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The Complete Guide to the Alaska Airlines $99 Companion Fare
The Alaska Companion Fare is a great way to reduce the cost of expensive flights. Here's how to maximize it.
Sam Kemmis is a former NerdWallet travel rewards expert specializing in airline and hotel loyalty programs. In a previous professional life, he wrote comedy until a nomadic lifestyle and a lifelong obsession with saving money turned his attention to travel rewards. He is no longer funny. His work has been featured by The Associated Press, The Points Guy and Fast Company. He has spoken about travel rewards at CardCon, the Altitude conference and AwardWallet's "Award Travel 101" podcast. He is based in Ojai, California, and teaches mindfulness meditation because that's what you do in Ojai.
Elina Geller is a contributing NerdWallet travel writer specializing in airline and hotel loyalty programs and travel insurance. In 2019, Elina founded TheMissMiles, a travel rewards coaching business. Her work has been featured by Forbes and AwardWallet. She is a certified public accountant with degrees from the London School of Economics and Fordham University.
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The annual $99 Companion Fare available through two Alaska co-branded credit cards is one of the best airline card perks available. It lets you book one economy fare starting at $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) on the same itinerary.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
Either way, the Alaska Airlines $99 Companion Fare can easily offset either card’s annual fee. It can also help reduce the cost of family travel, especially during the holidays. And, with some creativity, it can provide hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars in value.
In this article, we’ll walk through what you need to know about the Alaska Companion Fare, as well as some simple ways to maximize its value.
Consumer Alaska cardholders who had the card before Jan. 18, 2023, will continue to receive the Companion Fare automatically each year. However, new applicants who apply for the card on or after Jan. 18, 2023, will need to spend $6,000 per year to qualify for the Companion Fare on their next anniversary.
Note that new applicants will also occasionally receive a Companion Fare when they apply for the card and qualify for the welcome bonus, which is currently: Get 70,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, spend $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Given the major changes in perks on the consumer card, we couldn't help but wonder: Is the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card still worth the annual fee? Find out.
To find your Companion Fare, look in the “Discount and companion fare codes” section of your Atmos Rewards account.
Here are some things to keep in mind about the $99 Companion Fare:
Fare class eligibility: The Companion Fare is only valid for economy tickets.
Upgrades: Tickets purchased with a Companion Fare are eligible for upgrades to first class. This can be done using points, elite + companion upgrades, guest upgrades or paid upgrades that may be offered at check-in.
Who must fly: Even if you hold the Companion Fare offer, you do not have to be the passenger on the flight; however, the flight must be purchased using a credit card that has the Companion Fare holder’s name.
Book only on Alaskaair.com: The flights must be booked on Alaskaair.com, so you cannot use the Companion Fare if you're booking your flight on websites like Expedia or Kayak.
Award travel: The Companion Fare isn’t eligible for award travel and can only be used for flights paid for in cash.
Only Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines flights: Companion Fare is valid only on Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines-operated flights in North America. The Companion Fare is not valid on any partner or Oneworld flights.
Expiration date: The expiration date of your Companion Fare will be indicated and you must redeem your code by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time of that date. However, once ticketed, the travel can be completed up to 12 months from the date the certificate was issued.
What's your experience like flying Alaska Airlines?
Harlan Vaughn
Contributing Travel Writer
I love Alaska Airlines and wish I could fly it more often. When I've been upgraded to first class, the seats haven't been amazing and the cabins tend to be on the older side, but the cabin crew are reliably friendly and attentive. The food options also tend to be a bit better quality than other domestic airlines. I love finding an Alaska route where the Companion Fare saves me hundreds. Many people use them for flights to Hawaii, but I've had excellent experiences using them to fly to Alaska and around the Pacific Northwest. I always get priority boarding with Alaska, either from having the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card , a first-class ticket or elite status. Alaska tends to be very generous with upgrades, especially on shorter routes, in my experience.
I love Alaska Airlines and wish I could fly it more often. When I've been upgraded to first class, the seats haven't been amazing and the cabins tend to be on the older side, but the cabin crew are reliably friendly and attentive. The food options also tend to be a bit better quality than other domestic airlines. I love finding an Alaska route where the Companion Fare saves me hundreds. Many people use them for flights to Hawaii, but I've had excellent experiences using them to fly to Alaska and around the Pacific Northwest. I always get priority boarding with Alaska, either from having the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card , a first-class ticket or elite status. Alaska tends to be very generous with upgrades, especially on shorter routes, in my experience.
