Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Atmos Rewards Ascent Card [Detailed Comparison]

Key Takeaways

• In August 2025, Alaska Airlines changed its program from Mileage Plan to Atmos Rewards, replacing the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card with the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature^® card.
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card earns 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming and 2x points on travel.
• The Atmos Rewards Ascent card earns 3x points on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2x points on gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services, and local transit (including ride-sharing) purchases, and 1x points on all other purchases. Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America account.
• Frequent Alaska Airlines flyers can benefit from airline perks with the Atmos Rewards Ascent card. Still, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card outperforms the Atmos Rewards Ascent card in earning and redeeming rewards, offering greater flexibility and value.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of the best travel rewards credit cards on the market, including for those who frequently fly with Alaska Airlines. That said, Alaska Airlines’ new Atmos Rewards Ascent card offers a lot of value for Alaska Airlines (or Hawaiian Airlines) loyalists and frequent flyers, with many airline-specific perks and benefits you won’t get elsewhere, like earning additional status points, preferred boarding, free checked bags, companion passes, and discounts.

This guide compares these cards to show you who might benefit most from choosing one or the other.

Overview

Before we dive into the details, let’s do a quick comparison of these travel cards. Here’s what you can expect from each card at a high level:

As you can tell from the table above, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers everyday bonus categories that are more useful to the average traveler than the Atmos Rewards Ascent card. For example, earning bonus points on dining and online grocery purchases could mean racking up daily bonus points. That said, the Atmos Rewards Ascent card has additional bonus points for gas and transit (including ride-sharing), which is helpful for commuters.

Even though the Atmos Rewards Ascent card has some useful bonus categories, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are still generally more valuable than Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points. You can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points for luxury flights and hotels. You can usually use Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Alaska Airlines flights. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are a better currency to accumulate long-term than Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points.

When it comes to benefits, the Atmos Rewards Ascent card offers perks for frequent Alaska and Hawaii flyers, like priority boarding, a free checked bag, a discount on a lounge membership, and more.

Maximizing those airline-specific benefits might make the Atmos Rewards Ascent card better for you. But if you’re a general traveler wanting to earn many flexible and valuable points, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card might be the best.

Value of a Welcome Offer

Applying for a credit card at the right time can mean the difference between getting a bonus worth a few hundred dollars or upward of a thousand dollars.

It’s best to apply for a card when the welcome bonus is at its absolute highest, as that’s one of the quickest, easiest ways to rack up many points in just a few months.

Here are the best welcome offers available on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Atmos Rewards Ascent card:

NEW OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 75,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,500

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.74% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature^® card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Provides the potential to earn plenty of points to fly with Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines or over a dozen partners. Plus, get an annual companion fare from just $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) when you spend at least $6,000 a year on the card!

Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature^® card

Provides the potential to earn plenty of points to fly with Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines or over a dozen partners. Plus, get an annual companion fare from just $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) when you spend at least $6,000 a year on the card!

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 120 days after account opening.

80,000 points + $99 Companion Fare™

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,280

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.24% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

With the Atmos Rewards Ascent card in your wallet, you can get great perks and earn points at the same time. This is a win-win if Alaska or Hawaiian is the airline you prefer to fly with! Plus, its annual companion fare is a great benefit for traveling couples.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 spent on Alaska and Hawaiian purchases
• 2x points per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging, local transit (including rideshare), cable, and select streaming services
• 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Cons

• Charges a $95 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 120 days after account opening.
• Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™. Get a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights booked direct.
• Free checked bag. Any cardholder who purchases airfare with their card, and up to 6 additional guests traveling on the same reservation, may check their first bag free.
• Enjoy priority boarding so you can get to your seat quicker, when you pay for your flight with your card.
• Earn unlimited 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases. And earn unlimited 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. And, your points don’t expire on active accounts.
• Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America^® account.
• Enjoy 20% back on all Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines inflight purchases and get $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership when you pay with your new card.
• With oneworld^® Alliance member airlines and Alaska’s Global Partners, Alaska has expanded their global reach to over 1,000 destinations worldwide bringing more airline partners and more ways to earn and redeem points.
• Flexibility with no blackout dates on Alaska Airlines flights when booking with points or a companion fare.
• Plus, no foreign transaction fees.^†

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.24% - 28.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

Chase Points vs. Alaska Points

We consider Chase Ultimate Rewards points more useful than Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points. That’s because Chase Ultimate Rewards points are transferable rewards points, while Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points are more limited in scope.

You can pretty much only use Alaska points for flights on Alaska Airlines or its partners (including Oneworld airlines).

For example, if you wanted to book a flight on Germany’s Lufthansa, you’d be out of luck if you tried to use Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points, because the carriers aren’t partners. On the other hand, if you had Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you could book a Lufthansa flight easily.

