Alaska Doubles Down on Premium Seating

The Seattle-based airline is increasing First Class and Premium Class seating capacity to meet growing premium demand across its fleet.

Andrew Chen

Thursday, July 18, 2024 at 11:16 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Alaska's new Boeing 737-800 First Class seats (Photo: Alaska Airlines)

Key Takeaways:

Alaska Airlines is retrofitting over 200 Boeing 737 aircraft (737-800, 737-900ER, 737 MAX 9) to significantly expand its First Class and Premium Class seating.
The expansion includes adding four First Class seats to 737-800s and six Premium Class seats to 737-900ERs and 737 MAX 9s, with conversions taking place between late 2024 and mid-2026.
The retrofit program also introduces new First Class Recaro recliner seats and improved Premium Class features (e.g., USB-C charging) primarily on the 737-800 fleet, alongside an interior refresh for 737-900ERs.
This strategic move is driven by strong and growing customer demand for premium products, evidenced by increased revenues and higher load factors in these cabins.

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Alaska Airlines is expanding premium seating across its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. The Seattle-based carrier has unveiled plans to retrofit over 200 aircraft to add more First Class and Premium Class seats.

Increased Premium Seating

The carrier has announced that it will be increasing the number of First Class and Premium Class seats on three types of aircraft. First Class is Alaska’s domestic business class cabin, and Premium Class is the airline’s extra-legroom economy class product. Premium Class passengers also get free alcoholic beverages on flights over 350 miles and priority boarding.

Alaska will be installing an additional row of First Class seats on its Boeing 737-800, raising the number of First Class seats from 12 to 16. The cabins will retain 30 Premium Class seats. Conversions are slated to begin in early 2025, with all aircraft scheduled to receive the new configuration by summer 2026.

Alaska’s new Boeing 737-800 configuration (Photo: Alaska Airlines)

Meanwhile, Alaska will increase the number of Premium Class seats on its Boeing 737-900ER and Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft from 24 to 30. The number of First Class seats on these aircraft will remain unchanged at 16. Retrofits of the Boeing 737-900ERs are scheduled to take place between the fall of 2024 and the summer of 2025, while the Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft will be converted between the spring of 2025 and the summer of 2026.

New Configuration for Alaska’s Boeing 737-900ER and Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft (Photo: Alaska Airlines)

Refreshed Cabins

Not only is Alaska changing the configurations of these aircraft, but the airline is also introducing new seating products.

The Boeing 737-800 fleet will be getting the most extensive upgrade. Alaska will be introducing new Recaro recliner seats in First Class on these aircraft, featuring a calf rest and footrest, seatback device holder, 6-way adjustable headrest with neck support and USB-C charging. Premium Class seats will also get improved features like new device holders with built-in cup holders, a 6-way headrest with dedicated neck support and USB-C charging.

Alaska’s new Boeing 737-800 First Class seats will include features such as a footrest, calf rest, and USB-C charging (Photo: Alaska Airlines)

No other aircraft appear to be receiving new First Class seats, but Alaska has stated that its Boeing 737-900ER fleet will receive an interior refresh. The airline’s Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft are among the newest in its fleet and already feature modern cabin finishes

Meeting Growing Premium Deman

The airline industry across the United States has seen a massive expansion in demand for premium products since the COVID-19 pandemic, and this move by Alaska shows that it sees the shift as a long-lasting one.

In a press release, Alaska stated that First Class and Premium Class revenues were up eight percent and six percent respectively during this quarter, with its First Class load factor up 4.3 points to 71 percent.