The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® is an exceptionally valuable rewards credit card. It comes with all the perks you'd want from a co-branded airline card, such as free checked bags and preferred boarding.
While it offers the most value for people who frequently fly with Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines, it's also useful for the rewards you earn. Atmos points can be used to book award flights with a long list of useful airline partners, and the award prices for valuable international flights are often excellent.
Let's take a look at what this credit card offers and viable alternatives if it's not the right card for you.
- Annual companion fare
- Lounge membership discount
- Earns valuable miles
- Annual fee
- Limited bonus spending categories
Information about the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card cards has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.
Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card review
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Welcome bonus
You can earn a welcome bonus of 70,000 points and a $99 companion fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $2,500 or more on purchases in the first 90 days after account opening.
The companion fare is valid on round-trip or one-way saver or main cabin economy flights within North America with Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines. Depending on the cash price of the flight, this perk offers a lot of savings if you travel with a guest.
Benefits and perks
The Atmos Rewards Ascent card has a strong set of benefits for a card with a sub-$100 annual fee. You can take advantage of perks, such as
- Annual Companion Fare: Every year after your account anniversary, you'll receive a $99 companion fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) if you spend at least $6,000 on your card in the previous cardmember year. This perk is valid for eligible coach fares on Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines flights within North America.
- 20% back on onboard purchases: You'll receive 20% back on inflight purchases on Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines flights when you pay with your Atmos Ascent card.
- Free checked bags and preferred boarding: When you pay for an Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines flight with your Ascent card, you and up to six guests on the same reservation receive preferred boarding and one free checked bag.
- Earn elite status: You'll receive one status point per $3 spent on your Atmos Ascent card. There is no limit to the number of status points you can earn this way.
- Alaska Lounge+ discount: If you purchase an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership with your Ascent card, you'll receive a $100 discount.
- 10% points bonus: If you pair your Atmos Ascent card with an eligible Bank of America banking or investment account, you'll earn a 10% bonus on the points you earn from purchases.
How to earn and redeem Atmos points
Earning Atmos points
The Atmos Ascent card earns the following rewards:
- 3X points on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
- 2X points on gas and EV charging stations
- 2X points on cable and select streaming services
- 2X points on local transit, including rideshare
- 1X points on all other eligible purchases
Redeeming Atmos points
There are many ways to use Atmos points, but you'll typically get the most value out of using points for award flights. Atmos points can be redeemed for flights on oneworld airlines and other partners, including:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Tahiti Nui
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Condor
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Hainan Airlines
- Iberia
- Icelandair
- Japan Airlines
- Korean Air
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air
- Philippine Airlines
- Porter Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
- STARLUX Airlines
The Atmos has separate award charts for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines flights and partner award flights. Both charts have dynamic pricing, and each region and distance band shows a starting cost, which is the lowest price.
You can also add free stopovers on certain international awards, and you can book one stopover on eligible one-way flights and two stopovers on eligible round-trip flights.
Rates and fees
The Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature card has a $95 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Late payments can be assessed a fee of up to $41. It has no intro APR offers.
Card comparison
Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card vs. Bilt Obsidian Card
Bilt is the only major travel program that transfers directly to Atmos at a 1:1 ratio, and the Bilt Obsidian Card (see rates and fees) is a great option for earning Bilt Points.
It earns 3X points on your choice of dining or groceries (3X points on up to $25,000 in grocery purchases per year, then 1X points). You'll also earn 2X points on travel and 1X points on everything else.
Bilt also allows you to earn points on housing payments, and you can earn an additional 1X points with the point accelerator feature. You can purchase a point accelerator for $200 in Bilt Cash*, which is another type of reward you can earn with the Bilt program. Each point accelerator is valid for up to $5,000 in eligible purchases, and you can redeem Bilt Cash for up to five point accelerators per year (Only available when Obsidian cardholders set the reward option to Flexible Bilt Cash).
*Up to $100 of Bilt Cash earned rolls over to the next year
The Bilt Obsidian Card offers 3X Bilt Points on key everyday categories, like groceries (up to $25,000 per year) or dining (your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year). It also comes with a $50 Bilt Travel Portal hotel statement credit semiannually.
- High return on dining or grocery purchases
- Option to earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee
- Features a $100 Bilt Travel Hotel credit, applied twice a year as $50 statement credits
- Additional steps required for no-fee rent payments
- Spending cap on grocery rewards
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee.
- 3X points on your choice of grocery (up to $25K/year) or dining. Your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year.
- 2X points on travel
- 1X points on everyday spend
- Welcome offer: $200 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved. At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- $100 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $50 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.
- Earn additional points through Bilt Neighborhood Benefits™ when you use your card at Bilt's network of 50,000+ merchant partners.
Balance transfer fee
Greater of 5% or $5
Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2X miles on every purchase, so it's a great travel credit card for everyday spending. This card won't help you earn Atmos elite status or get you free checked bags, but Capital One miles transfer to over 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs. There's a lot of value in that flexibility. You can also use them to offset travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent per mile.
The Venture Rewards card comes with a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit of up to $120 every four years.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for both beginners and frequent travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer
- You can transfer miles to Capital One's travel partners
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $300 to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that's more than $1,000 in travel value
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
Is the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card right for you?
The Atmos program offers a lot of value, with good award prices and features like free stopovers on certain international awards. The value of Atmos points makes the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Card an attractive airline credit card.
Anyone who frequently flies with Hawaiian Airlines or Alaska Airlines will get the most value out of this card. And the free checked bag benefit and elite status credit you earn can add up over time.
However, if you like to use Atmos points to book award flights with its many partner airlines but don't fly with Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines frequently, a flexible travel rewards card may offer more value. Any of the Bilt credit cards could be a good alternative because Bilt Points transfer to Atmos Rewards at a 1:1 ratio and to 20+ other airline and hotel loyalty programs.
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Information about the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
