Deconstructing Atmos Rewards - Questions, Ambiguities, Conflicts and Unknowns
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:18 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Atmos Titanium
Posts: 7,366
🙋♂️ I have question and I don't dare ask it in the other threads because it's full of people venting 😭
In the current program, if we book a flight on a partner airline, we kinda have a choice to make. If we book a partner flight via the AS website, we get at least 100% EQM even if it's some discount economy fare class. But if we book the same flight in the same fare class on the partner website, we get less EQM, like 25% (discount economy) or 50% (economy) -- as per the "Earning on partner flights booked via partner site" section on https://www.alaskaair.com/atmosrewar...points/flights
With the new 3-track selection process - suppose I choose the 1 mile = 1 status point option ... if I book a discount economy flight on the partner site, will that mean I earn 1 status point per mile flown (yay) or will it still be reduced as per the chart?
I'm assuming the latter 😭 but I don't see anywhere clearly stating which it's going to be
In the current program, if we book a flight on a partner airline, we kinda have a choice to make. If we book a partner flight via the AS website, we get at least 100% EQM even if it's some discount economy fare class. But if we book the same flight in the same fare class on the partner website, we get less EQM, like 25% (discount economy) or 50% (economy) -- as per the "Earning on partner flights booked via partner site" section on https://www.alaskaair.com/atmosrewar...points/flights
With the new 3-track selection process - suppose I choose the 1 mile = 1 status point option ... if I book a discount economy flight on the partner site, will that mean I earn 1 status point per mile flown (yay) or will it still be reduced as per the chart?
I'm assuming the latter 😭 but I don't see anywhere clearly stating which it's going to be
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:19 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Atmos Titanium
Posts: 7,366
Surely choosing the dollar-based approach will be moot for flights booked on partners, because AS won't know what you paid. Just like AA, they'll have no choice but to fall back on distance-based in that case. And removing the CoS bonus on distance-based means AS has shot itself in the foot. Why would anyone credit premium flights to AS when the partners still have the bonus?
And before you say, "Well, that's incentive to book partner flights on AS", let me point out that a very large number (most?) of partner flights CAN'T be booked on AS.
And before you say, "Well, that's incentive to book partner flights on AS", let me point out that a very large number (most?) of partner flights CAN'T be booked on AS.
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:21 pm
#18
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,547
citation required on this one? CoS bonuses going away for AS metal/plated suggests it could cut either way when the process mileage earning reported from partner carriers.
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:22 pm
#19
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: SFO
Programs: AS Ti, SK Au, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,667
Then why would it be IF booked through alaskaair.com? Furthermore, this doesnt make sense at all.....this would push all premium fares away from alaska channels. The exact opposite to what you want.
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:28 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS Plat, AA EP, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton Dia, Hyatt Glob, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 21,289
Bloggers are no better than us FTers...i would actually say a lot of them dont have the knowledge the FT community has....the bloggers are just chasing clicks...not real actual factual content...they want CC referrals. The pointsguy is just a news organization that does a lot of thier stuff via scraping and AI now....so garbage in....garbage out.
I actually have a lot of criticism for the decent bloggers(VFTW/OMAAT/LALF) out there not being critical of these changes and ignoring that this is a slight of hand to push revenue (if the COS does go away in actuality). They never posted these nuances or pitfalls....they really fell down on this one.....all they are chasing is the CC referral links and never was critical of the changes that would affect thier readers....
I actually have a lot of criticism for the decent bloggers(VFTW/OMAAT/LALF) out there not being critical of these changes and ignoring that this is a slight of hand to push revenue (if the COS does go away in actuality). They never posted these nuances or pitfalls....they really fell down on this one.....all they are chasing is the CC referral links and never was critical of the changes that would affect thier readers....
Crankyflier is neither a a travel blog nor a points and miles blog, and he isnt pushing credit cards. Its an airline industry blog.
I dont know if his AS source was correct, but I would vouch for the integrity of Bretts work.
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:32 pm
#21
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: SFO
Programs: AS Ti, SK Au, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,667
I think the blogger referred to here is Crankyflier, who posted about the new program and confirmed with AS that the COS bonus is going away.
Crankyflier is neither a a travel blog nor a points and miles blog, and he isn’t pushing credit cards. It’s an airline industry blog.
I don’t know if his AS source was correct, but I would vouch for the integrity of Brett’s work.
