The Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card is Alaska Airlines' flagship offering, and honestly, they've done some pretty innovative stuff here. The thing is, most airline cards offer similar perks, but this one has benefits that are actually different and useful.

Let me show you what makes this card special. The Global Companion Award system is really where this card shines. You automatically get a 25,000-point companion award every year, and if you spend $60,000 on the card, you can earn a massive 100,000-point companion award. Now here's the cool part - these work on any award booking through Alaska, Hawaiian, or oneworld partners, in any cabin class. So if you're booking business class to Japan for 120,000 points each, that 100,000-point companion award means your travel partner only costs 20,000 points. That's incredible value.

And so the earning structure is pretty solid too. You get 3x points on dining, foreign transactions, and Alaska/Hawaiian purchases, plus 1x on everything else. The foreign transaction category is unusual - most cards don't offer bonus points on foreign purchases, which is great if you travel internationally a lot or live overseas.

Now, the practical benefits are where this card really delivers. Free checked bags for you and up to six guests on the same reservation is standard stuff, but then you get eight Alaska Lounge passes per year (that's two per quarter), which you can share with friends and family. These typically cost $65 each, so that's over $500 in value right there. One thing to note is you need to be flying Alaska, Hawaiian, or a oneworld partner that same day to use the lounge.

The thing that's really cool about this card is the free points sharing. You can transfer points back and forth with up to 10 other Atmos Rewards members at no charge. This was actually a Hawaiian Airlines card benefit before, and they moved it to this card, which makes sense since the programs merged.

And so there are some other unique perks too. Like, if your Alaska flight is delayed two hours or canceled within 24 hours, you get a $50 voucher automatically - no questions asked about the reason. That's pretty generous. Plus, they waive the partner award booking fees, which can save you up to $25 per person on roundtrip flights when you're booking partner airlines with points.

The card also comes with all the typical premium card benefits - $120 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit every four years, rental car coverage, extended warranty protection, and no foreign transaction fees.

At $395 annually, this definitely isn't a budget card, but if you're the type of person that flies Alaska or Hawaiian regularly, or you're into oneworld partners, the value is pretty compelling. The Global Companion Awards alone can more than pay for the annual fee on just one trip, and the combination of unique benefits like points sharing and delay protection make this card stand out in a crowded market.

I mean, most airline cards offer similar basic perks, but Alaska really went in a different direction here with benefits that are actually innovative and stuff like that. If you're loyal to Alaska or Hawaiian, this card is definitely worth considering.

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