Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Card Review: Outstanding Value for Frequent Flyers

Atmos Rewards Summit Card Benefits

The Atmos Rewards Summit can quickly boost your balance and provide significant benefits.

Unique Rewards Opportunity for International Purchases

This card earns points in the Atmos Rewards program, which features its own set of airline partners in addition to being part of the Oneworld alliance. Atmos Rewards offers more booking options than many other airlines, but lacks the flexibility of general travel rewards.

Like many of the best airline credit cards, you’ll earn a boosted rate of 3x points for purchases with the co-branded airlines (Alaska and Hawaiian). You’ll also earn 3x points for dining and foreign purchases, which can be highly valuable if you travel often. I’ll get high-value rewards no matter where I spend money while I’m traveling abroad.

In addition, customers with an eligible Bank of America checking, savings or CD account, or an investment account with Merrill, can earn an additional 10% rewards bonus, increasing earning rates to as high as 3.3x points.

Welcome Offer Gives a Major Boost to Your Balance

The Atmos Rewards Summit comes with one of the most valuable welcome offers on the market: Earn 100,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days after account opening.

My family will get great value from Atmos Rewards and the companion award, so I applied for this card quickly. Premium credit cards often launch with a limited-time bonus, so I’d advise you not to wait around if you’re interested.

Perks Tailored for Brand Loyalty

The card focuses on perks that can significantly benefit frequent Atmos Rewards flyers. Overall, I find the card’s features very appealing and plan to reconsider my travel plans to focus more on the Atmos Rewards program. Here’s everything you can take advantage of with this card.

• Free first checked bag for you and up to six guests on the same reservation when you pay your fare with the card
• Preferred boarding for you and up to six guests on the same reservation when you pay with your card
• 20% discount on in-flight purchases with Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines
• Up to $120 statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every four years
• Annual Global 25K Companion Award (worth up to 25,000 points off a published award ticket) for a companion on the same itinerary when you book with Atmos Rewards, including partner award bookings
• Global 100K Companion Award (worth up to 100,000 points off a published award ticket) if you spend $60,000 in your anniversary year
• Earn 10,000 status points every year on your account anniversary
• Earn 1 status point for every $2 spent on the card
• Two Alaska Lounge passes and Wi-Fi passes each quarter
• No same-day change fees for Alaska Airlines flight changes (excluding saver fares)
• No fees for booking partner award flights
• $50 voucher if your Alaska Airlines flight has a same-day cancellation or a departure delay of two hours or more
• Complimentary signature cocktail or elevated bar offering when you show your card at Alaska Lounges

Visa Infinite Benefits and Travel Protections

The Atmos Rewards Summit is a Visa Infinite card, so you can count on built-in travel insurance, purchase protections and premium benefits, including:

• Car rental insurance
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Baggage delay reimbursement
• Emergency evacuation and transportation/repatriation of remains coverage
• Travel accident insurance
• Travel and emergency assistance services
• Roadside dispatch
• Personal identity theft reimbursement
• Purchase security
• Extended warranty protection
• Return protection
• Complimentary Avis Preferred Plus membership (enrollment required)
• Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive membership (enrollment required)
• Visa Infinite concierge
• Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection

Atmos Rewards Summit Card Drawbacks

Like many airline cards, if your travel needs don’t align with the brand or you don’t fly often enough, you may not get enough value to justify the cost.

High Annual Fee

The $395 annual fee can be difficult to justify if you don’t fly often with Alaska or Hawaiian or use Atmos Rewards regularly.

Mediocre for Everyday Spending

If you prefer to earn higher rewards for your everyday spending, consider other options. The card earns a mediocre 1x points on all purchases other than dining, foreign transactions and purchases with Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines.

Weaker Route Map

Even with the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, their route coverage still falls short of other major domestic carriers. It’s heavily based on the West Coast, so if your travel needs don’t take you that way or you can’t get solid value booking regular partner awards, you likely won’t get value from this card.

Who Is the Atmos Rewards Summit Card Best For?

The Atmos Rewards Summit is ideal for international frequent flyers. The card earns solid rates for dining and foreign transactions while providing valuable Global Companion Awards as spending incentives. Atmos Rewards customers benefit from perks designed to reward their loyalty.

However, the annual fee may not be worth it for those who don’t travel regularly or spend much in the card’s limited bonus categories. Also, it can be more challenging to get the best value from your rewards if you aren’t familiar with the complex partner alliance.

Is the Atmos Rewards Summit Card Right for You?

The Atmos Rewards Summit is right for you if you’re looking for a card to incentivize brand loyalty and earn solid rewards internationally. Here are some reasons to consider this card:

• 3x points on dining, foreign transactions and purchases with Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines
• Global 25K Companion Award annually
• Boosts towards Atmos Rewards elite status
• Day-of-travel perks such as free checked bags, preferred boarding, Alaska Lounge and Wi-Fi passes, and in-flight discounts

Alternatives to the Atmos Rewards Summit Card

The Atmos Rewards Summit is an excellent option for frequent travelers who can get good value from Atmos Rewards. Here are two other travel credit cards that might work better for you, depending on your travel needs.

• Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature®: This is the new version of Alaska’s previous card, featuring a lower annual fee and the same rewards rate on Alaska and Hawaiian purchases. You’ll also earn 2x points on a broader set of bonus everyday spending categories and get a $99 companion fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) when you spend $6,000 on the card each anniversary year. While the Atmos Rewards Ascent is a suitable option for occasional travelers, frequent flyers should get better value with the Atmos Rewards Summit.
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: The Venture X offers premium travel benefits, including broader airport lounge access, for the same annual fee as the Summit. If you prefer flexibility or simplicity with your rewards, the card offers multiple redemption options and an excellent flat rewards rate on purchases. Annual incentives like bonus miles and Capital One Travel credits can also easily offset the card’s cost. Unless you’ll benefit from the brand loyalty benefits of the Atmos Rewards Summit, the Venture X is likely a better option.