Crankyflier is neither a a travel blog nor a points and miles blog, and he isn’t pushing credit cards. It’s an airline industry blog.
I don’t know if his AS source was correct, but I would vouch for the integrity of Brett’s work.
I do understand Brett is a great "authentic blogger" but given the chaos within AS on everything these days; is his contact actually correct here?
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:34 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS Plat, AA EP, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton Dia, Hyatt Glob, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 21,289
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:38 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS Plat, AA EP, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton Dia, Hyatt Glob, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 21,289
Actually no...not specifically in my mind...its the CC pushing blogs out there that i have my main beef with these days. its alwasy about points purchasing promos and CC offers now.....travel discussions are an accessory now at times.
I do understand Brett is a great "authentic blogger" but given the chaos within AS on everything these days; is his contact actually correct here?
I do understand Brett is a great "authentic blogger" but given the chaos within AS on everything these days; is his contact actually correct here?
I really hope the folks at AS are paying attention to the discussions here and spend the weekend working on a clarification.
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:40 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,547
while I agree with this, I anecdotally am very skeptical AS plates/sells much partner premium cabin through its own channels just given they seem to only "inventory" fulsome partner fares on routes they happen to have them, so it may not have been a material consideration. then again, the old earnings chart definitely set a rich premium on booking through AS channels, so who knows.
Aug 22, 2025 | 5:46 pm
#25
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,547
Well in this thread the blogger argument started with
I suspect that is meant to refer to the Crankyflier article (and his clarification in the comments when someone asked specifically about the COS bonus). It is also cited frequently in other threads here now.
I really hope the folks at AS are paying attention to the discussions here and spend the weekend working on a clarification.
I suspect that is meant to refer to the Crankyflier article (and his clarification in the comments when someone asked specifically about the COS bonus). It is also cited frequently in other threads here now.
I really hope the folks at AS are paying attention to the discussions here and spend the weekend working on a clarification.
I am sure the new structure was "backtested" against historical earnings, but I'm really wondering if the McKinsey BA working on this missed the concepts of "elasticity" and "alternatives" when they cooked this up...
Aug 22, 2025 | 6:16 pm
#26
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Atmos Titanium
Posts: 7,366
while I agree with this, I anecdotally am very skeptical AS plates/sells much partner premium cabin through its own channels just given they seem to only "inventory" fulsome partner fares on routes they happen to have them, so it may not have been a material consideration. then again, the old earnings chart definitely set a rich premium on booking through AS channels, so who knows.
Aug 22, 2025 | 6:18 pm
#27
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Atmos Titanium
Posts: 7,366
In theory, but AS will only sell you the higher fare buckets. They don’t sell the lower fares. So book the $4400 round trip with BA or the same flights at $9000 round-trip with Alaska. And yes the delta is usually that massive.
Aug 22, 2025 | 7:06 pm
#28
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,193
This is an obvious attempt to drive everyone, except heavy inerisland fliers to "choose" revenue based earnig.
They can't be keeping the 500 mile minimum for milage earning, because then the per segment earning would benfit absolutely no one.
I can't believe they woukd drop the COS bonus for AS flights, but not partners. Why would they create an incentive for J travelers to not book AS's long haul routes. On the otherhand if it goes away for all high spenders would.obviously be better off with AA unless AS just happens to fly everywhere they need to go.
They can't be keeping the 500 mile minimum for milage earning, because then the per segment earning would benfit absolutely no one.
I can't believe they woukd drop the COS bonus for AS flights, but not partners. Why would they create an incentive for J travelers to not book AS's long haul routes. On the otherhand if it goes away for all high spenders would.obviously be better off with AA unless AS just happens to fly everywhere they need to go.
Aug 22, 2025 | 7:25 pm
#29
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SEA
Programs: DL Diamond, AS MVPG, Bonvoy Plat/LT Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,516
No plans to say that. In fact, my comment about availability and pricing acknowledges precisely that they are impossible or ridiculously costly to book at AS.
Aug 22, 2025 | 10:21 pm
#30
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: SFO
Programs: AS Ti, SK Au, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,667
while I agree with this, I anecdotally am very skeptical AS plates/sells much partner premium cabin through its own channels just given they seem to only "inventory" fulsome partner fares on routes they happen to have them, so it may not have been a material consideration. then again, the old earnings chart definitely set a rich premium on booking through AS channels, so who knows.