Most airlines just tell you how you'll earn miles. Alaska is about to let you choose. Starting October 1, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines flyers can pick how they earn Atmos Rewards points, and the best pick depends on how you actually fly.

The 3 ways to earn Atmos Rewards points

Atmos Rewards is the combined loyalty program of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. Here are the 3 choices:

  • By distance: 1 point for every mile you fly. This is how Alaska has always done it.
  • By spending: 5 points for every dollar you spend on flights.
  • By flights: 500 points for every flight segment. A segment is one takeoff and one landing, so a trip with a connection counts as 2.

The same numbers apply to status points, the ones that count toward elite status, which is the tier that unlocks perks like priority boarding. So your choice shapes how fast you climb, too.

Which one fits you? Do the 10-second math

Here are 4 made-up trips, just to show the pattern. Your real numbers will differ.

  • A short hop: 300 miles, $120 ticket. Distance gives you 300. Spending gives you 600. Flights gives you 500.
  • A cross-country flight: 2,500 miles, $450 ticket. Distance gives you 2,500. Spending gives you 2,250. Flights gives you 500.
  • A short trip with a connection: 2 segments, 500 miles total, $180 ticket. Distance gives you 500. Spending gives you 900. Flights gives you 1,000.
  • A pricey last-minute ticket: 600 miles, $700. Distance gives you 600. Flights gives you 500. Spending gives you 3,500.

So the rule of thumb is simple:

  • Mostly long flights on regular fares? Pick distance.
  • Short flights, or you tend to book expensive last-minute seats? Pick spending.
  • Lots of connections and short hops? Pick flights.

Status is where flights can get interesting. Silver status takes 20,000 status points, and The Points Guy points out that 40 segments at 500 each gets you there, as long as you earn nothing else toward status.

Two flyers, one year

Same airline, very different habits. Again, made-up numbers:

  • The long-haul flyer takes 4 cross-country round trips, so 8 flights at 2,500 miles and $450 each. By distance: 20,000 points. By spending: 18,000. By flights: 4,000. Distance wins, and lands right on the Silver line.
  • The short-hop flyer takes 20 short flights at 300 miles and $120 each. By distance: 6,000. By flights: 10,000. By spending: 12,000. Spending wins by a mile.

Same airline, and the best choice flips depending on the person. That's exactly why Alaska is letting you pick instead of picking for you.

And if you only fly a couple of times a year, don't overthink it. Status probably isn't in reach either way. Just compare the point totals for your usual trip and pick the biggest.

The fine print: where it stops working

  • Timing. You can pick starting October 1, but your choice only applies to flights on or after January 1, 2027.
  • You can change it, once a year. If your travel changes mid-year, you can switch, but then you're locked in until the next calendar year.
  • Don't pick, and it picks for you. Current members default to distance. New members default to spending.
  • Credit card points are separate. Status points you earn from a card come from your card spending and don't change with your choice. This only affects what you earn by flying.

One more thing it doesn't change: what a point is worth when you spend it. Earning more points on a flight doesn't help if they turn out to be worth less when you book. Check both sides.

The takeaway

Alaska is handing you a choice most airlines never offer, and it's worth 2 minutes to make it on purpose. Look at your last few flights. Were they long, short, pricey, or full of connections? Match your pick to that, and log in to your Atmos account once the option opens. Otherwise the default makes the choice for you.

I keep this kind of decision short and simple over on YouTube at @ChasingSummerPoints: how to get more trip out of the points you already earn, without the 40-minute deep dives.

The Points Guy broke the news (their full report, by Sean Cudahy, is here). Here's my plain-English version, plus a quick way to figure out which option fits you.