Alaska Airlines has a new invite-only top tier: Atmos Global Concierge

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Alaska Airlines is rolling out a new invite-only status level called Atmos Global Concierge. Like the other major U.S. airlines that have such a tier, Alaska is not publicly disclosing what it takes to earn an invitation — though you can be sure it will require a lot of spending.

News of Alaska's new invite-only tier began spreading across aviation blogs Tuesday, and the company confirmed the move to TPG.

"Atmos Global Concierge is a new, invitation-only program," said Alaska in a statement, " ... that, in addition to all the award-winning benefits of Atmos Rewards membership, provides personalized travel support when you need it the most."

For now, this is a beta program rollout, so it's likely to change over time.

In addition to published top tiers, like American Airlines' AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Delta's Diamond Medallion and United Airlines' Premier 1K, all three major U.S. carriers offer an even higher level of status generally saved for the elites who spend the most with the airline (and some travel providers and C-level executives and celebrities).

American Airlines has ConciergeKey, Delta Air Lines has 360, and United Airlines has Global Services. And now Alaska has Atmos Global Concierge.

None of these airlines publicly disclose the exact qualification requirements for their invitation-only programs, which makes pontificating about what it takes to qualify something of an unofficial pastime for loyalty die-hards.

Among the theories: Invites are tied not only to flight spending, but also to credit card spending and even to your home airport. For example, an American Airlines frequent flyer based at the carrier's Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) hub might have a harder time securing an invitation than a similarly high-spending traveler based in a more competitive market.

What benefits come with Alaska Atmos Global Concierge status?

Alaska isn't revealing the full list of benefits that come with its new status, but it did share some details with TPG.

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"Members are supported by a dedicated Concierge team throughout their journey, including proactive trip monitoring and travel assistance, along with exclusive benefits and curated experiences," Alaska said.

That means help with travel disruptions, such as a next-flight guarantee and dedicated, specialized assistance.

Reports suggest other benefits include the ability to gift Gold status, a free Clear+ membership and Avis Chairman's Club status. Those invited are also reportedly being given Atmos Titanium status, even if they haven't already qualified organically this year.

If Alaska follows the lead of its larger competitors, additional perks could include VIP airport transfers, higher upgrade priority and expanded lounge access. However, Alaska has not confirmed those benefits.

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As for what it might take to get invited to this special club, it will likely require spending tens of thousands of dollars on tickets. Some reports suggest the invitations appear to be targeted at potential customers for Alaska's new international routes with lie-flat business class. On the flip side, some Titanium-level Alaska flyers haven't been invited even after earning as many as 250,000 Alaska Atmos status points and buying international business-class tickets.

"Through this beta program, we're creating new ways to recognize some of our most loyal members as our global network grows," Alaska told TPG.

Bottom line

While this won't mean much for most of us, it's still exciting to see a new layer of potential perks for some of Alaska's most loyal flyers. Alaska has been one of the most innovative U.S. airlines when it comes to loyalty, so it's an interesting development to see the carrier recognize its highest-value customers with an invite-only tier that matches what the other big global U.S. airlines have done.

Alaska is also now the only major U.S. airline that lets you earn elite status from actual flight miles (though you can choose to earn status by spending). A new top-tier status level is another way the airline is differentiating itself.

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Featured image by CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

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