When Atmos Rewards launched, I’ll admit I was both surprised and curious. As someone who has been following loyalty programs for years—and even booked a 2-day run Stockholm–Tokyo–Doha–Milan–Madrid just to try QSuites using Mileage Plan miles—I wanted to see whether Alaska and Hawaiian’s new unified program would live up to its legacy.

What stood out right away is that, despite the unexpected rebrand drop, the core value that made Mileage Plan so beloved and unique still there. The distance-based award charts carried over almost untouched, which means those legendary “sweet spots”—the kind of redemptions that feel like you’ve outsmarted the system—are very much alive.

Of course, hearing that a deal exists and actually booking it are two very different things. The real strength of Atmos Rewards isn’t just about flying Alaska; it’s about the reach of its oneworld and non-alliance partners. That’s where a simple points balance can turn into a lie-flat seat to Tokyo, a Qsuite to Doha, or even a two-for-one vacation thanks to the free stopover rule.

In this guide, we’ve pulled together the latest data, pored over the award charts, and tested searches in AwardFares to cut through the noise. The result is a practical reference to the very best Atmos Rewards sweet spots—and, more importantly, a step-by-step roadmap so you can stop hunting and actually start booking. Let’s get started!

Key Takeaways

  • Value is Unchanged: Atmos Rewards uses the same distance-based award charts as the former Mileage Plan, preserving all the classic sweet spots.
  • The Stopover is King: Atmos Rewards’ most powerful feature is the free stopover on one-way international awards, letting you visit two cities for the price of one.
  • Partner Power: The best value lies in redeeming points for international premium cabins on world-class partners like Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, and STARLUX.
  • Regional Sweet Spots: Incredible deals exist in every region, from 4,500-point hops in the Americas to 55,000-point business class flights to Europe.
  • The Qsuite Trick: Fly the world’s best business class, Qatar Airways Qsuites, to Doha and beyond for as little as 70,000 points.
  • Future Value: The new Alaska Airlines 787 routes to London, Rome, and Asia present exciting future sweet spots to watch.
  • Find, Don’t Search: With so many partners and complex availability, using tools like AwardFares with features like Alerts and the Journey Planner is no longer a luxury: it’s essential.

In This Guide

First Time Hearing About Atmos Rewards?

Understanding Atmos Rewards Value: The Foundation

Before we dive into specific redemptions, let’s cover the two principles that make these sweet spots possible.

1. The Distance-Based Partner Charts

Atmos Rewards uses three simple, distance-based award charts for all its partners. This is a huge advantage because the price is consistent whether you fly Japan Airlines or Finnair; it only depends on the region and total distance flown.

  • Americas Chart: For travel to/from/within North, Central, and South America.
  • Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) Chart: For travel to/from/within these regions.
  • Asia Pacific (APAC) Chart: For travel to/from/within Asia and the South Pacific.

Your goal is always to maximize the distance you fly within a specific pricing band to get the most “bang for your point.” For a deep dive into the full charts, check out our Complete Guide to Atmos Rewards.

2. The #1 Rule: Master the Free International Stopover

This is, without a doubt, the single most valuable perk of the Atmos Rewards program. On a one-way international award ticket, you can add a stopover in a partner airline’s hub city for up to 14 days for free.

This effectively lets you book two destinations for the price of one. Instead of just flying from Seattle to Bangkok, you could fly from Seattle to Tokyo (stop for a week) and then continue to Bangkok, all on a single one-way award ticket. This trick is the key to unlocking many of the world’s best award redemptions, and we’ll show you how to use it in almost every region.

A free stopover with Atmos Rewards on a flight from Seattle to Bangkok via Tokyo.

Best Atmos Rewards Sweet Spots by Region

What is an Atmos Rewards sweet spot? It’s a high-value redemption where your points go further—often on international premium cabins or by using the free stopover on one-way awards. Below are the most reliable sweet spots and how to find them quickly with AwardFares.

Americas

You don't have to fly across the world to find great value. These redemptions use the Americas Partner Chart.

