Last Updated on July 23, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Yes, you can use the Alaska Airlines card’s $99 Companion Fare on qualifying Hawaiian Airlines flights within North America, including eligible travel to, from, and within Hawaiʻi. The itinerary must meet the certificate rules, use eligible operating carriers, and be booked as a paid Main Cabin trip through Alaska’s booking system.
Quick Answer
The $99 Companion Fare works on eligible Hawaiian-operated flights within North America when booked through alaskaair.com or the Alaska Hawaiian app. The companion pays $99 plus taxes and fees from $23. Codeshares, award tickets, international Hawaiian routes outside North America, and direct First or Business Class bookings do not qualify.
Key Takeaways
- Eligible Hawaiian Airlines flights must operate within North America and appear as qualifying options in Alaska’s booking system.
- The companion fare starts at $99 plus taxes and fees from $23, while the primary traveler pays the regular eligible fare.
- The certificate is intended for paid Main Cabin travel, not Atmos Rewards award tickets or direct premium-cabin bookings.
- Codeshare and unrelated partner-operated flights do not qualify, even when an Alaska or Hawaiian flight number appears on the ticket.
- The Companion Fare and the card’s checked-bag benefit are separate benefits with different conditions.
Can You Use the Alaska Companion Fare on Hawaiian Airlines?
Yes. Alaska expanded its $99 Companion Fare in July 2025 so eligible cardholders could use it on Hawaiian Airlines flights within North America, including Hawaiʻi.
The benefit is currently associated with cards such as the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature card and the Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business card. These products were previously branded as Alaska Airlines Visa cards.
The primary traveler pays the normal eligible fare. The companion pays a $99 base fare plus applicable taxes and fees, which start at $23. The certificate does not make the primary traveler’s ticket cheaper, so the total value depends on the regular cash fare you select.
The companion’s base fare is $99, but the final companion price is at least $122 once the minimum taxes and fees are included.
Note: The exact rules attached to the Companion Fare code in your Atmos Rewards Wallet control the booking. Review those terms before choosing nonrefundable flights.
Which Hawaiian Flights Qualify?
A Hawaiian flight generally qualifies when it is operated by Hawaiian Airlines, stays within North America, appears as eligible in Alaska’s booking system, and is included in a paid itinerary that meets your certificate’s terms.
Do not rely only on the flight number or the airline name shown at the top of a search result. Check the smaller “operated by” line for every segment. A flight marketed by Alaska or Hawaiian but operated by an ineligible partner may be a codeshare and may not accept the Companion Fare.
Eligible Hawaiian Routes
Eligible itineraries can include Hawaiian-operated travel between Hawaiʻi and the continental United States. Eligible travel within Hawaiʻi may also appear when the flight and fare meet the code terms. Mixed Alaska and Hawaiian itineraries can work when every segment uses an eligible operating carrier and the complete trip prices correctly with the certificate.
| Itinerary type | Normally eligible? | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian-operated flight between Hawaiʻi and the U.S. mainland | Yes, when available | Confirm that the flight appears as eligible after applying the code. |
| Eligible Hawaiian-operated Neighbor Island flight | Potentially | Check the operating carrier, inventory, and certificate terms. |
| Mixed Alaska and Hawaiian itinerary within North America | Yes, when every segment qualifies | Review the operating carrier for each individual flight. |
| Hawaiian flight to Asia, Australia, New Zealand, or the South Pacific | No | The Hawaiian portion is outside the North America limitation. |
| Codeshare or unrelated partner-operated flight | No | The marketing flight number does not override the operating-carrier rule. |
| Atmos Rewards award itinerary | No | Companion Fare discount codes cannot be applied to award reservations. |
North America Only
The Hawaiian-operated portion of the itinerary must remain within North America. Travel between Hawaiʻi and international destinations in Asia, Oceania, or the South Pacific does not qualify for this particular $99 Companion Fare.
This does not mean every international flight is automatically excluded from every Alaska Companion Fare itinerary. Alaska-operated routes within the permitted geography may have different eligible destinations. The important test is the operating carrier, geography, fare type, and exact terms shown with your code.
Warning: A Hawaiian or Alaska flight number does not guarantee eligibility. Codeshare flights operated by an ineligible partner do not qualify, so check the “operated by” information for every segment.
