Complimentary upgrades
Being upgraded to a better seat is one popular perk of Mileage Plan™ elite status. We are committed to offering one of the most generous upgrade policies in the industry, and ensuring that we continue recognizing our top members with the benefits you value most.
First Class Complimentary Upgrades
Our Mileage Plan™ program offers unlimited complimentary upgrades to First Class on availability as a benefit of Elite status. To be eligible for complimentary upgrades, your qualifying Mileage Plan number must be in the reservation, and flight miles must be credited to Mileage Plan.
Qualifying for Complimentary Upgrades
Fares that qualify for immediate upgrade
Certain fares are eligible for immediate upgrade into First Class, provided space is available. To ensure you are purchasing a fare that qualifies for your desired upgrade, and to view available upgrade space1, please use the "Upgrade fare type" preference selection filter on the all search options link when shopping for flights. A dark blue icon with a "F" indicates that an upgrade is immediately available. A Yellow icon with clock hands indicates an immediate upgrade is not available and you will be placed on the upgrade list.
Example of upgrade indicators:
| Elite level | Fare class |
|---|---|
| MVP® members | Y or B fares |
| MVP® Gold members | Y, B, H, or K fares |
| MVP® Gold 75K members and MVP® Gold 100K members | Y, B, H, K, or M |
1 Complimentary upgrades are booked into "U" class of service and are subject to availability. "U" class may not be available on all flights.
If you have purchased the qualifying fare for your Elite level, and upgrade space is available on your flight, you will be upgraded immediately. If there are no upgrades available for your flight, you will be placed on the upgrade waitlist.
Upgrade window for discounted fares and nonrefundable awards
If you have purchased one of our eligible discounted fares that does not qualify for immediate upgrade, you will be placed in a request queue until your upgrade window. When your upgrade window opens, if upgrade space is available, your elite tier group will have upgrades cleared in the order of fare class booked. If there are no upgrades available for your flight, you will be placed on the upgrade waitlist within your Elite tier group in order of fare class booked.
Upgrade windows for eligible discounted fares and nonrefundable awards
| Elite level | MVP members | MVP Gold members | MVP Gold 75K/100K members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrade windows (all fares except for X) | 48 hours prior to departure | 72 hours prior to departure | 120 hours prior to departure |
| Upgrade windows (X fares) | Within 2 hours of departure2 | Within 2 hours of departure2 | Within 2 hours of departure2 |
| Fare class order | H, K, M, L, V, S, N, Q, O, G, T, X | M, L, V, S, N, Q, O, G, T, X | L, V, S, N, Q, O, G, T, X |
Once within the upgrade window above, if an upgrade is available for your flight, you will be upgraded immediately. If there are no upgrades available for your flight, you will remain on the waitlist until one is available.
Saver fares (booked in X class of service)
Saver fares (booked in X class of service) are not eligible for Elite upgrades at time of booking. Paid upgrades may be available the day of departure, at the check-in kiosk or counter/gate. If you purchase a paid upgrade with a Saver fare, Saver fare restrictions still apply.
Complimentary upgrades for Mileage Plan elites on Saver fares may be available 2 hours prior to departure. Upgrades with miles are not allowed with a Saver fare. Seating options are limited with Saver fares.
2Complimentary upgrades for Mileage Plan elites may be available 2 hour prior to departure. Upgrades with miles are not allowed with a Saver fare.
How the upgrade waitlist works
Once on the waitlist, upgrades will be processed in the following order:- Elite status level
- Fare class
- Million Miler milestone
- Time of booking
Once you are on the upgrade waitlist, we'll continue to look for available upgrades and process them until approximately 1 hour prior to departure.
After check-in begins, the waitlist is available to view either via the mobile app, the gate information display, or on alaskaair.com under flight status. Note that if you are flying on a Saver fare (booked in X class), you will not be added to the waitlist until within 2 hours of departure.
The gate agent will assign available First Class seats, even those not designated as "U" class of service, that are still available less than 1 hour prior to departure.
Upgrading a First Class companion
MVP Gold, Gold 75K, and Gold 100K members may upgrade one companion traveling with them on the same flight, in the same reservation and in the same class of service. If a reservation includes more than one companion, it will not be eligible for complimentary upgrades. If you have a companion in your reservation and there is only one available upgrade, the process will move to the next passenger on the waitlist.
Elite members are also eligible for upgrades on flights operated by American Airlines. Learn more.
Have more questions about upgrades? See our Mileage Plan Upgrade FAQ page.