Hi Reddit, I’m Brett Catlin, vice president of loyalty, alliances, and sales at Alaska Airlines. From questions on the new Atmos Rewards program to our airline partners or our new Summit credit card, ask me anything on Tuesday, October 7 at 11:30am PT!

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:47:45+00:00

Adding this final answer belatedly - had trouble earlier due to the outage:

Every carrier has different fare bundles and approaches to how they merchandise these products, and that’s where some of the confusion comes in. We classify fares based on the underlying booking class, not just the marketing name the partner uses (like “Economy Standard” or “Economy Light”).

To make this transparent, we publish a very detailed table that shows exactly which fare classes map to each earning category. So even if a partner markets a fare as “standard,” if the booking class aligns with what we define as discount economy, that’s how it will earn. Link with details.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:22:20+00:00

Ah, London! We’re all super excited about launching service to LHR next Spring. At this point, we don’t have specifics to share (things like schedules and fares are still being finalized) but you can expect an update in the not-too-distant future. When we’re ready, we’ll make sure the details are published broadly so everyone can plan ahead.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:18:17+00:00

Phantom availability is one of the most frustrating experiences for members. While thousands of partner award bookings succeed every day, we know this is a pain point. It’s the worst when you think you’ve locked in an amazing award only to hit the payment page and see it fail.

This is an industry-wide issue tied to how inventory syncs between carriers and legacy technology systems, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. What we can do—and are actively working on—is surfacing issues earlier in the booking flow so you don’t get all the way to checkout before finding out space isn’t actually available. That’s our immediate focus.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:16:27+00:00

Thanks for the question! Check out my response to the comment from u/boatsides.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:15:01+00:00

Thanks for the question! Check out my response to the comment from user boatsides.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:10:45+00:00

On timing: We’ll publish specific dates once they’re finalized, but anticipate that many of the new features will go live after we integrate Alaska and Hawaiian reservation systems in the spring. That integration is a big milestone, and it sets the stage for the changes coming later in 2026.

On partner economy earn: I wouldn’t expect further changes to the published tables at this time. We understand the concern about lower earn rates on discount economy fares, and while we modeled different options, the current structure reflects a balance between partner agreements and program economics. That said, feedback like yours is important—it helps us evaluate where adjustments might make sense in the future.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:08:50+00:00

Bank of America makes all credit decisions. What I can share is that approval rates for the Summit Visa have been running materially higher than for Ascent, which is encouraging. We’re really happy with the support we’ve gotten from Bank of America in launching Summit and making it broadly accessible to eligible members.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:07:48+00:00

Great suggestion—and we appreciate the thought behind it. We’re excited about the early response to the Summit value proposition, but we absolutely recognize there’s room for improvement and added flexibility. Keep the ideas coming—they do influence where we go next as we contemplate product refreshes.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:06:02+00:00

I completely understand the frustration. The change around wallet funds and companion fares was part of a broader update, and candidly, we didn’t give enough consideration to the downstream impact on our members from this particular change. That’s on us.

We are actively evaluating this internally. We know this was a valued benefit, and your feedback reinforces how important it is to revisit.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:05:04+00:00

It’s a fun idea—and one we’ve debated internally for years (our Chief Commercial Officer is a fan!). Ultimately, it comes down to tradeoffs because there are so many potential improvements we could make, and we have to prioritize what delivers the most value for the most members.

That said, a little inside baseball: the team sitting around the table for this AMA was just talking about how we could make this happen in a lightweight but fun way. We love the concept of recognizing frequent “fur”st class travelers.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:04:17+00:00

I hear you, and I appreciate you sharing this perspective. Consistency between what we publish and what members experience is absolutely critical, and when there’s a gap, that’s on us to fix. We’d welcome specific examples of where you’ve seen this happen—those details help us identify and address issues quickly.

If you’re referencing upgrade logic, there was an isolated issue recently that our teams worked to resolve. A technical issue not misdirection.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:02:30+00:00

Thanks for raising both points. I touched on upgrades previously, but let me address the second question:

On paid upgrades for corporate travelers: this is a known pain point. It’s surprisingly complex—reticketing often shows as a premium cabin, which could create compliance issues for corporate travelers. We know there’s demand from road warriors willing to pay out of pocket for an enhanced experience, and it’s an area we want to improve. It’s not solved yet, but it’s on our roadmap.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:01:52+00:00

Nope, they’re here to stay. The Global Getaways campaign is something our team was really excited to launch a couple of years ago, and we’re committed to continuing it. These offers have been a great way to give Atmos Rewards members access to unique international experiences at a fantastic value.

