How to book American Airlines flights with Atmos Rewards points
For frequent flyers of American Airlines, the loyalty landscape is expanding with the introduction of Atmos Rewards, a joint program between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. This program offers an alternative way to earn and redeem points, particularly valuable for those who may find themselves short on AAdvantage miles. Thanks to the membership of both airlines in the Oneworld alliance, travelers can now book American Airlines flights using Atmos Rewards points, often at favorable redemption rates. This means that your award strategy can be more versatile than ever, allowing you to leverage Atmos Rewards for flights you might have previously thought were out of reach.
The process to book an American Airlines flight using Atmos Rewards is straightforward and user-friendly. For instance, if you are looking to fly from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), you first identify your desired flight on the American Airlines website. After realizing the fare is too high, you can switch to the Atmos Rewards platform, where you can search for available flights operated by American Airlines. In a recent example, a traveler found a direct flight priced at $555 but was able to book it for just 17,500 Atmos Rewards points plus $19 in taxes, representing a significant saving. This redemption not only showcases the value of Atmos Rewards but also emphasizes the ease of using points accrued through various means, including Bilt Rewards and cobranded credit cards.
To maximize your earnings, consider the Atmos Rewards credit cards, which offer substantial bonuses and benefits. The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Credit Card, for example, provides 60,000 bonus points upon meeting the spending requirement, while the Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card offers 80,000 bonus points and additional perks. These options make it easier to accumulate points for future travel. Overall, utilizing Atmos Rewards for booking American Airlines flights can enhance your travel experience, allowing you to stretch your points further and explore new destinations without the burden of high ticket prices. As always, it’s essential to check for award availability and ensure you’re making the most of your hard-earned points.
If you’re a frequent
American Airlines
flyer like I am, your award strategy doesn’t have to be limited to
American Airlines AAdvantage miles
.
Say hello to
Atmos Rewards
, the joint loyalty program between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. I firmly believe American Airlines loyalists should
pay attention to Atmos Rewards
since I’ve found that the currency can be incredibly valuable.
Thanks to the airlines’ membership in the
Oneworld alliance
, you can book American Airlines flights using Atmos Rewards points — often at
lucrative redemption rates
.
Don’t be intimidated by
booking through partners
. It’s as easy as running any award search.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use Atmos Rewards to book American Airlines flights.
Step 1: Identify the American Airlines flight you wish to take
For this example, I’ll walk you through booking a one-way economy ticket for a direct flight from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on American Airlines.
First, I navigated to American Airlines’ website to see what was available.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
I found multiple options on the date I was hoping to fly out, but that $555 price tag was a little too high for me. While I could explore award travel options, I was low on AAdvantage miles.
Thankfully, there was another option for me: Atmos Rewards. For context, I collect Atmos Rewards points by transferring from my
Bilt Rewards
account. (Bilt Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to Atmos Rewards.) You can also collect Atmos Rewards points by
adding an Atmos Rewards credit card
to your wallet.
This first step was to find a flight I wanted to take. The following steps take place outside of American Airlines’ website.
Step 2: Sign in with Atmos Rewards and navigate to Alaska Airlines’ booking site
From here, I signed into the
Atmos Rewards website
on the right-hand menu.
I then navigated to “Book” and selected “Alaska Airlines.” This took me to the booking page for Alaska and its Oneworld partners.
ALASKA AIRLINES
I entered my origin and destination airports and clicked “Use points” to find redemption options with Atmos Rewards points.
Finally, I pressed “Search flights.”
At this point, it’s worth noting that you may not always find award availability for every flight. While many American Airlines flights are bookable with Atmos Rewards points, it’s not a guarantee. Adjust your dates and routes if you’re unable to find availability with your first-choice travel arrangements.
Step 3: Find an American Airlines flight on the Atmos Rewards website
I filtered by “Nonstop only” to find the exact flights from CLT to SFO that I identified on American Airlines’ website.
ALASKA AIRLINES
I immediately found the exact same three flights, marked with “Operated by American Airlines” designations. Instead of paying $555 for the flight, I could redeem 17,500 Atmos Rewards points and pay $19.
TPG would consider this a good use of Atmos Rewards points. Because our November 2025
valuations
place Atmos Rewards points at 1.5 cents apiece, we would deem those 17,500 points to be worth about $263. When I added $19 in taxes and fees, the total value was brought to $282, which is $274 less than the $555 I would have had to pay for this one-way economy flight.
Step 4: Select your flight and finish booking
I decided on the 9:35 a.m. departure from CLT and continued by selecting “Add to cart.”
ALASKA AIRLINES
The rest of the process was as straightforward as booking any other award ticket.
I reviewed the details of my cart and pressed “Continue to checkout.”
ALASKA AIRLINES
After this, I filled out my passenger and contact information and continued to payment.
Related:
I’ve never flown Alaska Airlines before — here’s why I want its new premium credit card
How to earn Atmos Rewards points
As I mentioned above, I collect Atmos Rewards points through Bilt Rewards. I hold the
Bilt Mastercard®
to collect points on rent without a transaction fee, but you don’t have to have the credit card to
leverage the Bilt program
.
The information for the Bilt Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
However, there are three cobranded
Atmos Rewards credit cards
(issued by Bank of America) that allow cardholders to earn a haul of points. Here’s what to know:
Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Credit Card
: Earn 60,000 bonus points and a $99
Companion Fare
(plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening, plus receive a 30% global flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening a new account.
Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card
: Earn 80,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card
: Earn 60,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening.
Related:
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines’ Companion Fare discount no longer available for stopovers
Bottom line
Booking an American Airlines flight with Atmos Rewards points doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing.
Of course, remember that
award availability isn’t a guarantee
, and you’ll want to check TPG’s valuations to ensure you’re
getting a good deal
for your hard-earned points.
If you follow the steps outlined above, you should be able to redeem your points with ease.
Apply here:
Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Credit Card
Apply here:
Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card
Apply here:
Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business Card
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
