How to use an Alaska upgrade certificate

An Alaska upgrade certificate is a Milestone Reward code that confirms First Class on Alaska or Hawaiian-operated flights in North America when U-class inventory is open. Each code covers one-way travel for one person and is shareable, so the traveler using it doesn't need Atmos Rewards elite status.

Reviewed September 30, 2026.

Certificates are offered as choices once you clear a qualifying status point milestone. They're no longer granted by tier the way Mileage Plan's Gold Guest Upgrades (GGUs) were. Because they draw the same U-class pool as complimentary elite upgrades, a certificate confirms instantly where U class is open and does nothing where it's closed, so check availability before you apply one. On American Airlines-operated flights a certificate doesn't apply at all: Atmos status members get complimentary upgrades there instead.

Earning upgrade certificates

Upgrade certificates are available as milestone reward choices at certain status point thresholds within the Atmos Rewards elite qualification year.

How Milestone Rewards work

At each status point milestone you reach, you choose from a set of reward options
Upgrade certificates are among the available choices alongside other benefits
Each certificate choice is a set: two certificates at 55K, 95K, 150K, 200K and 250K, and four at 125K
Certificates you pick are listed under Upgrade certificates in your Atmos Rewards account

What changed: Mileage Plan became Atmos Rewards

The Alaska Airlines rewards program changes that followed the Hawaiian Airlines merger renamed Mileage Plan to Atmos Rewards and rebuilt how upgrade certificates are handed out. If you're looking for a benefit under its old name, here's the mapping:

Gold Guest Upgrades (GGUs) became Milestone upgrade certificates. The certificate confirms First Class for one person, one way, on Alaska or Hawaiian-operated flights against open U class, and it's still shareable. The biggest change is how you get it.
Certificates are no longer a tier grant. Under Mileage Plan they arrived with a tier. Under Atmos Rewards they're a choice you make at a status point milestone, so two members at the same tier can end the year holding different benefits.
MVP tiers became Silver, Gold, Platinum and Titanium. MVP Gold 75K sat where Platinum now sits, and Titanium is the tier above it.
The American systemwide upgrade voucher is going away. Alaska began sunsetting it in 2025, and Atmos status on American-operated flights is served by complimentary upgrades instead, with no certificate to apply.

Milestone lists are still being revised year to year, so treat your Atmos Rewards account as the authority on what you actually hold.

Tip: Upgrade certificates are generally the highest-value milestone reward choice for travelers who fly Alaska or Hawaiian frequently.

Using upgrade certificates

A certificate confirms the upgrade when U-class first-class inventory is open on the flight.

Eligible flights

Alaska-operated North American routes
Hawaiian-operated North American routes
Long-haul routes from Seattle and Honolulu to Asia, Europe and Oceania, for flights departing on or after April 22, 2026, through a request form; most segments take two certificates, and Honolulu to Pago Pago, Papeete and Rarotonga takes one
In North America the upgrade is from Main Cabin to First Class
Flight must have U-class inventory available at time of confirmation

Sharing certificates

Certificates can be used by anyone, because the traveler doesn't need elite status
Share with family members, friends, or travel companions
Apply it from the traveler's reservation: enter the code in the Add certificates field

Restrictions

North American routes, including flights to, from and within Hawaii, plus the long-haul routes listed above
Partner-operated flights aren't eligible
American Airlines-operated flights aren't eligible either; see the note below
The upgrade confirms only if U-class first-class inventory is open

Certificates and American Airlines

There's no certificate to apply on American metal. Alaska's own Atmos Rewards page for American Airlines states that the complimentary upgrade benefit there requires "no upgrade certificates," and Alaska began sunsetting its American systemwide upgrade vouchers in 2025. What Atmos status members get on American-operated flights instead is a complimentary elite upgrade:

Open to every Atmos status tier, from Main Cabin or Premium Economy to the next class of service
Within the U.S. including Hawaii, and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central America
Confirmed as early as 72 hours before departure, in status order: Atmos Platinum and Titanium clear in the oneworld Emerald band, behind AAdvantage Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro
One companion on the same reservation is included for Atmos Gold and above
Flights must be marketed and operated by Alaska or American, and American Basic Economy tickets purchased on or after May 18, 2026 are excluded

Applying a certificate, step by step

Five steps take you from a certificate sitting in your account to a confirmed first-class seat. The order matters: availability decides the outcome, so it comes before the certificate.

Find a flight with U class already open

A certificate confirms only where U-class first-class inventory is open, so start with availability rather than with the certificate. In the 2LNR upgrade matrix, select Alaska Airlines and your route: each cell shows whether upgrade space is open on that flight and date, with exact seat counts, so you can compare a month of departures at a glance.

