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Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare

Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare is a benefit of Alaska’s cobranded credit cards, issued in partnership with Bank of America. The companion fare allows you to travel with a companion or to book discounted travel for two people traveling together. Because it allows travel on any coach fare, it is one of the most usable companion certificates available.

How to get the Alaska companion fare

The Alaska companion fare is a benefit of the Alaska cobranded credit cards. If you have the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card, you will receive a companion fare each anniversary year. If you have an Alaska Airlines Visa credit card, you receive a companion certificate each anniversary year when you spend $6,000 or more in the previous anniversary year. Both of these cards charge annual fees. But for travelers who will use the companion fare every year, the savings from the companion fare alone will more than justify the annual fee.

What are the terms of the companion fare?

All companion fares come with restrictions. Most companion certificates limit which destinations you can fly to. Others limit you to traveling only on discount airfares. Often companion certificates have different upgrade policies than tickets purchased outright. Here is everything you need to know about the costs and restrictions of the Alaska Famous Companion Fare.

RestrictionTermsExplanation
Fees for companion$122+You must pay the normal price for your ticket, plus the following:
$99 base fare for your companion
$23+ in taxes and fees, depending on your flight itinerary
Class of service and fare restrictionsAny paid coach airfareCoach travel only. Companion fare can not be used with award tickets.
RoutingOne-way or round-trip.
Stopovers allowed.
Travel must be round-trip.
Payment restrictionsAlaska credit cardYou must book using your Alaska Airlines credit card.
TransferabilityYesThe Mileage Plan™ member who owns the companion fare code must either be one of the travelers or the purchaser of the reservation. If the member is allowing two travelers to use his or her companion fare code, then the member’s name must match the name on the credit card used to purchase the reservation.
ExpirationBook by expiration dateYour companion fare code must be redeemed by 11:59 pm PT on the expiration date. Once ticketed, travel can be completed after the expiration date — within 12 months of the date of issue.
Mileage creditYesBoth travelers can earn mileage credit for their flights in their own Mileage Plan™ accounts. Please be sure to provide the Mileage Plan™ numbers when booking your reservation, or when you check in for your flight.
UpgradesYesUpgrades are available with companion fares, including upgrades with miles, elite+companion upgrades, guest upgrades and paid upgrades at check-in. You and your companion must travel together on the same reservation, in the same cabin and upgrade space must be available for both of you. If upgrading, both guests must use the same type of upgrade.

How do I use my Alaska companion certificate?

Find your Alaska Companion Fare code in your account

If you have a valid Alaska Airlines companion certificate, it will show up in your account under the “Discount and companion fare codes” section of your Alaska Airlines profile. The easiest way to get to that section of your profile is using this link or by clicking on your name at the top right of the Alaska Airlines. Select “Discount and companion fare codes” to view your available codes.

Select the “Shop” button next to your companion fare code and your companion fare code will be automatically applied to your new reservation.

Keep in mind that you must apply your companion fare code to a new reservation; you cannot add a companion to an existing reservation.

When do I receive my Alaska companion certificate?

When you receive your Alaska companion certificate depends on which credit card you have.

If you are receiving the Alaska Airlines Famous Companion fare as part of a credit card welcome offer, you will receive your certificate after meeting the bonus requirements. The certificate will be posted to your account within six to eight weeks after you qualify.

If you are receiving your annual Alaska Airlines companion certificate, you will receive your companion fare discount code within the first two billing cycles after your account anniversary date each year. Alaska notes that your account anniversary will fall six to eight weeks after the date on which your originally opened your account. If you have an Alaska Airlines personal credit card, you are required to spend $6,000 within the previous calendar year. You will only receive your companion certificate on your account anniversary if you qualify.

About the author

  • Photo of Aaron Hurd, credit card and travel rewards expert.

    Aaron Hurd is a credit card, travel rewards, and loyalty program expert. Over the past 15 years, he has authored over a thousand expert contributions published by leading outlets including WSJ, TIME, Newsweek, Forbes, NerdWallet, The Points Guy, Bankrate, CNET, and many others. He has also served in consulting roles for many of these same outlets, designing content strategy, hiring teams of teams of editors and contributors, developing thought-leadership pieces, and ghost-editing for senior editors. Aaron is well-known in the miles and points community and regularly presents about travel rewards at conferences like the Chicago Seminars and Minnebar. Aaron has enjoyed the game of optimizing credit card rewards since getting his first credit card shortly after he turned 18. He started learning about credit cards and travel rewards from the (now defunct) FatWallet Finance forums and FlyerTalk. He holds more than 40 open credit cards and has first-hand experience with almost every major credit card product.

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