The Alaska Airlines upgrade is the way offered by the airline to its passengers to be able to fly in luxury on a budget. Alaska Airlines aims to provide the flyers with the best and most premium experience on board. So if you have a flight in the near future with Alaska Airlines and you want to upgrade your seats. Then this content is for you. Who doesn’t love getting a premium experience on a budget that is what you get with Alaska. Getting your money’s worth feels good. And if that is what you are looking for then flying with Alaska is the answer.
In this post
How Does Alaska Air Seat Upgrade Works?
If you are wondering about the upgrades offered by the Alaska Airline. Then read ahead. Alaska is offering two ways to upgrade flights to premium and first class. You can either buy upgrades known as paid upgrades or get complimentary upgrades. Here mentioned information will help you understand the policies laid out while seeking upgrades with the airline. So you can either get an upgrade to first class
or the premium class. When you buy a reservation with Alaska the airline gives you an option to choose upgrade eligible flights. So you can choose your options while making reservations. This will make your fare type eligible for receiving upgrades. Also, what happens to your upgrade if your flight gets canceled is also answered here.
Alaska Airlines First Class Upgrade
If you have an elite status in the Mileage Plan then it makes you eligible to get Alaska Airlines First Class Upgrade. The best part about this is that Alaska Airlines is offering this upgrade complimentary and unlimited to elite members. Keep in mind that this is provided on the basis of availability. In order to qualify for a first-class upgrade with Alaska when you have a Mileage Plan here is what you need to know.
Some fare types are eligible for immediate upgrade requests to first class with Alaska Airlines. You can make sure while booking reservations that you choose the fare type that is eligible for immediate Alaska MVP upgrades. While browsing for seats you will can choose the Upgrade fare type filter and book the respective results. Based on the availability you will be immediately upgraded to first class. In case there is no Alaska upgrade to first class available at the moment then you are moved to the waitlist automatically.
If you booked yourself a discounted fare ticket that has an Alaska Airlines seat upgrade eligibility but is not qualified for immediate upgrades. Then you are automatically placed in the request queue till an upgrade window opens up. When upgrades open up they are provided on the basis of class type in the elite tier. If you still don’t get an upgrade then you will remain on the list until one opens up. For a better understanding of the upgrade window, you can refer to the table below.
| Elite Level | Upgrade window All fares(Except X) | X fare upgrade window | Fare Class |
| MVP Members | 48 hrs(prior to departure) | 2 hrs | H, K, M, L, V, S, N, Q, O, G, T, X |
| MVP Gold | 72(prior to departure) | 2 hrs | M, L, V, S, N, Q, O, G, T, X |
| MVP Gold 75K/100K | 120(prior to departure) | 2 hrs | L, V, S, N, Q, O, G, T, X |
If you booked yourself a saver class then you won’t get upgrades on these at the time of booking. Paid upgrades might become eligible on the day of the flight departure. You can buy them at the kiosk, counter, or during check-in. Keep a note that an upgrade bought with a saver fare means that all the restrictions will still apply to the saver fare type. If you are an elite member of the Mileage Plan who has booked a saver fare. Then your complimentary upgrades open 2 hours prior to your flight departure. Also, you cannot upgrade with miles on a saver fare.
How does an upgrade list work?
If are you stuck on the waitlist for upgrades and you want to know how it works then you are at the right place. If you have made your way to the upgrade list of Alaska Airlines then here is how the list works. The list processes upgrades based on a hierarchy and it is mentioned below.
- First, Elite status level members are given upgrades.
- Second, the Fare class becomes available for upgrades
- Third on the list are Million Miler milestone members
- Lastly, the Time of booking is given preference
If you are on the Alaska upgrades list then the airline will keep trying to upgrade you until there is 1 hour left to your flight departure. You can view the wait list when you check in with the airline. Saver fare ticket holders won’t be added to the waitlist for their flight till its 2 hours remaining for the flight departure.
Alaska Airlines Companion Fare Upgrade
If you are flying in a group and wondering how the Alaska Airlines companion fare upgrade will work for you. Then read ahead. When your reservation has more than one person then you are no longer eligible for the complimentary upgrades. Also if only one upgrade is available and you are next on the list then you are not traveling solo. You will be skipped and the upgrade will be passed on to the other solo passenger on the waitlist. However, if you are an MVP Gold, 75K, and 100K member then you get to upgrade a companion in your reservation. To the same class as you.
Alaska Airlines Guest Upgrades
If are you an MVP member then these guest upgrades are for you and these are given to the MVP members to use. You can use this to upgrade family members or friends who are not traveling with you. Additionally, you can use these to upgrade your seats as well in cases where you don’t buy an upgrade qualifying ticket. When you reach the Gold MVP status your guest upgrades are uploaded into your profile. These upgrades are also provided as a gesture of goodwill to passengers who go through downgrades. You can use these guest upgrades per person for one one-way flight. There is no complimentary lounge access for passengers flying in the upgraded seats.
How to use Guest Upgrades on Reservations?
To use these guest reservations for upgrades read ahead. If you have already booked a flight ticket with Alaska Airlines. Then you need to log in on the website and check your flight if you are eligible for the upgrade. Then you can use the guest upgrade codes to avail of the upgrades. If you bought tickets in Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S, or N classes then you are not eligible for guest upgrades. Additionally, if you have a reward ticket then you don’t get guest upgrades.
Alaska Premium Class Upgrade
While waiting to get a first-class upgrade sometimes you might be offered an Alaska premium class upgrade. The good news is that if you accept this upgrade your position on the wait list is not impacted. If you have been wondering what you get in the Premium class then here is the answer. When flying in Premium seats you get legroom which is 4 inches spacious, early boarding, select wines, and complimentary snacks.
The table below will give you a better idea about the upgrade-friendly seats you can buy.
| Elite Member Level | Fare Class |
| MVP | Y, B, or H |
| MVP Gold | Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S or N |
| MVP Gold 75K and 100K | All except X |
When it comes to upgrading discounted fares and nonrefundable awards to Premium Class, these ticket types mentioned below will allow this upgrade to happen and you will be placed on the upgrade list.
- For MVP members flying in classes K, M, L, V, S, N, Q, O, G, or T, the upgrade window opens 48 hours before flight departure.
- For MVP members who are flying in X fares upgrade window opens 2 hours before flight departure.
- For MVP Gold Members flying in classes Q, O, G, or T, the upgrade window opens 72 hours before flight departure
- For Gold 75K and Gold 100K members get immediate upgrades in all fare classes except X class.
What are Automatic Upgrade Exceptions?
Automatic upgrades are done when the availability is the same in the higher class. Meaning you get the same seat selection in the higher class. However, if you have an exit-row seat then you won’t be automatically upgraded to an exit row. If you do get an upgrade then you have to choose the upgraded seats on your own.
All the content here is about the upgrades. This information will help you understand the hows and whats of the upgrades offered by Alaska Airlines. You can use this when you are planning to upgrade your seats with Alaska Airlines. Safe Travels!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Alaska Airlines offers two ways to upgrade seats to first class. You can either get complimentary upgrades or paid upgrades.
Unfortunately, your Alaska upgrade request for complimentary updates will not be accepted if you are flying with a pet.
Yes, You can upgrade to First class using the upgrade options available based on the availability.
If you initially opt out of upgrades from the bookings, then the airline will not mention your name on the waitlist.
If both the members have the same elite status then yes you will both get upgrades. However, if there is a single availability then you will be skipped. And the upgrade will be passed on to the next passenger on the waitlist.
