles world in recent years.
Atmos Rewards came about after Alaska Airlines merged with Hawaiian Airlines. It largely kept everything I liked about the former Mileage Plan program, while adding some great features, like the ability to earn status points on award flights. Meanwhile, the Atmos Summit card brought a fresh take on the premium credit card.
One of the most interesting things about the card is its included Global Companion Award, which provides a discount on a companion’s award ticket. It includes an award worth 25,000 points out of the box, and you can earn a second worth 100,000 points after spending $60,000 on the card in a given cardmember year.
I just finished spending toward the 100K-point award and redeemed it almost immediately. Here’s why I spent so much on my Atmos Summit card this year, and why I’ll probably do it again next year.
The 100K Global Companion Award is massively valuable
As mentioned, the Global Companion Award takes a set number of points off the cost of your companion’s award ticket. For couples or anyone traveling with a partner, that’s effectively a points bonus, as you don’t have to pay for their ticket.
TPG’s July 2026 valuations put Atmos Rewards points at 1.55 cents each, meaning this award is worth $1,550 if you maximize it. In practice, however, it can be worth much more than that if you use it to cover expensive business-class tickets.
I redeemed my 100K-point Global Companion Award shortly after it posted to my account. My wife and I are going to Asia in January, and we’re flying Alaska Airlines’ new route from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) on the way home.
A one-way business-class ticket on this route costs 95,000 points plus $33.93 taxes and fees per person on the date we booked. I paid for my ticket with my points, and only paid minimal taxes and fees for her ticket when I applied the award.
This ticket would have otherwise cost roughly $2,500 per person, so I saved a substantial amount of money by using the award. It also made this booking possible, since I didn’t have enough points in my Atmos Rewards account to book both of us.
You’re not limited to Alaska Airlines flights, either — the award works across Atmos Rewards’ partner airlines, too. Earlier this year, for example, I used my 25,000-point Global Companion Award to knock 25,000 points off my friend’s American Airlines business class flight to Mexico City when we traveled together.
Spending on the card means I’m earning valuable points and elite status
The Atmos Summit card is one of the two cards I’m using regularly these days, usually when I’m traveling abroad. This is because the card earns 3 points per dollar spent on all purchases abroad, which is equivalent to a 4.7% return on my spending.
Even better, the card also earns 1 status point per $2 spent. Spending $60,000 on the card this year helped me earn Atmos Gold elite status, and I should reach Platinum before the year is over.
Atmos Rewards elite status includes valuable perks like Oneworld lounge access on international flights, plus upgrades and Main Cabin Extra seat selection on American Airlines flights, both of which I’ve already used since earning Gold status a couple of months ago.
The fact that I’m earning Atmos Rewards points and making progress towards elite status made it much easier for me to justify putting $60,000 in spending on the Atmos Summit card instead of a transferable-points card. It’s now the only card I reach for when I’m traveling abroad.
Related: Why the Atmos Rewards Summit was our favorite new credit card
Important things to know about the Global Companion Award
Before you start chasing the 100K-point Global Companion Award, it’s worth understanding exactly what it does — and what it doesn’t.
This award is a points discount, not a free ticket for your companion. You’re still responsible for the taxes and fees when you redeem it, which can be high on British Airways flights from the U.S. to Europe. Further, you need to find two award seats that cost the same amount of points and book them on the same itinerary.
However, you don’t have to be the one flying to use it. Instead, you can use the award to book tickets for two of your friends.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when redeeming it:
- Use it on expensive tickets: Try to save your Global Companion Award for tickets that are as close as possible to the award’s value to ensure you’re not leaving anything on the table. These awards can be used for round-trip or one-way tickets, so you have flexibility in how you reach that number.
- You can’t stack the two awards: The 25K-point and 100K-point awards can’t be combined on a single booking.
- Don’t let it expire: Each Global Companion Award is valid for 12 months. You don’t have to fly within this period, just book a ticket.
Whether spending $60,000 on the Atmos Summit is right for you depends on how much you personally value Atmos Rewards points and whether you can redeem the award. Solo travelers probably won’t find it worthwhile, but couples who travel together and enjoy premium cabins will likely find it worth the effort.
Related: Is the Atmos Rewards Summit worth the annual fee?
How to redeem the Global Companion Award
You can redeem the Global Companion Award online. First head to Alaska Airlines’ website, log in to your account and click on your profile icon at the upper right corner of the screen. Click on the “Discount/companion code” option.
You’ll see your Global Companion Award there, and can start the booking process by following the on-screen prompts. The Global Companion Award will be applied as a discount to your total fare for two passengers.
Related: How to earn Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points
Bottom line
The 100K-point Global Companion Award isn’t free — you’re committing $60,000 in spending and giving up some flexibility along the way.
But for a couple that travels in premium cabins, the combination of an award that can wipe out a $2,500 business-class ticket, a head start on Atmos elite status and a pile of Atmos Rewards points makes that spending easy to justify. But as always, do the math and see if earning it makes sense for you.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Atmos Summit card.
Apply here: Atmos Rewards Summit credit card