✈️

Fly Short-Haul from 4,500 Points in Economy
Seattle to San Francisco in Economy Class for 4,500 Atmos Rewards points. Miami to Cancun in Economy Class for 4,500 Atmos Rewards points. Charlotte to Nashville for 4,500 Atmos Rewards points.
🌎

Fly U.S. & Latin America from 7,500 Points in Economy
  • The Deal: Flights between 701 and 2,100 miles cost just 7,500 to 12,500 points in Economy.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: This band covers most of the US, Mexico, and the Caribbean. A cross-country flight for 12,500 points is often a fantastic deal compared to cash prices.
  • Example Routes:
Dallas to Mexico City in Economy Class for 7,500 Atmos Rewards points. Los Angeles to Chicago for 12,500 Atmos Rewards points.
🏞️

Fly LATAM/American Business Class to South America for 50,000 Points
  • The Deal: Fly from the U.S. to deep South America in LATAM or American Airlines Business Class for just 50,000 points.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: Flights to cities like São Paulo or Santiago can be over 10 hours long. Getting a lie-flat seat for 50,000 points is an incredible value.
  • Pro Tip: LATAM availability is notoriously difficult to find. Instead of searching manually, set up a Live Alert on AwardFares and let the availability come to you. Learn how in our ultimate guide to flight availability alerts.
  • Example Routes:
Los Angeles or Miami to Sao Paulo or Santiago de Chile in Business Class for 50,000 Atmos Rewards points.

Europe

Thanks to partners like Finnair, Iberia, and Aer Lingus, getting to Europe with Atmos points is both easy and affordable.

🏰

Fly Business Class to Europe from U.S. East Coast for 45,000 Points
Boston to Dublin in Business Class for 45,000 Atmos Rewards points.
👑

Fly Business Class to Europe with a Free Stopover for 55,000 Points
  • The Deal: Fly Business Class to Europe on routes between 3,501-5,000 miles for 55,000 points, with enough mileage to add a free stopover.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: This is where the program’s flexibility truly shines. You can have a city break in Helsinki before heading to the Baltics, or explore Madrid before jetting off to Italy.
  • Example Itineraries:
Finnair A350 Business Class — Atmos Rewards sweet spot to Europe for 55,000 points

Asia

Here's where Atmos Rewards truly earns its reputation, with partners like JAL, Cathay Pacific, and STARLUX.

🌸

Fly Japan Airlines Business Class from the West Coast for 60,000 Points
  • The Deal: Fly Japan Airlines’ fantastic Business Class from Seattle or Vancouver to Tokyo for just 60,000 points.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: These specific routes sneak just under the 5,000-mile mark, putting them in a lower-priced award band (3,001-5,000 miles). JAL’s Business Class is exceptional, making this a top-tier redemption.
  • Example Routes:
🗺️

Fly to Asia with a Free Stopover in Tokyo for 75,000 Points
  • The Deal: For 75,000 points, you can fly from the West Coast to Tokyo, stop over, and then continue to another major city in Asia.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: This leverages the 5,001-7,000 mile distance band. A flight from Seattle to Tokyo is about 4,800 miles, leaving you over 2,000 miles to play with for your second flight from Tokyo—for free!
  • Example Itineraries:
    • Seattle (SEA) → Tokyo (NRT) on JAL. Stop for a week, then continue Tokyo (NRT) → Taipei (TPE).
    • Los Angeles (LAX) → Tokyo (NRT) on JAL. Stop for 5 days, then continue Tokyo (NRT) → Hong Kong (HKG).
💎

Fly Cathay Pacific Business/First Class from 50,000 Points
  • The Deal: Fly one of the world’s most aspirational products—Cathay Pacific First or Business Class—to Hong Kong and beyond.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: Cathay Pacific awards often don’t appear on the Alaska/Atmos website. This means less competition, but you need to know where to look. Prices start at 50,000 points for Business and 70,000 for First from the U.S.
  • Pro Tip: Use AwardFares’ Journey Planner to find availability for each leg of your trip (e.g., JFK-HKG, then HKG-BKK). Once you have the exact dates and flight numbers, call an Atmos agent to book the full itinerary, including your stopover in Hong Kong.
✨

Fly STARLUX Business Class to Taipei for 75,000 Points
  • The Deal: Fly Taiwan’s luxury carrier, STARLUX, from the U.S. West Coast to Taipei (TPE) for 75,000 points in Business Class.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: STARLUX is a new airline with a reputation for incredible service and a stunning cabin. It’s a fantastic way to get to Taiwan or connect onward. Their Premium Economy for 50,000 points is also a great deal.
Fly Taiwan's luxury carrier STARLUX from the U.S. West Coast to Taipei (TPE) for 75,000 Atmos Rewards points in Business Class.

Middle East & Africa

This region is home to what many consider the single best redemption in the entire program.