You can even use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book flights on Alaska Airlines. You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Alaska Airlines partners, such as The British Airways Club program. Once you’ve transferred points to British Airways, you can book Alaska Airlines flights using British Airways Avios.

In addition, Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be used for hotel stays, thanks to its partnerships with IHG One Rewards, World of Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Earning Potential

We value Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents and Alaska Airlines points at 1.6 cents each. We value 50,000 Ultimate Reward points at $1,000 and 50,000 Alaska Airlines points at $800. However, if you transfer Ultimate Rewards points to partners, especially if there’s a bonus on airline partner transfers, you may get much more than 2 cents per point.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 10% Anniversary Earning Bonus

If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you qualify for a 10% Ultimate Rewards anniversary earning bonus after every cardmember anniversary year renewal. It’s based on the total dollar amount spent, not the number of points earned.

For example, if you spent $50,000 in a given year, you’d get a 5,000-point bonus after renewing your card for another year.

Atmos Rewards Ascent Card: 10% Rewards Bonus

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card also offers a 10% rewards bonus, though you earn it differently. If you have an eligible Bank of America account, you earn a 10% rewards bonus on points.

Bottom Line:

You can get up to 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on purchases with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, plus the 10% anniversary earning bonus. The Atmos Rewards Ascent card maxes out at 3x Alaska points and includes a 10% rewards bonus for eligible Bank of America users. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is more lucrative when earning reward points, but the Atmos Rewards Ascent card shines with airline-specific perks.

Redemption Options

Now, let’s get to the fun part: redeeming points.

As a general rule of thumb, the best value you can get from redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points is when you transfer them to airline and hotel partners.

For example, if you transfer 70,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to The British Airways Club, you can book a one-way flight in Qatar Airways Qsuites from the U.S. to Doha (DOH). You can also transfer points to World of Hyatt and book 5-star hotels using points for stellar value.

Other ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points without searching for award availability include travel booked through Chase Travel, Pay Yourself Back, cash-back, gift cards, Amazon.com purchases, and BestBuy.com purchases. However, you wouldn’t get the same redemption value as you would with airline and hotel partners.

There are also several ways to redeem Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, including Japan Airlines first class and British Airways business class.

If that doesn’t appeal to you, you can redeem points for first-class upgrades, donate points, book rental cars or hotel stays through Alaska Airlines Car Redemptions or Alaska Vacations, or get tickets to qualifying events.

Statement Credits

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit, which gives you a statement credit of $50 toward any hotel stay purchased through Chase Travel every cardmember anniversary year.

Air Travel Advantages

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card outperforms the Chase Sapphire Preferred card in airline-specific perks. Because the Chase Sapphire Preferred card isn’t co-branded or affiliated with any airlines, it offers no airline-specific benefits.

Here are the airline benefits cardholders can expect with the Atmos Rewards Ascent card:

• Alaska’s $99 (plus $23 in taxes) Companion Fare
• Free checked bag and preferred, Group C boarding (for the cardholder and up to 6 additional passengers on the same reservation)
• 20% back on Alaska Airlines inflight purchases
• $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership
• 10% rewards bonus if you have an eligible Bank of America account

Alaska’s Companion Fare is a significant benefit of getting this card. You earn it once per year when you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. This essentially is a buy-one-get-one discount for a $99 fare, plus taxes and fees from $23.

Let’s say you’re planning a trip for yourself and a significant other. If the tickets you found are $300 per person, you can use the companion fare to get a discount on the second ticket, starting from $122.

When you hold this card, you and up to 6 companions traveling on the same reservation get a free checked bag and priority boarding. If you make an inflight purchase, such as food, drinks, or inflight Wi-Fi, using your card, you get 20% back.

If lounge access is important to you while flying on Alaska Airlines, this card gets you $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership when you purchase it with your Atmos Rewards Ascent card. The Alaska Lounge+ membership includes access to all Alaska Lounge locations, The Plumeria Lounge, and nearly 90 partner lounges.

Finally, you can get a 10% Alaska points bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America account.

Travel Insurance Protection Perks

Travel insurance can be a lifesaver when things go wrong during a trip. Both cards offer travel protections, but there are some differences between them. In total, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with more (and better) protections.

Rental Car Insurance

If you’re renting a car while traveling, you want to make sure you have rental car coverage.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you get primary rental car insurance, which kicks in before your personal insurance policy. That means you don’t need to file a claim with your insurance provider before you can submit a claim for your rental car.

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card offers a weaker secondary rental car insurance policy. This means you must file a claim with your own insurance before filing a claim using your card’s rental car coverage. However, it should cover the deductible and any charges your primary insurance provider won’t cover related to damages caused by theft or collision.