Harlan Vaughn
Contributing Travel Writer
Meghan Coyle
Assistant Assigning Editor, Travel
Alaska Airlines is the most underrated airline in the U.S. The seats are comfortable, the service is good, and they offer tons of low-cost redemptions internationally, too. I have AAdvantage Gold status, which means I also get Oneworld Ruby status, which helps me get priority boarding (and the occasional complimentary upgrade) on Alaska Airlines flights.
Alaska Airlines is the most underrated airline in the U.S. The seats are comfortable, the service is good, and they offer tons of low-cost redemptions internationally, too. I have AAdvantage Gold status, which means I also get Oneworld Ruby status, which helps me get priority boarding (and the occasional complimentary upgrade) on Alaska Airlines flights.
Meghan Coyle
Assistant Assigning Editor, Travel
Craig Joseph
Lead Travel Writer
Alaska Airlines has the best food and beverage selection out of all U.S.-based airlines. The service is usually very good, and miles redemptions with the Alaska Mileage Plan can provide a ton of value for international travel. I just redeemed Alaska miles for a flight on Finnair from Helsinki to JFK for only 27.5k miles! That's almost 4 cents per point in value! The Companion Fare that comes with my Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card is very easy to use and has saved me thousands of dollars over the years on Alaska Airlines flights.
Alaska Airlines has the best food and beverage selection out of all U.S.-based airlines. The service is usually very good, and miles redemptions with the Alaska Mileage Plan can provide a ton of value for international travel. I just redeemed Alaska miles for a flight on Finnair from Helsinki to JFK for only 27.5k miles! That's almost 4 cents per point in value! The Companion Fare that comes with my Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card is very easy to use and has saved me thousands of dollars over the years on Alaska Airlines flights.
Craig Joseph
Lead Travel Writer
Harlan Vaughn
Contributing Travel Writer
I love Alaska Airlines and wish I could fly it more often. When I've been upgraded to first class, the seats haven't been amazing and the cabins tend to be on the older side, but the cabin crew are reliably friendly and attentive. The food options also tend to be a bit better quality than other domestic airlines. I love finding an Alaska route where the Companion Fare saves me hundreds. Many people use them for flights to Hawaii, but I've had excellent experiences using them to fly to Alaska and around the Pacific Northwest. I always get priority boarding with Alaska, either from having the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card , a first-class ticket or elite status. Alaska tends to be very generous with upgrades, especially on shorter routes, in my experience.
I love Alaska Airlines and wish I could fly it more often. When I've been upgraded to first class, the seats haven't been amazing and the cabins tend to be on the older side, but the cabin crew are reliably friendly and attentive. The food options also tend to be a bit better quality than other domestic airlines. I love finding an Alaska route where the Companion Fare saves me hundreds. Many people use them for flights to Hawaii, but I've had excellent experiences using them to fly to Alaska and around the Pacific Northwest. I always get priority boarding with Alaska, either from having the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card , a first-class ticket or elite status. Alaska tends to be very generous with upgrades, especially on shorter routes, in my experience.
Harlan Vaughn
Contributing Travel Writer
Meghan Coyle
Assistant Assigning Editor, Travel
Alaska Airlines is the most underrated airline in the U.S. The seats are comfortable, the service is good, and they offer tons of low-cost redemptions internationally, too. I have AAdvantage Gold status, which means I also get Oneworld Ruby status, which helps me get priority boarding (and the occasional complimentary upgrade) on Alaska Airlines flights.
Alaska Airlines is the most underrated airline in the U.S. The seats are comfortable, the service is good, and they offer tons of low-cost redemptions internationally, too. I have AAdvantage Gold status, which means I also get Oneworld Ruby status, which helps me get priority boarding (and the occasional complimentary upgrade) on Alaska Airlines flights.
Meghan Coyle
Assistant Assigning Editor, Travel
Craig Joseph
Lead Travel Writer
Alaska Airlines has the best food and beverage selection out of all U.S.-based airlines. The service is usually very good, and miles redemptions with the Alaska Mileage Plan can provide a ton of value for international travel. I just redeemed Alaska miles for a flight on Finnair from Helsinki to JFK for only 27.5k miles! That's almost 4 cents per point in value! The Companion Fare that comes with my Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card is very easy to use and has saved me thousands of dollars over the years on Alaska Airlines flights.