Important Companion Fare Rules
Before searching for flights, review these rules from Alaska’s current discount and Companion Fare guidance:
- The code is not transferable. It cannot be redeemed by someone other than the cardholder who received it.
- Only one discount code can be applied to a reservation.
- It cannot be used on an Atmos Rewards award ticket. The reservation must be an eligible paid fare.
- Wallet funds cannot be used to purchase a ticket with a Companion Fare code discount. Other eligible payment methods and certificates may have separate rules.
- The code has an expiration date. Most card-issued codes expire if they are not redeemed within the stated period.
- Cancellation does not reset the expiration date. An unexpired code is normally returned with its original expiration date. An expired code may be forfeited after cancellation.
- Fare rules still apply. Change, cancellation, seat, and refund conditions depend on the paid fare selected.
The primary and companion passengers must be booked together on the eligible itinerary. If the primary traveler does not travel, the companion generally cannot keep the discounted fare as a separate stand-alone ticket.
How Much Does the Companion Fare Cost?
The companion pays a $99 base fare plus applicable government taxes and fees. Those charges start at $23, making the lowest advertised companion total approximately $122.
The primary traveler pays the normal eligible cash fare, including their own taxes and fees. Therefore, you should compare the total price for both travelers rather than focusing only on the companion’s $99 base fare.
Companion Fare Price Breakdown
- The primary traveler pays the regular eligible fare.
- The companion pays a $99 base fare.
- Companion taxes and fees start at $23 and may be higher depending on the itinerary.
- Optional seat selections, Premium Class seating, baggage, and other extras are charged separately unless another benefit covers them.
For example, if the primary traveler’s eligible fare is $650 and the companion’s final price is $128, the two tickets cost $778 before optional extras. Without the certificate, two $650 tickets would cost $1,300, creating a potential savings of $522.
Taxes and Fees Included
The $99 amount does not include all taxes and fees. Alaska shows the complete amount before payment, and the total may vary by airports, routing, and applicable government charges.
Do not assume every Companion Fare booking will total exactly $122. That is the advertised minimum based on a $99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23.
Pro Tip: Use the certificate when the primary traveler’s eligible cash fare is expensive. A fixed $99 companion base fare usually creates more value on costly holiday, summer, or long-distance Hawaiʻi itineraries than on a low promotional fare.
How to Book the Companion Ticket on alaskaair.com
You can find your Companion Fare code in your Atmos Rewards account Wallet. Alaska currently allows discount and Companion Fare codes to be started through alaskaair.com and the Alaska Hawaiian mobile app.
- Sign in to your Atmos Rewards account. Use the account that received the certificate.
- Open your Wallet. Locate the unexpired Companion Fare and select “Use to book,” or copy the code into the discount-code field.
- Enter two travelers. Search for an eligible one-way or round-trip itinerary within the certificate’s permitted geography.
- Keep award travel turned off. Search with money rather than points.
- Review each operating carrier. Confirm that every segment is operated by Alaska, an eligible Alaska regional operator, or Hawaiian within North America.
- Select an eligible Main Cabin fare. Do not begin by selecting First Class or international Business Class.
- Review the price breakdown. The primary traveler should show the normal fare, while the companion should show the $99 base fare plus taxes and fees.
- Pay with an eligible method. Using the associated Atmos Rewards Visa may also be necessary for separate benefits such as free checked bags.
- Check the confirmation. Verify both passenger names, operating carriers, dates, cabin, seat selections, and baggage benefits.
If the app does not display a valid Hawaiian itinerary or apply the discount correctly, repeat the search on alaskaair.com while signed into the same Atmos Rewards account.
Why Your Companion Fare Code May Not Work
An error does not always mean Hawaiian flights are excluded. Check these common causes:
- The code has expired.
- You are signed into an Atmos Rewards account that does not own the code.
- The search is set to use points instead of money.
- The itinerary includes a codeshare or ineligible partner-operated segment.
- A Hawaiian segment travels outside North America.
- You selected First Class or Business Class rather than an eligible Main Cabin fare.
- The required eligible inventory is not available for both travelers.
- You attempted to apply a second discount code.
- You selected Wallet funds as the payment method.
- The itinerary contains too many or incompatible segments for the discount fare construction.
