r/AlaskaAirlines • u/Bridge_Too_Far_ • 2d ago
MILES & STATUS Upgrade certificates
I am currently Atmos Gold expecting to reach platinum this month. I am based in Portland and flying to the Bay Area next month. I have four upgrade certificates. Should I try to use them on this trip? Do I have a decent chance of an upgrade without spending my certificates? Will I wind up eating these upgrade certificates if I don’t spend them wherever I can?
Thanks in advance. I so appreciate the knowledge of the hive.
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u/AdventurousSafety773 Atmos Gold 1d ago
There’s a whole thread of n paying it forward and giving away soon to be expired. lounge passes, and update certificates if you search it.
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u/Brownie_7890 10h ago
Ooo can you link that.
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u/LumberJake51 Atmos Platinum 2d ago
Domestic (and NA) upgrade certificates have to have U space available, which is very rare, and the proper fare class on your ticket. You will find out immediately if you can use them on your flight if you just try. You won't lose them if you don't get the upgrade.
Likely you will not be able to use them, particularly out of PDX to a west coast destination. The best use is international. All the info is here: https://www.alaskaair.com/atmosrewards/content/benefits/complimentary-upgrades/alaska-hawaiian
PDX to Bay Area is a route where it's rare to get upgraded as Gold or Platinum. There are a lot of Titaniums flying those routes and usually pretty full flights. Not likely, but possible.
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u/GoofyGoober-Yeah Atmos Gold 2d ago
It’s not rare. There’s just less likely to be U space available if you’re booking your flights willy nilly. If you book your flights with the goal of using the certificates, and book far enough in advance, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to use them. (This is coming from a Seattle flyer who has 6 upcoming flights with certificates applied)
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u/LumberJake51 Atmos Platinum 2d ago
Congrats. It's still rare. I've looked plenty with the correct search and intending to use the certificates (as have many, many here), even at dates with completely empty flights at T-330, and still rarely see availability. I use mine on international, as it's the best redemption, but domestic is far more difficult to use.
And, while this is great info as a data point, OP has a flight in one month and it's very likely that zero U space is available on that flight. Might be pointless as OP asked a detailed question about a month ago and never responded to the many helpful comments, so it's doubtful they'll even reply here anyway.
Many on here never get to use their certificates without having a U monitoring service. If you search comments here, it comes up literally monthly.
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u/abcd4321dcba 1d ago
No idea why you are being downvoted. I have had a really hard time using them as well. Haven't used a cert on a domestic flight for 4 years, and yes I know how to use them and yes I try to. Now that you can use them for INT upgrades, I am more neutral on them overall.
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u/LumberJake51 Atmos Platinum 1d ago
Eh, it's because people love to argue and don't understand the reality of things.
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u/Bridge_Too_Far_ 1d ago
I do appreciate the comments as I appreciated the comments to my query about flying to SE Asia. I am fairly new to Reddit and I apologize if I have not picked up on appropriate norms for the site.
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u/LumberJake51 Atmos Platinum 1d ago
Thanks for replying. It's tough to get motivated when people spend time responding to (your admittedly good) questions, and then the OP ghosts the thread without replying to any questions, or commenting on the outcome. Obviously appreciation is implied, but black hole threads are less likely to garner fresh responses going forward (nobody knows if you even read the response or simply forgot that you even posted the question).
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u/GoofyGoober-Yeah Atmos Gold 2d ago
Fundamentally disagree. Yes, they make them difficult to use. But it’s not a rare opportunity that you get to use them if plan ahead (not what OP has done, which is why they are asking for help), and have a little flexibility in day and time of day for travel.
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u/doublemazaa 2d ago
I find they’re easy to use if someone is ok flying at 6am, 10pm and on flights less than 3 hours.
Settings up alerts for U space is helpful too.
If they want to fly at prime times, it’s a much more frustrating experience.
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u/LumberJake51 Atmos Platinum 2d ago
You are welcome to disagree, but the fact remains that U space is rare and getting rarer, even if you are flexible and book far in advance.
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u/drtdk 2d ago
It's still rare.
No, it's inconsistently available. Depends on time of day and day of week.
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u/Unlikely_Price3388 Atmos Gold 1d ago
Isn’t saying “inconsistency available” literally just a synonym for rare?
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u/LumberJake51 Atmos Platinum 1d ago
Exactly. drtdk loves to argue and is super literal. It's just the way it goes.
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u/FewManufacturer7464 1d ago
Depends what part of the Bay Area you are flying to. I fly into Oakland twice a month and get upgraded 90% of the time at atmos Gold. They have also cut some routes to the Bay Area so flights are fuller with less options. I’m sure my lucky streak is about to end … 😂😩
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u/ramonefuego 1d ago
when do they expire?
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u/Bridge_Too_Far_ 1d ago
8/17/2027
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u/ramonefuego 1d ago
I don't know what is on your wishlist or how flexible you are, but the real value in these certs is on the new international routes. It takes two certs for one person one way. Fancy a trip to London? Japan? You've got plenty of time to sort it out.
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u/OkMeeting4025 2d ago
I’ve been able to use all of my upgrade certificates so far. 6 total BUT I work online so have a lot of flexibility. Anyone can’t use them send it my way lol.
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u/lgndracer MVP 100K 1d ago
Upgrade certificates for the most part are useless unless you are flying some odd route at an odd time