Alaska Airlines has the best food and beverage selection out of all U.S.-based airlines. The service is usually very good, and miles redemptions with the Alaska Mileage Plan can provide a ton of value for international travel. I just redeemed Alaska miles for a flight on Finnair from Helsinki to JFK for only 27.5k miles! That's almost 4 cents per point in value! The Companion Fare that comes with my Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card is very easy to use and has saved me thousands of dollars over the years on Alaska Airlines flights.
Craig Joseph
Lead Travel Writer
Harlan Vaughn
Contributing Travel Writer
I love Alaska Airlines and wish I could fly it more often. When I've been upgraded to first class, the seats haven't been amazing and the cabins tend to be on the older side, but the cabin crew are reliably friendly and attentive. The food options also tend to be a bit better quality than other domestic airlines. I love finding an Alaska route where the Companion Fare saves me hundreds. Many people use them for flights to Hawaii, but I've had excellent experiences using them to fly to Alaska and around the Pacific Northwest. I always get priority boarding with Alaska, either from having the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card , a first-class ticket or elite status. Alaska tends to be very generous with upgrades, especially on shorter routes, in my experience.
I love Alaska Airlines and wish I could fly it more often. When I've been upgraded to first class, the seats haven't been amazing and the cabins tend to be on the older side, but the cabin crew are reliably friendly and attentive. The food options also tend to be a bit better quality than other domestic airlines. I love finding an Alaska route where the Companion Fare saves me hundreds. Many people use them for flights to Hawaii, but I've had excellent experiences using them to fly to Alaska and around the Pacific Northwest. I always get priority boarding with Alaska, either from having the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card , a first-class ticket or elite status. Alaska tends to be very generous with upgrades, especially on shorter routes, in my experience.
Harlan Vaughn
Contributing Travel Writer
Meghan Coyle
Assistant Assigning Editor, Travel
Alaska Airlines is the most underrated airline in the U.S. The seats are comfortable, the service is good, and they offer tons of low-cost redemptions internationally, too. I have AAdvantage Gold status, which means I also get Oneworld Ruby status, which helps me get priority boarding (and the occasional complimentary upgrade) on Alaska Airlines flights.
Alaska Airlines is the most underrated airline in the U.S. The seats are comfortable, the service is good, and they offer tons of low-cost redemptions internationally, too. I have AAdvantage Gold status, which means I also get Oneworld Ruby status, which helps me get priority boarding (and the occasional complimentary upgrade) on Alaska Airlines flights.
Meghan Coyle
Assistant Assigning Editor, Travel
Craig Joseph
Lead Travel Writer
Alaska Airlines has the best food and beverage selection out of all U.S.-based airlines. The service is usually very good, and miles redemptions with the Alaska Mileage Plan can provide a ton of value for international travel. I just redeemed Alaska miles for a flight on Finnair from Helsinki to JFK for only 27.5k miles! That's almost 4 cents per point in value! The Companion Fare that comes with my Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card is very easy to use and has saved me thousands of dollars over the years on Alaska Airlines flights.
Alaska Airlines has the best food and beverage selection out of all U.S.-based airlines. The service is usually very good, and miles redemptions with the Alaska Mileage Plan can provide a ton of value for international travel. I just redeemed Alaska miles for a flight on Finnair from Helsinki to JFK for only 27.5k miles! That's almost 4 cents per point in value! The Companion Fare that comes with my Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card is very easy to use and has saved me thousands of dollars over the years on Alaska Airlines flights.
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How to use the Alaska Companion Fare
To use your Companion Fare, log into your Alaska Airlines account. Once you’re logged in, in the top right corner where you see “Hi Name,” click the down arrow. You'll then see an option titled “Discount and companion fare codes," which you will need to select.
On that page, you’ll see all of your available discount and companion fare codes.
To use a code, click the “Shop” button.
If you already know your code, you can go directly to the flight search tool and simply enter it into the “Discount or companion fare code” field. Then search for a flight for two, as you usually would.
After you input your travel cities and dates, and click on the “find flights” option, you’ll want to pay attention to search results that are Companion Fare-eligible. That means you’ll want to look for that little red symbol (as shown below) next to the flight price.
The Companion Fare amount is indicated by a green checkmark.
In this case, the main cabin flight costs $425 and the Companion Fare is $138.
The total, including the taxes and fees, will be displayed once you have made your flight selections and added it to your cart.
At the checkout, you will always see the $99 Companion Fare amount displayed.
This fare is a great example of how the Companion Fare can save money. For example, a ticket for one passenger costs $424.60. If you didn’t have the Companion Fare, you’d pay double that — about $850.