Try searching each direction separately, removing partner segments, changing dates, or choosing a simpler itinerary. If the code still fails on a route that appears eligible, contact Alaska before purchasing a regular ticket because the discount normally cannot be added after the original purchase.
Best Routes and Itineraries for the Fare
The best Companion Fare itinerary is not necessarily a specific city pair. It is usually the eligible trip where the regular second ticket would cost the most.
Look for these value opportunities:
- Peak-season Hawaiʻi travel: School holidays, summer travel, and major events can produce expensive cash fares.
- Longer mainland-to-Hawaiʻi routes: Higher regular fares can create a larger discount for the companion.
- Mixed Alaska and Hawaiian options: A combination may offer better timing, but every segment must qualify.
- One-way travel: A one-way certificate booking may be useful when the return trip uses points or another airline, subject to your code terms.
- Trips with firm dates: Using the certificate on a trip you are likely to take reduces the risk of losing value through expiration or cancellation.
Compare the Companion Fare result against two regular tickets. Sometimes a low public sale or a different operating carrier can still cost less overall.
Can You Upgrade the Companion Fare on Hawaiian?
The Companion Fare does not include an automatic upgrade. You first book an eligible Main Cabin ticket, and any later upgrade depends on the fare, route, aircraft, seat availability, payment option, and Atmos Rewards status.
Hawaiian’s former Extra Comfort seating was renamed Premium Class for Hawaiian-operated flights departing on or after April 22, 2026.
- Paid Premium Class seating: Either traveler may be able to purchase an available Premium Class or preferred seat.
- Complimentary status upgrade: Eligibility depends on the Atmos Rewards member’s status, fare type, route, upgrade window, and available seats.
- Companion upgrade: A qualifying status member may have companion upgrade benefits when the companion is on the same reservation, but the certificate itself does not create that benefit.
- First or Business Class: You generally cannot use the $99 Companion Fare to book directly into these cabins. A later upgrade is separate and is never guaranteed.
If an upgraded seat matters, review the seat map and upgrade terms before purchasing the underlying Main Cabin tickets. Do not base the trip on the assumption that two premium seats will open later.
How to Earn the Companion Fare Each Year
Current Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature and Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business card terms advertise an annual $99 Companion Fare after at least $6,000 in qualifying purchases during the prior card anniversary year.
The anniversary year is based on the account-opening cycle rather than the calendar year. Check your card account or certificate terms to confirm the start and end dates of your personal spending period.
Some new-card promotions may also include a Companion Fare after a separate introductory spending requirement. Welcome offers change frequently, so use the offer shown on the official application page you actually receive rather than relying on an older article or advertisement.
The Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card uses a different Global Companion Award structure. Its point-based companion awards should not be confused with the Ascent and Business cards’ $99 Companion Fare.
Hawaii Travel Perks for Alaska and Hawaiian Cardholders
The checked-bag benefit is separate from the Companion Fare. Current Ascent card terms state that the cardholder and up to six guests on the same reservation can receive one free checked bag on eligible Alaska or Hawaiian flights when the ticket is paid for with the card.
Note: Applying a Companion Fare code alone does not automatically activate the card’s checked-bag benefit. Use the eligible card, keep qualifying travelers on the same reservation, and confirm the benefit in the current card terms.
Other cardholders may have different benefits. For example, the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard has its own checked-bag and companion-discount rules. Do not combine the two products’ benefits or assume that one card’s baggage allowance applies to another card.
Atmos Rewards status, Huakaʻi by Hawaiian membership, cabin, route, and military benefits may also change the baggage allowance. When more than one benefit could apply, review the operating airline’s current baggage policy before checking in.
Alaska and Hawaiian Loyalty Changes to Know
The loyalty integration is no longer a future proposal. Alaska introduced Atmos Rewards in 2025, and HawaiianMiles officially became part of Atmos Rewards on October 1, 2025.
Important current changes include:
- Mileage Plan miles and HawaiianMiles are now known as Atmos Rewards points.
- The former Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card is now the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature card.
- The Alaska business card is now branded as the Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business card.
- The $99 Companion Fare remains available on qualifying Alaska and Hawaiian flights within North America.
- Eligible cardholders can receive baggage and earning benefits across both airlines when all card conditions are met.
- Hawaiian’s Extra Comfort seating is now called Premium Class on eligible flights departing on or after April 22, 2026.
