If you have not stepped on an Alaska Airways airplane in awhile, chances are high you may 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 every year.
As of Friday, Alaska had accomplished cabin updates on 218 of its Boeing 737 jets, executives shared.
Which means the provider is about 86% of the best way carried out with the refits, which embody including two extra rows of first-class seats on 737-800 plane.
On the 737-800s, by the best way, 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 further 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 can 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 prospects’ 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 Airways flyers ought to take note of Atmos Rewards
Alaska provides 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 putting in the ultra-fast web on a lot of its planes previous to the merger.
The airways’ company leaders final summer season stated they deliberate so as 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, up to now, 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 can be outfitted by the tip of this 12 months, with all planes Starlink-equipped by the tip of 2027.
Should you’re on a airplane that would not have Starlink, within the meantime, Alaska sometimes prices $8 for full-access looking. However you may ship and obtain messages free of charge whereas inflight.
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