🇶🇦

Fly Qatar Airways Qsuites to Doha for 70,000 Points
Qatar Airways Qsuites — Atmos Rewards sweet spot to Doha for 70,000 points
🏝️

Fly Qatar Qsuites with a Stopover to Maldives/Africa for 85,000 Points
  • The Deal: For 85,000 points, you can fly Qatar Airways from the U.S. to Doha, enjoy a free stopover, and then continue to the Maldives, Seychelles, or parts of Africa.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: This is the pinnacle of point redemptions. You get to fly Qsuites, explore Doha, and then fly to a bucket-list destination, all on one ticket. This leverages the 7,001-10,000 mile band on the EMEA chart.
  • Example Itineraries:
    • New York (JFK) → Doha (DOH) on Qatar. Stop for 3 days, then continue Doha (DOH) → Malé, Maldives (MLE).
    • Houston (IAH) → Doha (DOH) on Qatar. Stop for a weekend, then continue Doha (DOH) → Zanzibar (ZNZ).

Oceania (Australia & South Pacific)

Getting Down Under on points can be tough, but Atmos Rewards has some unique options.

🇫🇯

Fly Fiji Airways to Australia with a Stopover in Fiji for 75,000 Points
  • The Deal: Fly Fiji Airways from the West Coast to Australia or New Zealand and add a free stopover in Fiji (NAN) along the way. Business Class costs 75,000 points.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: This is another brilliant two-for-one vacation. You get to relax on the beaches of Fiji before continuing your trip to Sydney or Auckland.
  • Example Itinerary:
🇦🇺

Fly Qantas Domestic in Australia from 7,500 Points
  • The Deal: Use just 7,500 points to book short domestic flights within Australia on partner Qantas.
  • Why It’s a Sweet Spot: Australia is a massive country, and flights can be expensive. Using a small number of points for flights like Sydney-Melbourne or Brisbane-Sydney is a smart way to save cash while you’re there.
Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane on Qantas for 7,500 Atmos Rewards points

Future Sweet Spot: The New Alaska 787 Dreamliner Routes

Alaska Goes Global: The 787 Era

Alaska Airlines is going global with a brand-new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. This opens up exciting new redemption possibilities on their own planes, featuring a true international Business Class with lie-flat suites.

Read All About Alaska's Global Expansion

While award pricing isn't set in stone, we can predict the "starting at" rates based on the distance:

Route Predicted Biz "Starts At"
Seattle (SEA) to London (LHR) 55,000 points
Seattle (SEA) to Seoul (ICN) 75,000 points
Seattle (SEA) to Rome (FCO) 70,000 points

The Challenge: Award seats on these flagship routes will be incredibly popular and hard to find. Manually searching is not a winning strategy.

The Solution: This is the perfect use case for a Live Alert on AwardFares. Set an alert for your desired route (e.g., 2 Business Class seats from SEA to LHR next summer) and get notified the moment availability opens up. It's your best shot at flying Alaska's new global experience.

How to Find, Track, and Book Atmos Sweet Spots with AwardFares

Knowing the sweet spots is only half the battle. Finding and booking them requires the right tools and strategy. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to mastering the hunt with AwardFares.

Step 1: Select Atmos Rewards as Your Program

On the AwardFares homepage, open the Frequent Flyer Program picker and choose Atmos Rewards (ex-Alaska Mileage Plan).

Select Alaska Mileage Plan in AwardFares to find Atmos Rewards flights.

Step 2: Use Timeline View to See the Big Picture

Don’t search day-by-day. Enter your origin and destination and click the Timeline tab. You’ll instantly see a month’s worth of availability, making it easy to spot dates with open seats.

The Timeline View in AwardFares shows a full month of Atmos Rewards availability.

Step 3: Filter for Your Dream Airline and Price

Use the Airlines filter to narrow your search to a specific partner like Japan Airlines or Qatar Airways. Crucially, use the Max Price filter to cap the cost. For example, if you’re hunting for the 70,000-point Qsuite deal, set the max price slider to 70k to filter out all non-saver awards.

Cap the maximum price of your award flights to find the best Atmos Rewards sweet spots.

Step 4: Sort by Price to Instantly Find the Deal

In the list of results, click on the cabin header (e.g., Biz) to sort by price. This will immediately bring the lowest-priced “saver” awards to the top, showing you the true sweet spot redemption.

Sort results by price to instantly find the cheapest Business Class awards.

Step 5: Automate Your Search with Alerts

Most premium cabin sweet spots aren’t available 24/7. This is where you stop searching and let AwardFares work for you. For a complete walkthrough of all the features, check out our ultimate guide to flight availability alerts.