Book the eligible flight

Buy a Main Cabin fare in an eligible class (Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S or N) on an Alaska-operated or Hawaiian-operated flight that qualifies. Each certificate code covers one-way travel for one person, so a round trip for two travelers needs four codes.

Open the reservation and choose Upgrade certificates

On alaskaair.com, pull up the booking and select Upgrade certificates from the reservation menu. That's where Alaska applies the certificate; we show the inventory but can't apply a certificate for you.

Pick a certificate or paste a shared code

Sign in and the certificates attached to your Atmos Rewards account are listed. To use one someone gave you, paste it into the Add certificates field; the traveler on the booking doesn't need elite status.

Apply it and choose your seat

Apply the certificate, then return to the reservation page to select your new seat. Where U class is open the upgrade confirms on the spot. On a multi-segment itinerary you can upgrade the segments that have space and stay on the complimentary upgrade waitlist for the rest. Click Update data on the flight right before you act so you're working from current inventory.

Long-haul flights to Asia, Europe and Oceania work differently: most segments take two certificates, and rather than confirming when you apply it, you send a request form and it clears from a queue closer to departure. Treat those as a waitlist, not an instant confirm.

Certificate strategy

In North America, certificates and complimentary upgrades use the same U-class inventory. The difference is who can use them and how they confirm.

When to use certificates vs. complimentary

Use a certificate when:

The traveler is a non-elite who can't get a complimentary upgrade, such as family or friends flying without you
You have lower-tier status and the flight may not clear in your upgrade window
You want instant confirmation (when U class is open) rather than a waitlist

Save the certificate when:

You're Platinum or Titanium with strong complimentary upgrade odds
The route is short-haul where the cabin differential is modest
U-class availability is high and your complimentary upgrade is likely to clear anyway

Maximizing certificate value

Target longer routes: SEA-HNL, SEA-FLL, or transcontinental flights where first class has the biggest comfort advantage
Monitor upgrade space with 2LNR: Use the Alaska upgrade matrix to identify flights with open first-class inventory before applying your certificate
Time it right: Apply certificates when you see U class open, not speculatively, so the upgrade confirms immediately
Share strategically: Use certificates for non-elite companions on flights where you'll get a complimentary upgrade yourself

How do I check whether upgrade space is available on my flight?

An Alaska upgrade certificate clears into U inventory in North America. Either U is open on your flight or it isn't, and no amount of status changes that. 2LNR reads upgrade space by date on the Alaska routes it covers, re-checked continuously, so you can see the answer before you attach a certificate. A certificate on a North American flight confirms only if U is still open when you apply it, and upgrade space can close after our last check, so click Update data on the flight right before you apply it.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Alaska upgrade certificate?

An Alaska upgrade certificate is a milestone-earned, shareable code that moves a paid ticket into first class for one person, one way, on Alaska or Hawaiian-operated flights in North America, and it confirms only where U-class inventory is open on that flight and date. The traveler using it does not need Atmos Rewards elite status.

How do I earn Alaska Airlines upgrade certificates?

Upgrade certificates are one of the Milestone Reward choices in Atmos Rewards. When you reach a status point milestone during the qualification year, you pick a reward from that milestone's list, and upgrade certificates are typically among the most valuable options. The milestones and their reward lists are shown in your Atmos Rewards account.

How do you use an Alaska upgrade certificate?

Open the reservation on alaskaair.com, choose Upgrade certificates from the reservation menu, pick a certificate from your Atmos Rewards account (or paste a shared code into the Add certificates field), then return to the reservation page to select your new seat. Each code covers one-way travel for one person. The certificate confirms only where U-class first-class inventory is open, so check upgrade space in the upgrade matrix before you apply. On a multi-segment itinerary you can upgrade the segments with space and stay on the complimentary upgrade waitlist for the rest.

Can I give an Alaska upgrade certificate to someone else?

Yes. Alaska upgrade certificates are shareable. The person using the certificate does not need Atmos Rewards elite status. You can give certificates to family, friends, or travel companions for use on Alaska or Hawaiian-operated North American flights.

What flights can I use an Alaska upgrade certificate on?

Within North America, including Hawaii, a certificate works on Alaska and Hawaiian flights marketed and ticketed by Alaska, on Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S or N fares, and it confirms only if upgrade space is open when you apply it. It can't be used on an award ticket or on Q, O, G or X fares there. Since April 22, 2026 certificates also cover long-haul routes to Asia, Europe and Oceania, where most flights take two. For those you send a request form between 30 days and 72 hours before departure, and Alaska works the requests from 72 hours out until 4 hours before departure.

