Bank of America Points Could Eventually Transfer to Alaska’s Atmos Rewards, CFO Says

Wishing doesn’t cost a thing, and it sounds like Alaska Air Group is doing a little wishful thinking of its own.

During a recent investor conference, Alaska Air Group CFO Shane Tackett said the airline would love to see Bank of America’s rewards points become transferable to Alaska Airlines’ Atmos Rewards. While nothing is official yet, the idea is already generating excitement among points and miles enthusiasts.

Let’s take a closer look at what was said.

A Potential New Path to Earn More Atmos Rewards Points

During the TD Cowen Future of the Consumer Conference conference yesterday, June 3, Tackett pointed to another opportunity he sees for Alaska Airlines and Bank of America, saying, “We would love ultimately for the proprietary cards that our bank partner provides to be able to convert to points and redeem.”

While that’s far from a formal announcement, it immediately caught our attention because Atmos Rewards points are among the most valuable airline currencies available today.

One of the biggest reasons is Alaska’s attractive partner award pricing. In many cases, you can redeem Atmos Rewards points for flights on Oneworld airlines like American Airlines and Japan Airlines while paying fewer points than those airlines often charge through their own loyalty programs.

That’s exactly the kind of sweet spot points and miles enthusiasts love to find, especially when booking premium cabin flights or expensive last-minute tickets.

The reason this would be such a big deal is that Atmos Rewards points aren’t particularly easy to earn. Unlike many airline loyalty programs that partner with multiple transferable rewards currencies across various credit card rewards programs, Atmos Rewards currently has a fairly limited transfer ecosystem.

That’s what makes Tackett’s comments so interesting. If Bank of America rewards points eventually become transferable to Atmos Rewards, it would create another way to earn one of the most valuable airline currencies around. This move would be widely popular among those who have long wished for additional ways to build their Atmos Rewards balances.

For now, this is still just an idea; no formal announcement has been made. But with another investor event expected later this year, we’ll be watching for updates.

Hot Tip:

Currently, travelers can transfer points from Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio or Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio. Beyond that, most members earn Atmos Rewards points through flying or spending on Alaska’s co-branded credit cards. That’s exactly why the possibility of Bank of America rewards points becoming transferable is generating so much buzz.

Final Thoughts

For now, all we can do is wish. Alaska Airlines hasn’t announced a transfer partnership with Bank of America, but hearing the airline’s CFO openly discuss the possibility is certainly encouraging.

Given how valuable — and difficult to earn — Atmos Rewards points can be, this is one rumor that we hope comes true.