With the debut of the new Atmos™ Rewards loyalty program, Bank of America has rolled out a trio of co-branded Alaska Airlines credit cards. Two are personal cards while one is a business card. For those chasing premium benefits, there’s a $395 option with elevated features. However, the other personal card is a great option for value seekers. The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card offers a generous 80,000-mile welcome bonus after qualifying spend. Plus it has perks like free checked bags, 20% back on in-flight purchases, and preferred boarding, all for a modest $95 annual fee.

Who is this card for?

If you’re based on the West Coast and fly Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines even semi-regularly, this card is a smart value play. It’s also a great to keep for only the first year. Even if you don’t fly those carriers often, the generous welcome bonus makes it easy to rack up Atmos Rewards points fast and redeem them for partner award flights.

What really makes this card shine however is how quickly it pays for itself. Just one round-trip for you and three family members could save you $280 in checked bag fees alone. Add in preferred boarding (Group C, ahead of general boarding), and you’ll have a much better shot at snagging overhead bin space for your carry-on.

You can apply for the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card here.

Card Features

Bonus Offer

You’ll earn 80,000 points, plus a $99 Companion Fare after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 120 days after account opening.

Annual Fee

The card comes with a $95 annual fee.

Earning Rates

The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card earns:

• 3 points per $1 spent on purchases at Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines
• 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including rideshare) purchases
• 1 points per $1 on all other spending
• Earn 1 status point for every $3 spent on purchases, up to 30,000 status points in 2025 (uncapped starting in 2026)
• Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America® account

The earning rates are nothing special, but they are in line with other similarly priced airline cards. If you’re looking to build up your Atmos™ Rewards balance, this is a decent way to do it.

Redeeming Points

Redeeming on Partner Flights

Atmos Rewards (formerly Alaska Mileage Plan) has long been a favorite points currency because they have a unique array of airline partners, a generous stopover policy, and attractive redemption rates. Alaska Airlines belongs to the oneworld alliance, though the airline has an array of other partners beyond oneworld. 

Atmos Rewards makes point redemption refreshingly straightforward with three intuitive award charts, each blending zone-based and distance-based pricing.

Note: Award pricing is based on the cumulative distance of one-way travel.

Americas Award Chart

When looking at the above chart, you can quickly see that short haul redemptions are a sweet spot. In the Americas you can fly one-way in economy for as few as 4,500 points. Business class award prices are also attractive at the lower distance bands.

Europe, Middle East, and Africa Award Chart

Short haul redemptions are a great deal in this award chart as well. For just 7,500 points in economy or 15,000 points in business class, you can fly up to 1,500 miles to Europe or the Middle East, on carriers like British Airways, Royal Jordanian, Qatar Airways and more. London is also a sweet spot from the northeastern U.S. when the mileage is less than 3,500. Those routes in business class can be redeemed for 45,000 points.

Asia-Pacific Award Chart

Again this chart has some great deals on short haul flights. However, long haul awards can also be a great deal, especially if you value a stopover. For example, you could fly from the U.S. west coast to Japan for 60,000 points in business class, with a stopover along the way.

Card Benefits

This card has some nice benefits and those that fly Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines even just once a year can get outsized value.

Annual Companion Fare

On your account anniversary, cardholders receive a $99 Companion Fare benefit (plus taxes and fees from $23) every year that you spend at least $6,000 on purchases with your card. This benefit is valid on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights within North America, including the State of Hawaii, when booked on AlaskaAir.com

Free First Checked Bag

Cardholders and up to 6 guests traveling on the same reservation will get 1 free checked bag each when you pay for your flight with your card. The value here depends on how many people are traveling, but at $35 per checked bag, a family of four can save up to $280 per roundtrip!

Preferred Boarding

Cardholders and up to 6 guests travelling on the same reservation may board the plane in group C. That’s the group right after pre-boarding, First and Premium Class seating and airline elite status members, but before general boarding. In my experience, this will give you more than enough access to overhead bin space that could be difficult to come by if you board in the later groups.

$100 Lounge+ Membership Discount

Receive $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership purchased with your card.

20% back on In-flight Purchases

When you use your card to pay for food and beverages onboard Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, you’ll get 20% back as a statement credit.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

For those who travel internationally, this card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Who should look for another card?

If you don’t live on the West Coast or don’t think you’ll find ways to use Atmos Rewards points, then this card doesn’t make sense to own. I would encourage owning at least one airline card, however, so that you can take advantage of perks for your preferred airline. The free checked bag perk on these airline cards pays for the annual fee after just one round-trip flight. 

If you don’t have a preferred airline, stick with a credit card that earns flexible points like American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Points in those ecosystems are transferable to various airline partners and gives you virtually unlimited options.

Some good transferable points cards to consider with similar annual fees are:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Citi Premier® Card
• American Express® Gold Card
• Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card

Bottom Line

With a modest $95 annual fee, this card delivers solid value for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines flyers, even occasional ones. You’ll earn 3x points on airline purchases, 2x on everyday essentials like gas and streaming, and 1x on everything else. Add in a 10% bonus if you bank with Bank of America, and it’s a decent way to grow your Atmos Rewards balance.

The real perks kick in when you fly. Free checked bags for up to 6 guests (worth up to $280 per roundtrip), preferred boarding (Group C), 20% back on in-flight purchases, and a $99 Companion Fare each year you spend $6,000. Plus, no foreign transaction fees and a $100 discount on Alaska Lounge+ membership sweeten the deal.

For West Coast families, casual flyers, or mileage strategists, this card can easily earn its keep.

Apply here for the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card.