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 service 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 service is about 86% of the best way performed 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 service, that includes footrests — a contact extra generally present in opponents’ 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 will likely be completed in time for promoting into the summer time journey [season],” Alaska Chief Business Officer Andrew Harrison mentioned 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 service’s Premium and First-Class cabins.
And, since Alaska is a member of the Oneworld alliance, elite members from high 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 lots of its planes previous to the merger.
The airways’ company leaders final summer time 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 service has added the high-speed tech to two-dozen plane, so 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 will likely be outfitted by the top of this 12 months, with all planes Starlink-equipped by the top of 2027.
For those who’re on a airplane that would not have Starlink, within the meantime, Alaska usually costs $8 for full-access looking. However you’ll be able to ship and obtain messages at no cost whereas inflight.
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