To get coverage, decline the rental agency’s loss damage waiver or collision damage waiver and pay for your reservation using your credit card.

Roadside Dispatch

If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can make roadside assistance service calls for a flat rate of $69.95 per service call, which includes:

• Changing tires (must have a good, inflated spare)
• Delivering fuel (up to 5 gallons plus the cost of fuel)
• Lockout service (key replacement is not included)
• Jump-starting
• Standard towing, up to 5 miles
• Standard winching

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card also has a $69.95 call fee, which includes services such as:

• Standard towing (up to 5 miles, additional cost after 5 miles)
• Tire changing (must have a good, inflated spare)
• Jump-starting
• Lockout service (no key replacement)
• Fuel delivery (up to 5 gallons, plus the cost of fuel)
• Standard winching

Trip Interruption and Cancellation Insurance

If you’re about to embark on a trip or you’re already on a trip and suddenly get ill, injured, or have a death in your family that causes your trip to be canceled or interrupted, you can use trip interruption and cancellation insurance to get reimbursed for prepaid and nonrefundable expenses.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s trip interruption and cancellation insurance offers up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip in coverage.

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card offers up to $1,500 per trip in interruption and cancellation coverage.

Trip Delay Reimbursement

While traveling, you may occasionally encounter trip delays. When that happens, you may need to book an overnight stay at a hotel or make alternative arrangements.

When you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred card to pay for your common carrier ticket and the trip is delayed for a covered reason, you can get up to $500 in reimbursements for delays of 12 hours or more (or when an overnight stay is required). This reimbursement is only allowed once per trip.

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card covers you for up to $500 in reimbursements per purchased ticket on eligible delays of 12 hours or more.

Baggage Delay Insurance

If you hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, use it to purchase a ticket on a common carrier (such as a commercial airline), and your bags are delayed by more than 6 hours after you land, you’re eligible to get up to $100 per day in reimbursements toward the purchase of essentials while you are waiting for your bags.

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card doesn’t offer baggage delay insurance.

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card offer up to $3,000 per passenger in reimbursements for lost or damaged luggage, assuming you paid for your common carrier ticket using your credit card.

Travel Accident Insurance

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card includes up to $500,000 in travel accident insurance, while the Atmos Rewards Ascent card has no travel accident insurance.

Travel and Emergency Assistance Services

Need to find a doctor in a foreign country? Lost your luggage? Looking for help with prescription medications?

You may find value in the travel and emergency assistance services available with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Atmos Rewards Ascent card. Note that you can call these services toll-free. However, this is a referral service only, and you must pay for any services incurred.

Here are some of the benefits you can use:

• Emergency message service
• Emergency ticket replacement
• Emergency translation service
• Emergency transportation services
• Legal/medical referrals
• Lost luggage locator assistance
• Pretrip assistance
• Prescription assistance
• Valuable document delivery

Shopping Benefits and Protections

DoorDash Benefits

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can activate your complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for at least 1 year if you activate it by December 31, 2027. This is valid for both DoorDash and Caviar.

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card doesn’t offer any benefits with DoorDash.

Purchase Protection

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers purchase protection for eligible purchases, covering you for up to 120 days after the purchase date if your items are damaged or stolen. You can qualify for up to $500 per item and up to $50,000 per calendar year.

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card matches the same reimbursement limits, though it only covers purchases for up to 90 days after the date of purchase.

Extended Warranty

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers 1 additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less, which can reimburse you for up to $10,000 per item and up to $50,000 per calendar year in total reimbursements.

The extended warranty coverage on the Atmos Rewards Ascent card is identical to that on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Neither of these cards charges foreign transaction fees, which is an essential benefit for internationally focused travelers.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

Annual Fees

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card charges an annual fee of $95, and the Atmos Rewards Ascent card also charges a $95 annual fee.

Adding Authorized Users

Both cards offer the ability to add authorized users for no additional annual fees. That way, you can earn points from your family members’ spending.

Final Thoughts

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is superior to the Atmos Rewards Ascent card in many respects, even if you book many Alaska Airlines flights.

You should probably get the Chase Sapphire Preferred card if you want to avoid limiting yourself to the Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines route networks. Its points are flexible, so you can use them to book flights on several airlines. Additionally, the earnings structure on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is significantly stronger than that of the Atmos Rewards Ascent card.

The Atmos Rewards Ascent card offers airline-specific benefits, including a free checked bag, priority boarding, and a discount on Alaska Lounge+ membership. If you fly the airline frequently, these benefits could tip the scales in favor of the Atmos Rewards Ascent card. However, you need to consider how often you’d use these benefits if considering this card seriously.