Bilt and Alaska: A Rewarding New Team-Up
If you’ve been eyeing Bilt Rewards, the loyalty program of the no-annual-fee Bilt Mastercard, good news: they’re shaking things up! This isn’t your average points program – it’s a proper transferable currency, where you can send points to partners on a 1:1 basis, and now there’s an exciting new player on the field.
Enter Alaska Airlines. With their new partner, Atmos Rewards, the game just changed, and I might just have to rethink my whole Bilt approach. Let’s dive into why this matters…
Bilt Rewards & The Atmos Connection: What’s the Deal?
Here’s the scoop: Alaska Atmos Rewards now stands as a 1:1 transfer buddy of Bilt Rewards. That’s huge! These Atmos Rewards points are pretty valuable and don’t have any major point-sharing buddies elsewhere. This is a stand-alone star in the points galaxy.
But wait, there’s more! One of the highlights of the Bilt Mastercard is earning points just by paying your rent – no sweat, no additional cost. But now, in a slick move, those holding the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature or the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite can also score points for their rent. Here’s how:
- You’ll grab 3x Atmos Rewards points for rent payments via Bilt, up to $50,000 annually (beyond that, it’s 1x points).
- Just link your Atmos card to your Bilt account, let Bilt handle the rent payment, and watch the points rain down.
- There’s a little catch: Bilt slaps a 3% fee on third-party credit card payments, and yes, that includes these earners.
I’ve been doing the math on this, and honestly, it’s giving me a headache. You could either snatch 1x Bilt Rewards points free with the Bilt Mastercard or cough up a 3% fee to earn 3x Atmos Rewards points with an Atmos card. Would you take that 3% hit for triple the Atmos points instead of single Bilt points? If you value them equally (though, let’s be real, Bilt might edge out), you’d be snagging those Atmos points at 1.5 cents apiece.
Is Atmos Worth the Switch for Rent Payments?
Once upon a time, I’d say stick with the fee-free Bilt Mastercard at 1x points. But now, Atmos Rewards seems to sparkle with more potential, especially if you throw in the spending perks on the Atmos Rewards Summit Card:
- The Summit Card waves a tempting 100,000-point Global Companion Award at you for spending $60,000 annually.
- It also gives you one status point per $2 spent – and there’s no cap on that!
Let’s play with some numbers: assume a $50,000 yearly rent spend (high, but good for the example):
- With Bilt, you pocket 50,000 points gratis.
- With Atmos, you’re down $1,500 in fees but earn 150,000 Atmos points, 25,000 status points, and are more than 80% toward that Companion Award.
If points from rent payments help you snag that juicy Global Companion Award or elite status, maybe it’s worth the splurge. It’s a calculator’s paradise; run the numbers, see what shines for you. That extra fee isn’t for everyone, but sometimes the bigger picture is the game-changer.
When originally weighing Bilt’s 50,000 points against the $1,500 fee for Atmos’s 150,000, it was a coin toss. But with the Companion Award in the mix and elite status dreams, I see a front-runner.
Wrapping It Up
So yes, Bilt and Alaska’s Atmos Rewards are now a dynamic duo. Bilt Rewards points morph into Atmos delights on a straightforward 1:1 basis, a transfer too tempting to overlook. And those willing to pay that 3% fee can rev up by earning triple Atmos points.
With the Atmos Rewards Summit Card, the stakes have risen. You’re not just tripling points per dollar – every $2 can snag a coveted status point, nudging you closer to a Global Companion Award.
So, with a nod to the Val Seny ski resort, I’ve taken this rewards path for a spin, and as of my application approval, it’s looking like I’m on track for this new strategy…
What’s your verdict on the Bilt Rewards & Alaska Atmos Rewards partnership? Are you making some strategic shifts of your own?