- Alaska and Hawaiian now share a more unified booking and mobile-app platform while continuing to operate distinct customer-facing airline brands.
Because integration details continue to evolve, check the current Atmos Rewards and card-benefit pages before booking a complex or expensive trip.
How to Maximize Your Companion Fare
- Compare total prices. Measure the Companion Fare result against two regular cash tickets.
- Use it on an expensive eligible fare. The fixed companion base fare creates more value when the regular second ticket is costly.
- Book before the code expires. Do not wait until the last few days, especially when your dates are inflexible.
- Search nearby dates. Moving the trip by one or two days can improve both price and eligible inventory.
- Check every operating carrier. Avoid adding a codeshare that invalidates the itinerary.
- Keep the itinerary manageable. Simple one-way or round-trip bookings are easier to price and change.
- Separate guaranteed and possible benefits. Treat the $99 fare as confirmed only after purchase; treat upgrades as optional and availability-based.
- Use the correct card when appropriate. This can preserve separate checked-bag and boarding benefits.
The fare provides the clearest value when you already need two paid tickets, both travelers can use the same itinerary, and the regular second fare is much higher than $99 plus taxes and fees.
Sources
- Alaska Airlines: $99 Companion Fare on Hawaiian Airlines — confirms Hawaiian-operated North America eligibility, starting price, booking channel, and codeshare exclusion.
- Alaska Airlines: Discount and Companion Fare Codes — explains code redemption, transfer, expiration, cancellation, award-ticket, and payment restrictions.
- Bank of America: Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature — confirms annual spending requirement, current card benefits, and checked-bag conditions.
- Bank of America: Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business — confirms the business card’s annual Companion Fare terms.
- Alaska and Hawaiian: HawaiianMiles Is Now Atmos Rewards — confirms the October 1, 2025 loyalty transition.
- Alaska Airlines Premium Class FAQ — explains paid seating, status eligibility, and the Hawaiian Extra Comfort name change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Alaska Companion Fare be used for Hawaii?
Yes. You can use an eligible $99 Companion Fare on qualifying Alaska-operated flights and Hawaiian-operated flights within North America, including eligible travel to, from, and within Hawaiʻi. The trip must meet the code’s operating-carrier, cabin, fare, and booking requirements.
What are the restrictions for the Alaska Companion Fare?
The code is generally limited to eligible paid Main Cabin itineraries. It cannot be used on Atmos Rewards award tickets, codeshare flights, direct premium-cabin bookings, or Hawaiian-operated travel outside North America. Only the cardholder who owns the code can redeem it, and one discount code is allowed per reservation.
Do Alaska cardholders get free checked bags on Hawaiian Airlines?
Eligible Atmos Rewards Visa cardholders can receive a free checked bag for themselves and up to six guests on the same reservation on eligible Hawaiian or Alaska flights when they pay for the tickets with the qualifying card. The bag benefit is separate from the Companion Fare code.
Can you use the Companion Fare with Atmos Rewards points?
No. Alaska states that discount and Companion Fare codes cannot be applied to Atmos Rewards award reservations. Search for a paid cash fare and apply the code before selecting the flights.
What happens to the Companion Fare if you cancel?
When an eligible booking is canceled while the code is still valid, Alaska generally returns the code with its original expiration date. Canceling does not extend that date. If the code has already expired, it may be forfeited.
What is the 3-1-1 rule on Alaska Airlines?
The 3-1-1 rule is a Transportation Security Administration rule, not an Alaska-specific fare rule. Most carry-on liquids, gels, creams, pastes, and aerosols must be in containers of 3.4 ounces or less, placed in one clear quart-sized bag, with one bag allowed per traveler. Medically necessary liquids and certain baby items have separate screening exceptions. Review the current TSA guidance before packing.
Conclusion
You can use the $99 Alaska Companion Fare on eligible Hawaiian Airlines flights within North America, including qualifying Hawaiʻi itineraries. The best results come from checking every operating carrier, choosing an eligible paid Main Cabin fare, and comparing the complete price for both travelers.
Before paying, confirm the code’s expiration date, taxes and fees, cancellation rules, baggage conditions, and upgrade limitations. When the regular second ticket is expensive and both travelers can use the same itinerary, the Companion Fare can produce substantial savings.