Do Alaska Gold Guest Upgrades (GGUs) work on American Airlines flights?

No. Alaska upgrade certificates, the codes Mileage Plan called Gold Guest Upgrades or GGUs, confirm only on Alaska and Hawaiian-operated flights, and cannot be applied to an American Airlines-operated flight. American is covered by a separate and different mechanism: Atmos Rewards status members receive complimentary elite upgrades on American-operated flights, which Alaska's own American Airlines status-benefits page says require 'no upgrade certificates.' Those complimentary upgrades are open to every Atmos status tier within the U.S. including Hawaii and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central America; they confirm as early as 72 hours before departure in status order, with Atmos Platinum and Titanium clearing in the oneworld Emerald band behind AAdvantage Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro; and one companion on the same reservation is included for Atmos Gold and above. Alaska also began sunsetting its American systemwide upgrade vouchers in 2025, and no Alaska certificate is needed for an upgrade on American.

How do I check whether U-class space is available on my Alaska flight?

U-class first-class inventory determines whether an upgrade certificate (or complimentary upgrade) can confirm. 2LNR monitors upgrade space in real time on the Alaska routes it covers. Select Alaska Airlines in the upgrade matrix to see which flights have open first-class space.

What is the difference between a certificate upgrade and a complimentary upgrade?

Both use the same U-class first-class inventory in North America. Complimentary upgrades are automatic and free for elite members: they confirm at booking on a qualifying fare when U is open, and otherwise clear by tier priority from the upgrade windows (48-120 hours before departure, or 2 hours on a Saver fare). Certificates are earned at milestones, can be shared with non-elites, and confirm when applied to flights with open U-class inventory.

What are Atmos Rewards upgrade certificates?

Atmos Rewards is Alaska's loyalty program, and its upgrade certificates are the milestone benefit that clears into first class out of U-class inventory in North America, with a separate request waitlist on long-haul routes to Asia, Europe and Oceania. The certificate is the same whether you call it an Alaska or an Atmos upgrade certificate.

Sources

Atmos Rewards: upgrades FAQ The program's own answers on complimentary upgrade clearing, companion priority, and how the American Airlines upgrade benefit is claimed. (accessed September 30, 2026)
Alaska Airlines: complimentary upgrades on Alaska and Hawaiian Alaska's own certificate rules: the milestones that offer certificates, the one-way, one-person rule, the North American fares and the award-ticket exclusion, U class, where your certificates are listed, the Upgrade certificates menu and Add certificates field, the per-segment waitlist, and the long-haul routes, request form and certificate counts for flights from April 22, 2026. (accessed September 30, 2026)
Atmos Rewards: benefits, perks and milestones Alaska's own milestone list: two upgrade certificates as a choice at 55K, 95K, 150K, 200K and 250K status points, and four at 125K. (accessed September 30, 2026)
Atmos Rewards FAQ: milestones and status Alaska's own tier mapping from Mileage Plan (MVP to Atmos Silver, MVP Gold to Gold, MVP Gold 75K to Platinum, MVP Gold 100K to Titanium), and the note that milestone perks are picked in your account. (accessed September 30, 2026)
Alaska Airlines newsroom: 7 ways to make the most of your Mileage Plan elite status (June 24, 2022) Alaska's own description of the Mileage Plan tier benefit: MVP Golds and higher received four Gold guest upgrades every year. (accessed September 30, 2026)
Atmos Rewards: status benefits on American Airlines Alaska's own page for the American Airlines benefit, and the source for the certificate answer above: eligible markets, the 72-hour confirmation, the status-priority order on American metal, the companion rule for Gold and above, the May 18, 2026 Basic Economy exclusion, and the notice sunsetting American systemwide upgrade vouchers with "no upgrade certificates required." (accessed September 30, 2026)
Alaska Airlines newsroom: Atmos Rewards 2026 announcement Alaska's own announcement of the 2026 program changes. (accessed September 30, 2026)
One Mile at a Time: Atmos Rewards Milestone Rewards Coverage of the milestone reward choices and where upgrade certificates appear in them. (accessed September 30, 2026)
One Mile at a Time: Atmos Titanium global upgrade perk is live Independent coverage of the long-haul certificate counts, two on most routes and one to Pago Pago, Papeete and Rarotonga, and of the request form window. (accessed September 30, 2026)

Milestone lists change from year to year. Check your Atmos Rewards account for the certificates you actually hold.

Monitor Alaska upgrade availability

Track first-class inventory on Alaska Airlines in real time. Know when to use your certificate.

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