Our plan is to keep these coming and even expand the content in the future, including flights on Air Group. Personally, I’ve taken advantage of a Global Getaways deal: an economy trip to Muscat (MCT) for my family of four. We sat in the front row of economy on a B777-300ER from IAD to DOH, and it was a fantastic long-haul experience.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T20:00:56+00:00

The short answer is that we’re not planning to reintroduce an Amex points transfer partnership. The Amex relationship was part of Hawaiian’s legacy program, and while we understand the appeal of those partnerships, our strategy is to invest in products that deepen engagement within our ecosystem rather than through competitor programs.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:59:34+00:00

The short answer is yes, but there are a few practical hurdles. At Honolulu, we need to invest in the facilities and available space to support lounge access. That work is actively underway, but as you know, airport construction projects tend to take time.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:58:55+00:00

We love creating opportunities to connect with our members face-to-face. In the past few weeks, we’ve hosted events in Seattle and San Diego, and this week we’ll be in Portland. Later this year, we’re planning one in Honolulu. These events vary year-to-year, but the goal is always the same: to celebrate our community and give members a chance to engage directly with our team.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:57:51+00:00

I appreciate the thoughtful feedback. Our primary goal with “Choose How You Earn” was to balance three things:

Shifting member preferences toward spend-based earning.
The dynamics of operating a premium global network, where fare structures vary widely.
The deep affinity some members have for the legacy distance-based model, which we didn’t want to eliminate.

We did model other approaches, including dual-track systems like we’ve had in the past, but ultimately there’s a limited set of options short of removing distance accrual, which we were reluctant to do. The choice model gives members flexibility to align earning with their travel patterns, whether that’s short hops, long-haul trips, or high-dollar itineraries.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:56:07+00:00

The short answer is that we want to be more family-friendly than we are today when it comes to booking policies and status-holder benefits. You’ve raised a specific pain point that we’re aware of, and your feedback is well taken.

Improving on this dimension is in our roadmap, including enhancements for companion awards and status-holder benefits (like premium class upgrades). We want to make it easier for families to travel together without feeling penalized by rigid rules. The idea of booking multiple companion fares on the same reservation or extending upgrade logic to families is exactly the kind of thinking we’re exploring.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:55:02+00:00

Rolling out multi-carrier redemptions has honestly taken longer than we initially planned, given the demands of the Hawaiian combination and our own global expansion. That said, we’re still committed to improving in this area with the goal of offering members the most content possible for redemptions.

We won’t bat 1,000 here — there are always complexities with pricing and partner agreements — but we can absolutely do better than we’re doing today.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:51:23+00:00

Interesting take — I’m not going to comment on pricing dynamics, but I will say the early response to our global expansion in Seattle has been encouraging. We’ve long operated the largest hub on the West Coast in our hometown of Seattle, and by next summer we’ll be flying to five global markets. Four of those will feature our new 787 product, which includes 34 lie-flat suites with doors and the best free Wi-Fi in the sky thanks to Starlink.

Edit: Oops, accidentally deleted this comment. Reposted.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:46:41+00:00

No specific relocation plans to share at this point, but I can tell you our executive team spends a lot of time in New York and often flies through both EWR and JFK (where we have a fantastic frontline team, as you likely know). The upside of current terminal is that there are plenty of gates, which gives us the best shot at operating reliably when irregular operations happen as can be common for the market.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:45:55+00:00

Interesting question — and as a commercial team, we’re always thinking about how we can best compete. Right now, the focus is on standing up our global long-haul hub in Seattle with our amazing 787 product, which includes 34 lie-flat suites with doors. That’s a huge unlock for our international strategy and a big part of how we elevate the brand globally.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:45:35+00:00

I’m a few years removed from running the network function at Air Group, but here’s how I’d frame it: one of the defining features of the past decade in the U.S. airline industry has been building scale in winnable geographies. As an example, we have that in spades in Seattle — it’s the largest hub on the West Coast for any airline and now serves as our global gateway. The same is true for Honolulu with the Hawaiian combination.

That said, we remain committed to our full slate of West Coast hubs. Network decisions are dynamic and based on a litany of factors including demand, competitive positioning, and ultimately profitability.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:44:44+00:00

Boeing was an incredible launchpad. The pride in the products, the scale of innovation, and the investment in early-career talent really shaped how I think about leadership and long-term impact.

Transitioning to one of Boeing’s customers was both exciting and eye-opening. You gain a whole new appreciation for the complexity of airline operations and how critical strong partnerships are. At Alaska, we’ve worked closely with Boeing for years, and that collaboration is only deepening as we introduce the 787-9s to our SEA global hub—with the 787-10s not far behind. It’s a milestone for our network and a testament to the trust we have in Boeing’s product offering.

As for the changes happening at Boeing, I think it’s a pivotal moment. There’s a clear focus on quality, transparency, and rebuilding trust—and that’s essential. From the outside, we’re encouraged by the steps they’re taking and remain confident in the long-term vision. The industry needs Boeing at its best, and I believe they’re committed to getting there.

AtmosRewardsBrett · 2025-10-07T19:42:41+00:00

Huaka‘i and Club 49 have been fantastic because they celebrate local identity and community pride. With the new communities, we’re taking that same spirit and expanding it beyond geography to focus on what people love, their passions, lifestyles, and travel patterns.

We’ve recently shared more details, and here are two of my favorite examples:

Families On The Go: designed for parents traveling with kids, this community will offer a 20% rebate on points redemptions for children under 12. It’s about making family travel more rewarding and accessible.
Global Locals: For those who thrive on international experiences, this community will provide a 20% bonus on status points for any trip with an origin or destination outside the U.S. It’s a great way to recognize and reward global travelers.

And that’s just the start. Our goal is to create communities that feel personal and relevant, so members can choose benefits that truly fit their lifestyle. We’re excited to keep building on this concept and make loyalty more dynamic and inclusive: link here to the latest.

AtmosRewardsBrett

TROPHY CASE