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Alaska Atmos Rewards members can now book Philippine Airlines award flights directly on alaskaair.com, with business class starting at 75,000 points one way.
The redemption option went live this week, meaning members can now redeem Atmos Rewards points to book flights to Manila and beyond, starting at 75,000 points one way in business class.
I see many West Coast redemption options, though East coast is somewhat limited.
The change comes just over a year after Alaska Airlines and Philippine Airlines launched their partnership, during which time it wasn’t possible to redeem Atmos Rewards points for Philippine Airlines award flights. No enrollment or opt-in is required.
A year of earning points on a partner with no way to redeem them is a strange limbo. It’s good to see that gap finally close.
What the New Redemption Covers
Atmos Rewards prices these awards using its partner chart for Asia Pacific, and pricing depends on the mileage band between your US departure city and your destination, either the 5,001-7,000 mile band or the 7,001-10,000 mile band. That means economy runs 37,500 or 42,500 points depending on the band, while business class costs 75,000 or 85,000 points.
| Mileage Band | Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|
| 5,001 to 7,000 miles | 37,500 points | 75,000 points |
| 7,001 to 10,000 miles | 42,500 points | 85,000 points |
Alaska charges a $26 fee per person when booking partner awards like this one. If you’d otherwise be paying checked bag fees on a low cost carrier, redeeming Atmos points for a Philippine Airlines award could still work out to be a worthwhile trade.
Who Qualifies
This redemption is open to anyone with an Atmos Rewards account and enough points. Frequent Miler’s report doesn’t mention any elite status requirement or specific credit card needed to book these awards, so we’re not going to guess at one. If you want a primer on how the program works overall, check our Atmos Rewards guide or our breakdown of what you need to know about Atmos Rewards.
If you’re booking a partner award like this one, it’s also worth reviewing elite benefits when booking partner awards with Alaska before you confirm anything, since those perks can change what you get on the ground.
Who Actually Benefits
The best case is a traveler flying nonstop from a West Coast city. Positioning to somewhere like Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle puts you in range of the lower mileage band and a more direct route to Manila.
The weaker case is anyone tied to the East Coast. There’s very little business class award availability on the nonstop route from JFK to Manila, though that doesn’t mean East Coast flyers are out of luck. Toronto shows better award availability.
Our Take
This is a genuinely useful addition for anyone sitting on a stash of Atmos Rewards points and eyeing the Philippines. West Coast flyers get the best deal at 75,000 points one way in business class, a real improvement over paying cash or hunting for space on other programs.
East Coast flyers should check Toronto/JFK before assuming they’re stuck with cash fares. If you have the points and the dates line up, this is worth booking now while availability is fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Business class starts at 75,000 points one way for routes in the 5,001u20137,000 mile band, and 85,000 points one way for routes in the 7,001u201310,000 mile band. Economy awards start at 37,500 or 42,500 points depending on the same mileage bands.
Alaska charges a $26 fee per person when booking partner awards, including Philippine Airlines flights. No elite status or specific credit card is required to access these redemptions.
West Coast cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle offer the most options, including access to the lower 75,000-point business class rate due to the shorter mileage band. East Coast flyers will find limited business class availability, particularly on the JFK to Manila nonstop, though Toronto may show better availability.
No enrollment or opt-in is required. Any Atmos Rewards member with enough points can book Philippine Airlines award flights directly on alaskaair.com.
The partnership launched just over a year before this redemption option went live, meaning members were earning points on Philippine Airlines flights without being able to redeem Atmos Rewards points for awards during that entire period.
