Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to use the Alaska Airlines Companion Fare
The Alaska Airlines Companion Fare is the companion benefit included with the Atmos Rewards Visa credit cards issued by Bank of America. [5] Those cards belong to Atmos Rewards, the loyalty programme for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, and Alaska lists companion benefits alongside free checked bags and preferred boarding among the travel benefits the cards carry. [5]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Companion benefits are one of the travel benefits of the Atmos Rewards Visa credit cards, the Bank of America-issued card suite in Atmos Rewards. [5]
- Those cards also earn points and status points through everyday spend. [5]
- Companion benefits sit alongside a separate points path: award travel is booked on alaskaair.com or hawaiianairlines.com by selecting "use points" when searching. [4]
- From 2 November 2026, Platinum and Titanium members get a further companion perk: eligible children and one companion can join them in Premium Class on a complimentary basis when space is available. [5]
Where the companion benefit sits in Atmos Rewards
Atmos Rewards is the loyalty programme of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. [5] Both carriers are members of the oneworld alliance, and members can earn and redeem points with oneworld airlines and additional global partners that serve more than 1,100 destinations. [5]
The programme's card family is described as a suite of Atmos Rewards Visa credit cards issued by Bank of America, with points and status points earned through everyday spend on those cards, and with travel benefits that include free checked bags, preferred boarding and companion benefits. [5] The card line-up is still moving, so the exact product you hold matters:
| Card or product | Timing | What Alaska announced |
|---|---|---|
| Atmos Rewards Visa credit cards | In market | Points and status points from everyday spend; travel benefits include free checked bags, preferred boarding and companion benefits [5] |
| Atmos Rewards Summit card | Introduced last summer | One of the fastest routes to enhanced status, with status points from everyday card spend and accelerated earn for international purchases [5] |
| Atmos Rewards Visa Business Card refresh | Late 2026 | 10x points on eligible purchases through Atmos Rewards for Business, lounge passes and free same-day confirmed flight changes; full details later in the fall [5] |
| Atmos Rewards debit card | Planned early 2027 | Flight and onboard purchase discounts, free points sharing, no foreign transaction fees and the ability to pay certain account fees with points [5] |
In 2027, Alaska also plans to let customers holding eligible Bank of America card products transfer points into Atmos Rewards. [5]
Is the Companion Fare the same as an award ticket?
No. Award travel with Atmos Rewards points is booked on alaskaair.com or hawaiianairlines.com: travellers select "use points" when searching for a flight, and the discounted award fare appears in the search results. [4] The companion benefit, by contrast, is listed among the travel benefits of the credit cards rather than as a points redemption. [5]
Award prices on the points side move with promotions. In October 2026 the programme ran Global Getaways to six winter destinations, with booking required by 10 October 2026 for travel between 15 January and 8 March 2027: one-way prices started at 20,000 points for Seoul, 25,000 points for Helsinki, Paris and Munich, and 30,000 points for Sapporo and Stavanger. [4] Those offers are published through Atmos Members Day, which is held on the first Wednesday of every month. [4] [5]
How do you earn points with an Atmos Rewards Visa card?
Card spend is one route into the programme. Alaska also lists flying Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and its 30-plus oneworld and airline partners, rental cars booked with Alaska Car Rentals, linking a Lyft account, Stays by Alaska Vacations and Alaska Hawaiian Cruises, Atmos Rewards Dining, and Atmos Rewards Shopping among the ways members earn. [4] When a partner flight is booked directly on Alaska or Hawaiian, members earn 100% of the points for the miles flown, and 250% of the distance flown on all Business Class fares with all partners. [4]
Separately, from 1 October 2026 members can choose how they earn points and status points on flights departing on or after 1 January 2027. [5] The fact sheet sets out three methods:
| Earning method | Rate |
|---|---|
| Distance travelled | 1 mile flown = 1 point earned [3] |
| Price paid | $1 spent = 5 points earned, excluding taxes and fees [3] |
| Segments flown | 1 segment flown = 500 points earned [3] |
Choosing is optional: current members who do not select a different method keep earning by distance travelled, while members who join on or after 1 January 2027 default to earning by price paid unless they pick an alternative. [3] [5] Members may change the choice once per calendar year, and no change applies to travel that has already been completed. [3] The choice covers all Alaska, Hawaiian and partner flights, while credit card and partner earning stays the same as today. [3]
Limits and other companion perks
- Companion benefits are one card benefit among several. Alaska names them in the same list as free checked bags and preferred boarding. [5]
- A separate, status-based companion perk starts on 2 November 2026. Platinum and Titanium members will be able to bring eligible children and one companion into Premium Class on a complimentary basis when space is available. [5] Alaska presents that as an elite benefit, while companion benefits appear in its description of card travel benefits. [5]
- Card products and their terms are changing. Complete details of the refreshed Atmos Rewards Visa Business Card will be available later in the fall of 2026, and the debit card is planned for early 2027. [5]
- The flight earning choice has its own limits. It can be changed once per calendar year for future trips, applies to flights departing on or after 1 January 2027, and does not change credit card earning. [3] [5]
Frequently asked questions
Which card gives the Alaska Airlines companion benefit?
Companion benefits are listed among the travel benefits of the Atmos Rewards Visa credit cards, the suite of cards issued by Bank of America within Atmos Rewards. [5]
Can I book an Atmos Rewards award with points instead?
Yes. Select "use points" when searching for a flight on alaskaair.com or hawaiianairlines.com, and the discounted award fare will appear in the search results. [4]
Can Platinum and Titanium members bring a companion into Premium Class?
From 2 November 2026 they can bring eligible children and one companion into Premium Class on a complimentary basis when space is available. [5]
Does my flight earning choice change card earning?
No. The choice affects how points and status points are earned on Alaska, Hawaiian and partner flights, and Alaska says credit card and partner earning stays the same as today. [3]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers the Atmos Rewards programme and the companion benefit attached to its credit cards; other airlines' companion instruments and other loyalty or hotel programmes are not covered here — see the comparison of airline companion vouchers.
- Atmos Rewards: choose how you earn (fact sheet), checked 18 October 2026
- October's Atmos Members Day flight deals unlock six charming winter destinations, checked 18 October 2026
- Atmos Rewards expands with customized ways to earn, more benefits, new partners and broader access to premium experiences, checked 18 October 2026