If you are trying to book Alaska or Hawaiian awards in 2026, the real question is no longer "how do I transfer Amex to Alaska?" The better question is: how do I get Atmos Rewards points now that the old transfer path is gone?

The short version:

  • Amex does not transfer to Atmos Rewards
  • Bilt transfers to Atmos Rewards at 1:1
  • Atmos co-branded cards earn points directly in the program

That means you now have two realistic ways to build an Atmos balance: transfer from Bilt, or earn directly on an Atmos card.

1. Bilt Is the Main Transferable-Points Path

If you want flexible points that can still end up in Atmos Rewards, Bilt is the cleanest option today.

The Bilt Mastercard earns Bilt points that transfer to Atmos Rewards at 1:1. For anyone who pays rent or mortgage through the Bilt ecosystem, that makes Bilt the most natural way to build an Atmos balance without committing all your spending to a co-branded airline card.

If you want to compare the newer Bilt lineup first, read:

2. Atmos Co-Branded Cards Are the Direct-Earn Option

If your goal is specifically Alaska- and Hawaiian-linked redemptions, the simplest route is to earn in the program directly.

Current Card Curator surfaces for that include:

These cards remove the transfer step entirely. That usually makes sense if:

  • you fly Alaska or Hawaiian often
  • you expect to use companion-style or airline-specific benefits
  • you want your everyday spend to accumulate directly in Atmos Rewards

3. What No Longer Works

The old Amex workaround is gone.

For a period in 2025, Amex cardholders could move Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian, then leverage the Alaska/Hawaiian ecosystem from there. That stopped being useful after two changes:

  1. American Express removed Hawaiian as a transfer partner
  2. Alaska and Hawaiian consolidated into Atmos Rewards without adding Amex as a new direct partner

So if you are searching for:

  • amex to atmos
  • amex to alaska
  • can you transfer amex points to alaska airlines

the answer is now the same: not directly.

For the current Amex-specific fallback options, read Can You Transfer Amex Points to Alaska Airlines? What Works in 2026.

4. Which Path Is Better?

Use Bilt if:

  • you want a transferable-points ecosystem
  • you pay rent or mortgage in a way that makes Bilt practical
  • you want the option to send points somewhere other than Atmos later

Use an Atmos card if:

  • you are committed to Alaska/Hawaiian redemptions
  • you value airline-specific card perks
  • you want the simplest possible earning setup

5. Bottom Line

In 2026, there are really only two practical ways to get Atmos Rewards points from credit card activity:

  • transfer Bilt points to Atmos Rewards
  • earn directly on an Atmos co-branded card

Amex is no longer part of that transfer story. If you still collect Membership Rewards, treat them as a separate ecosystem and use them through the partner programs that still exist.

Track Atmos, Bilt, Amex, and the rest of your points balances in Card Curator.