For Specific Trips: Live Alerts

If you know exactly where and when you want to go (e.g., “JFK to DOH in Qsuites on October 15th”), a Live Alert is your tool. It actively monitors that specific query and notifies you the moment a seat appears.

For Flexible Explorers: Flex Alerts

If you’re open to possibilities (e.g., “Anywhere in the US to anywhere in Asia on STARLUX or JAL this fall”), a Flex Alert is your key to discovery. Our AI-powered system will find high-value opportunities that match your broad criteria and send you a push notification.

Set an award alert in AwardFares to be notified when seats become available.

Step 6: Build Complex Trips with the Journey Planner

How do you book a stopover? The Atmos website’s multi-city tool can be clunky. The Journey Planner makes it simple.

  1. Find Leg 1: Search for your first flight (e.g., Seattle to Tokyo). Find a seat you like and click the ’+’ icon to add it to your Journey.
  2. Find Leg 2: The Journey Planner automatically sets your new origin to Tokyo. Now search for your second flight (e.g., Tokyo to Bangkok). Find an available seat and add it to the Journey.
  3. Book the Trip: You now have a complete, valid itinerary with dates and flight numbers. Use the “Copy to Clipboard” feature to save this information. Call the Atmos Rewards service center and give the agent the exact flights. They can book it as a single award, and you’ll have successfully booked your stopover! For more advanced tips on building multi-leg awards, see our full guide to the Journey Planner.
The Journey Planner helps you piece together complex itineraries before you call to book

Read More

Our guides have all the information you need to be a pro travel hacker and explore the world on points. Here are some related posts you might enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

What is an Atmos Rewards sweet spot?

It’s a high-value redemption where your points go further—often on international premium cabins or by using the free stopover on one-way awards. Below are the most reliable sweet spots and how to find them quickly with AwardFares.

How do I search for sweet spots with Atmos Rewards?

The easiest way is to use AwardFares. Instead of manually checking day by day, you can see a month of availability at once, filter for specific partners like JAL or Qatar, cap the maximum price, and even set alerts so you’re notified when seats open.

How many Atmos Rewards points do I need for business class to Europe?

Business Class flights to Europe typically cost 45,000–55,000 points one-way, depending on distance. For example, New York to Madrid on Iberia is 45,000 points, while Chicago to Rome is 55,000 points.

Can I use Atmos Rewards points on oneworld partners?

Yes. Atmos Rewards is part of the oneworld alliance and also partners with select non-alliance airlines. You can redeem points on Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LATAM, and more.

Does Atmos Rewards have an award chart?

Yes. Atmos Rewards uses three distance-based charts (Americas, EMEA, APAC). Prices are determined by the total miles flown, not by cash ticket price, which helps preserve many classic Mileage Plan sweet spots.

What is the cheapest Atmos Rewards redemption?

Short-haul flights under 700 miles cost just 4,500 points in Economy. Examples include Seattle–San Francisco, Miami–Cancún, or Charlotte–Nashville.

Can I book Qatar Airways Qsuites with Atmos Rewards points?

Yes. Qsuites are one of the program’s most famous redemptions. You can fly from the U.S. East Coast or Midwest to Doha for 70,000 points, or continue onward to the Maldives or Africa with a stopover for 85,000 points.

How do I find Atmos Rewards partner availability?

Not all partners show online (like Cathay Pacific or LATAM). Use AwardFares to confirm award space, then call Atmos Rewards with the flight details so an agent can issue the ticket.

Are stopovers still free with Atmos Rewards?

Yes. On one-way international awards, you can add a free stopover (up to 14 days) in a partner hub city. This allows you to visit two destinations for the price of one.

Can I transfer points into Atmos Rewards?

Yes. The main transfer partner is Bilt Rewards, which allows 1:1 transfers into Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (now Atmos Rewards). Bilt is currently the only major transferable currency with a direct Alaska transfer option. You can also indirectly book Alaska-operated flights by transferring Bilt points to partners like British Airways Executive Club (Avios) or Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, which have the ability to issue Alaska awards.

What's the best long-haul redemption with Atmos Rewards?

Some of the best examples include 60,000 points for JAL Business Class from Seattle or Vancouver to Tokyo, and 70,000 points for Qatar Airways Qsuites from the U.S. East Coast to Doha.

Does Atmos Rewards charge fuel surcharges?

Generally no. Atmos Rewards does not add heavy carrier-imposed surcharges, especially compared to other programs. Booking partners like Iberia, Finnair, or Aer Lingus helps keep fees low.