Alaska Airlines has spent the last couple of years building a much bigger airline. Now it’s starting to show what it wants that airline to become in the years ahead.
On Tuesday, September 29, Alaska Air Group announced new premium cabins for both Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, a new premium economy product, and multiple major lounge projects. The changes will start arriving over the next couple of years as Alaska expands farther into Europe and Asia.
There’s a lot here. But some of the more interesting changes isn’t happening on a long-haul Dreamliner.
Alaska Is Putting Lie-Flat Seats on Some 737s
Alaska’s new top-end product will be called Aurora Suites, and it’ll eventually appear on both the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners and at least 25 new Boeing 737-10s.
The 787-9 will have 34 Aurora Suites with lie-flat beds, privacy doors, direct aisle access, 19-inch 4K screens, and upgraded dining. The updated aircraft will be about 46% premium seating, up from 38% today.
The 737-10 is where things get more interesting.
At least 25 will be configured with 12 lie-flat Aurora Suites. Alaska says they’ll be used on select transcontinental flights beginning in 2028, bringing lie-flat seats to the airline’s narrowbody fleet for the first time.
These won’t exactly blend into the rest of Alaska’s 737 fleet. They’ll wear the same northern lights-inspired Aurora livery as the 787s and add another 12 Premium Reserve seats behind the suites.
Premium Reserve is Alaska’s new premium economy cabin, sitting above the extra-legroom economy seats it currently sells as Premium Class. Seats will have 38 inches of pitch, more recline, leg and calf rests, 16-inch 4K screens, and upgraded dining.
There will be 35 Premium Reserve seats on Alaska’s 787s, 28 on Hawaiian’s A330s, and 12 on the specially configured 737-10s. The seats go on sale next summer before entering service in 2028.
The Aurora experience won’t start at the airplane, either. Suite passengers will get dedicated check-in and concierge service in Seattle, access to a separate Aurora Lounge, and upgraded onboard dining. Complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi will also be available to Atmos Rewards members.
Put it all together and Alaska is creating a pretty unusual 737, with lie-flat suites and premium economy ahead of its existing Premium Class and Main Cabin.
Hawaiian’s A330s Are Getting Rebuilt Too
Hawaiian isn’t getting the same cabin with a different logo.
Its fleet of 24 Airbus A330s will receive completely new interiors beginning in 2028, including 22 new Leihōkū Suites. They’ll have lie-flat seats with privacy doors and direct aisle access, along with 19-inch 4K screens, hotel-quality bedding, and upgraded dining.
Another 28 seats will be Premium Reserve.
Altogether, about 40% of the A330 will be premium seating, up from 30% today. The rest of the airplane is getting attention too, with new interiors throughout and upgraded entertainment with 4K screens and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Leihōkū experience will also include dedicated check-in and concierge service in Honolulu and Seattle.
Keeping Aurora and Leihōkū separate is also intentional. Alaska and Hawaiian are increasingly becoming one airline behind the scenes, but the company is still trying to preserve what makes the two brands distinct.
That extends to the food. Seattle chef Renee Erickson will develop menus for Alaska’s European flights, including London, Rome, Athens, and Paris, while James Beard Award-winning chef Brady Ishiwata Williams will handle routes to Asia. Hawaiian will continue building its menus around local chefs and ingredients.
Seattle Is Getting a 41,000-Square-Foot Lounge Complex
The premium push starts well before boarding.
Alaska plans to open a nearly 41,000-square-foot lounge complex in Seattle’s expanded C Concourse in late 2027. The airline says it’ll be Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s largest lounge and one of the largest in the country.
It’s actually two connected lounges.
A 500-seat Alaska Lounge will occupy the main level and follow Alaska’s existing access policies. A separate 200-seat Aurora Lounge will be reserved for Aurora Suites passengers traveling on intercontinental flights.
The complex will have an outdoor patio with a fireplace, private work pods, three bars, a pizza oven, and what Alaska calls a coffee lab.
The Aurora side goes further with private showers, wellness spaces, made-to-order food, à la carte dining, and tableside service.
Hawaiian is getting a substantial lounge of its own. A nearly 13,000-square-foot, 200-seat lounge is scheduled to open in Honolulu in early 2028. Alaska also plans a new 14,000-square-foot lounge in San Diego that year.
All of this starts to make more sense alongside where Alaska wants to fly.
The company currently serves seven intercontinental destinations and plans to reach at least 15 by 2030. Long-haul flying is expected to grow from about 8% of capacity today to roughly 15% by then.
Premium is becoming a bigger part of the business, too. Alaska expects premium revenue to grow from 35% to more than 40% of total revenue by 2030.
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