Can You Use Alaska Airlines Companion Fare on Hawaiian Airlines Flights?

(HAWAII) — Alaska Airlines expanded its annual Companion Fare in 2026 to cover Hawaiian Airlines-operated flights within North America, including Hawaii, extending a credit card perk that had long applied only to Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air service.

The change allows eligible cardholders to book a companion ticket for $99 plus taxes and fees starting from $23 on Hawaiian-operated routes across North America. Alaska Airlines said the update took effect in early 2026 as the carrier deepened the integration of its loyalty program with Hawaiian Airlines after their merger.

For travelers who hold the airline’s eligible Bank of America cards, the broader Companion Fare brings Hawaiian Airlines flights into a benefit that Alaska Airlines has long promoted as one of its most useful card perks. Both the primary and companion tickets still earn Atmos Rewards miles, preserving the mileage-earning feature attached to the fare.

Merger and Loyalty Program Integration

The expanded benefit follows the merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines that was announced in 2023 and closed in September 2024. In 2026, both airlines continue to operate under distinct brands while tying together more of their loyalty and customer benefits.

Under the new setup, the Companion Fare remains available only to holders of the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® card and the Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card. Each card carries a $95 annual fee.

Cardholders receive an annual Companion Fare code after meeting a $6,000 spending requirement in the prior card anniversary year. For new cards, the fare often comes alongside welcome offers such as 70,000 bonus miles plus a Companion Fare after $3,000-$4,000 spend in 90 days.

How the Companion Fare Pricing Works

The minimum cost remains central to the perk’s appeal. A companion ticket starts at $99 in base fare, with taxes and fees from $23, for a total from $122.

That pricing can produce larger savings on expensive routes. Alaska Airlines said savings can exceed $500 per round-trip on high-fare itineraries.

The perk now stretches across a wider map because Hawaiian Airlines operates routes that many Alaska Airlines customers already use for leisure travel, especially to Hawaii. West Coast cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle stand out in that network, pairing Hawaiian’s service with Alaska’s broader domestic reach.

A family example provided by the airline shows the potential value. A family of four flying from Seattle to Honolulu might save over $1,000 on companion tickets alone, more than covering the annual card fee.

Booking Rules and Fare Restrictions

Booking rules remain tight. Travelers must book through alaskaair.com using the code attached to their Mileage Plan account, now part of Atmos Rewards, and the primary traveler and companion must travel together on the same itinerary.

The primary fare must also be paid with the eligible card. The fare does not apply on third-party booking sites and cannot be used for award tickets booked with miles.

Eligible fare classes remain in economy, from saver to main cabin. Travelers can still pursue upgrades using miles, elite status, or paid options, though Hawaiian upgrade policies for Alaska elites are still aligning.

Route limits are now clearer. The Companion Fare applies to Hawaiian-operated interisland Hawaii flights, such as Honolulu to Maui, and to domestic North America travel on Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines within the United States, Canada and Mexico, including Hawaii-mainland flights such as LAX-HNL.

The fare does not extend to Hawaiian’s international routes in the Pacific, to Europe, or to U.S. territories such as American Samoa. It also excludes oneworld partners, other partner airlines and codeshare flights, remaining limited to Alaska Airlines- or Hawaiian Airlines-operated service.

Travelers can use the fare on one-way and round-trip bookings, but not on more elaborate itineraries. Alaska Airlines tightened those rules in 2025 after what it called “systems modernization” in July 2025.

That change ended stopovers, open-jaws and multicity bookings that some travelers had used to increase the value of the benefit. Alaska confirmed the Companion Fare now works only on basic one-way and round-trip itineraries, though the airline signaled that more flexibility may come later.

Availability also depends on the market and travel period. Alaska Airlines has not set broad blackout dates, but high-demand periods may still limit eligible inventory.

