If you have not stepped on an Alaska Airways airplane in awhile, chances are high you will discover extra premium seats subsequent time you board.
The Seattle-based provider is nearing the end line of a two-year push to retrofit its planes with extra first-class and extra-legroom seats.
It is a part of an effort so as to add 1.3 million higher-priced seats to the airline’s schedule annually.
As of Friday, Alaska had accomplished cabin updates on 218 of its Boeing 737 jets, executives shared.
Meaning the provider is about 86% of the way in which completed with the refits, which embody including two extra rows of first-class seats on 737-800 plane.
On the 737-800s, by the way in which, these seats are a brand new first-class product for the provider, that includes footrests — a contact extra generally present in rivals’ worldwide premium economic system cabins.
Elsewhere, Alaska is including additional rows of additional legroom “Premium” class seats on its bigger 737-900 and MAX 9 planes, which already had 4 full rows of the first-class recliners up entrance.
“All these retrofits might be completed in time for promoting into the summer season journey [season],” Alaska Chief Industrial Officer Andrew Harrison stated Friday on the corporate’s earnings name.
Like most U.S. airways, Alaska is hoping to faucet into clients’ willingness to pay up for higher-end seats.
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As a reminder, all elite standing members of Atmos Rewards — the shared loyalty program of Alaska and Hawaiian Airways — are eligible for space-available complimentary upgrades into the provider’s Premium and First-Class cabins.
And, since Alaska is a member of the Oneworld alliance, elite members from prime companion American Airways’ AAdvantage program are upgrade-eligible, too.
Associated: Why American Airlines flyers should pay attention to Atmos Rewards
Alaska offers Starlink Wi-Fi replace
The opposite massive improve Alaska is including to its jets: free Wi-Fi from Starlink.
Hawaiian, which Alaska Air Group acquired in 2024, had already begun installing the ultra-fast internet on a lot of its planes previous to the merger.
The airways’ company leaders final summer season said they planned to add the Starlink satellites to Alaska-branded jets, too (Alaska and Hawaiian proceed to fly beneath their very own, distinct airline manufacturers regardless of being a part of one firm).
Starlink installations began on Alaska planes late final 12 months, and provider has added the high-speed tech to two-dozen plane, thus far, executives confirmed Friday.
Between Alaska- and Hawaiian-branded planes, 66 plane (16% of the mixed fleet) now have Starlink Wi-Fi.
The service is free for all flyers with an Atmos Rewards account.
Alaska expects half of all planes might be outfitted by the tip of this 12 months, with all planes Starlink-equipped by the tip of 2027.
In the event you’re on a airplane that does not have Starlink, within the meantime, Alaska usually fees $8 for full-access shopping. However you’ll be able to ship and obtain messages totally free whereas inflight.
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