However, with the Companion Fare, you’re only paying $99 for that second ticket, plus the applicable taxes, for a total price of about $560. The Companion Fare is saving you almost $300 on this trip, which is significant.
Using the Alaska Companion Fare is fairly straightforward. Getting the most value from it requires more know-how. Keep reading for advice on how to maximize your Alaska Companion Fare.
1. Use the Companion Fare for expensive itineraries
This is the most basic principle behind using the Companion Fare, but it bears repeating: Employing your code on a $200 one-way flight will only save you about $80. Using it on a flight like in the example above will save you nearly a thousand dollars.
To maximize the Companion Fare, the cost of the companion ticket needs to exceed $217 because the Companion Fare cost starts at $122 ($99 plus at least $23 in taxes) and the minimum annual fee on the Alaska credit cards is $95.
The fare can only be used on flights operated by Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines in North America. So, consider notoriously pricey destinations like Hawaii, or for smaller destinations, like Sun Valley, Idaho.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Previously, the $99 Alaska Companion Fare could be used on multicity and open-jaw routes. Following updates in July 2025, this benefit can no longer be applied to these bookings.
The Alaska Companion Fare is ideal for holiday travel, when prices are sky-high and you’re more likely to fly with a partner.
For example, a round-trip flight from New York to Missoula, Montana, in the week of Christmas cost a whopping $988 when we searched. That comes to $1,976 for a two-person itinerary without the Companion Fare, or $1,140 with it — a $836 difference.
Family travel in the summer, when fares can be substantially higher, is another good use of the Companion Fare.
3. Bring your family to you
One great feature of the Companion Fare is that you don’t have to fly on any of the purchased tickets yourself. You just have to book it using your Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card.
That means you can fly your friends or family to meet you, instead of the other way around. Or you can give two flights as a gift to someone you know. You don’t even have to tell the recipients how much money you saved.
4. Get multiple Companion Fares
Traveling with a large family or taking several Alaska flights with a companion each year? Consider opening more than one Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card in your household. Or, if you have a small business, check out the Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business card.
You’ll have to pay the annual fee for each card, but that could pale in comparison to the savings from multiple Companion Fares.
Let’s say for example, you and your spouse each have the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card, so you each have a Companion Fare code. Maybe you have two kids or maybe you want to go on a trip with another couple, in either scenario, you can each use your Companion Fare to book a ticket for the other people you’re flying with and really save.
How often can you use Alaska Companion Fare? How often can you use Alaska Companion Fare?
Alaska Airlines’ Companion Fare can only be used once. It is different from the Southwest Companion Pass, which provides discounted fares for more than a calendar year. The Companion Fare can be used on one way, roundtrip or multi-city itineraries.
Can I use the Alaska Companion Fare for first class? Can I use the Alaska Companion Fare for first class?
The Alaska Companion Fare can only be used to book flights in economy class, but you still might be able to upgrade to first class. Make sure to book an upgradeable fare if you plan to take advantage of that option. If you are an elite member, you may be eligible to upgrade both tickets for free, or you can redeem miles to upgrade.
Can you use the Alaska Companion Fare on international flights? Can you use the Alaska Companion Fare on international flights?
Yes, but you can only redeem the Alaska Companion Fare on Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines-operated flights in North America, not partner-operated flights. Potential destinations include Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Can I use the Alaska Companion Fare with an award ticket? Can I use the Alaska Companion Fare with an award ticket?
The Alaska Companion Fare can only be used in conjunction with a paid ticket, so you cannot use the companion fare to add a person to your itinerary that you booked with points.
Do I earn points with the Alaska Companion Fare? Do I earn points with the Alaska Companion Fare?
Both people traveling on the itinerary will earn points for the flight, even if one person is traveling on a Alaska Companion Fare. Make sure your Atmos account numbers are entered when booking.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
As great as the Companion Fare is, you might be tempted to find the absolute most expensive itinerary in order “maximize” its value. A multi-stop itinerary on the week of Thanksgiving is likely to meet this criteria, and be an absolutely miserable experience.
The Companion Fare is a great tool to help reduce the cost of your travel plans. And remember: You still have to pay the full cost of half of the itinerary. A $1,500 companion fare ticket might save you about $1,400, but … it still costs $1,500 for the full price ticket.
Whether you use Alaska’s Companion Fare to defray the cost of a family trip, stage a multi-city dream itinerary, or just take a normal round-trip ticket, the savings are almost sure to exceed the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card’s or the Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business card’s annual fees.
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