Atmos Rewards, Baggage and Other Card Benefits

The shift comes with the launch of the unified Atmos™ Rewards program in 2026, merging Alaska Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles into one loyalty structure. The combined program supports earning and redemption across both carriers, reciprocal status matching and shared customer perks.

One of those perks is baggage. Cardholders get the first checked bag free for themselves and up to 6 companions on both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights.

That baggage benefit can matter on Hawaii trips, where bag fees can run $30+ each way. For travelers who combine a Companion Fare with free bags and mileage earning, the annual fee can look modest against the savings on a single trip.

The cards also offer 3x miles on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases. They add 2x earnings on gas, EV charging, transit and streaming, and 1x elsewhere, with no foreign transaction fees.

Other benefits remain in place as well. Cardholders receive 20% inflight discounts, $100 off Alaska Lounge+, and priority boarding on the Ascent card.

An EQM promotion also helped define the card package in 2025. Alaska Airlines offered 1 EQM for every $3 spent, up to 30K, and said that promotion may extend.

Savings Potential and Sample Itineraries

The annual Companion Fare still works best on expensive flights. Alaska Airlines pointed to Hawaii and remote destinations such as Sun Valley as examples where the math improves quickly, especially when a companion ticket would otherwise cost more than $217, the point at which the $122 minimum fare plus the $95 annual fee can be covered.

One sample itinerary illustrates the point. An Orlando-Seattle round-trip on Hawaiian codeshares via the Alaska site cost $753 total for two travelers, compared with $1,233 without the Companion Fare, for $480 in savings.

Travelers must still watch for some restrictions at checkout. Alaska Airlines advises users to confirm that Hawaiian-operated legs show code eligibility when booking, and the fare cannot be paid with My Wallet funds.

The code timing also matters. Companion Fare codes arrive by email or in an account within two billing cycles after the card anniversary, and they expire at 11:59 p.m. PT on the stated date.

Once issued, though, the code offers some room to plan. Travel can take place up to 12 months after issue, as long as the booking occurs before the expiration time.

The cardholder does not need to fly to use the benefit. Alaska Airlines allows the holder to pay for another pair of travelers, though the names on the reservation must match the code holder’s eligibility.

That makes the fare useful for family travel and gifting. Couples, parents and relatives planning Hawaii trips may find the new Hawaiian Airlines eligibility more useful than the older Alaska-only version.

Longtime cardholders also retain an advantage. Customers who held eligible cards before 2023 continue to receive the Companion Fare automatically each year.

For new applicants, the appeal often starts with the sign-up package. One offer cited by Alaska ties 50,000 miles and a Companion Fare to $3,000 in spending on the Ascent card, while other offers have run as high as 70,000 bonus miles plus a Companion Fare after $3,000-$4,000 spend in 90 days.

What the Expansion Means for Travelers

The merger has turned those card economics into a larger loyalty play. By March 2026, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines had rolled out reciprocal elite benefits, aligned baggage treatment and opened the door to earning miles across both networks.

Hawaiian’s expected entry into oneworld in 2026 could expand alliance ties further, but the Companion Fare itself remains confined to Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines operations. That limitation preserves a straightforward rule even as the loyalty program grows more complex.

For customers, the change answers a simple question with a practical result. In 2026, the Alaska Airlines Companion Fare can be used on Hawaiian Airlines flights within North America, including interisland service and Hawaii-mainland routes, as long as the booking follows the fare’s economy, payment and itinerary rules.

That expansion may matter most for travelers on the U.S. West Coast, where both airlines already overlap and where Hawaii remains one of the most popular leisure markets. For those flyers, the merger now reaches beyond branding and schedules into a benefit they can actually use at checkout.

In 2026, Alaska Airlines cardholders who meet the spending threshold can turn that annual code into a Hawaiian Airlines trip for from $122 for the companion fare, while still earning Atmos Rewards miles on both tickets. For a perk that once stopped at the Alaska network, the new reach into Hawaii gives the Companion Fare a broader role in the combined airline strategy.