Alaska frequent flyers rejoice! The airline is expanding First Class and Premium (extra legroom Economy) seating areas across the airline’s fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. Starting in September, additional First Class and Premium seats will roll out across Alaska’s Boeing 737-800s, -900ERs, and -9 MAX aircraft. According to the airline, these changes will add 1.3 million premium seats annually to the carrier’s mainline fleet.
While changes are rolling out across the Alaska fleet, changes are limited to one cabin per aircraft. Alaska is adding four seats to the First Class cabin on its 737-800s, this will align the First Class cabins across the fleet with 16 seats in total.
Alaska will also make adjustments to the Premium (Extra Legroom) seating in order to achieve a uniform number of First Class and Premium seats across the fleet. The timeline for these retrofits are outlined below.
| Aircraft | First Class | Premium Class | Number of Aircraft | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800 | Increasing from 12 to 16 seats | 30 seats will remain | 59 | Conversions will begin in early 2025; to be completed by summer 2026 |
| Boeing 737-900ER | 16 seats will remain | Increasing from 24 to 30 seats | 79 | Conversions will begin in fall 2024; to be completed by summer 2025 |
| Boeing 737-9 MAX | 16 seats will remain | Increasing from 24 to 30 seats | 80 | Conversions will begin in spring 2025; to be completed by summer 2026 |
In the announcement, Alaska touts its partnership with seat manufacturer Recaro. The airline utilizes Recaro’s First Class seats on the 737-800 which, according to the airline, feature “the most legroom and features include a calf rest, new seatback device holder, 6-way headrest with neck support and USB-C charging capabilities.”
As part of the refresh, older aircraft, such as the Boeing 737-900ERs, will receive upgrades to bring them in line with the rest of the fleet. These updates also include personal device holders and USB-C chargers. All of these changes should help standardize the Alaska fleet, from a premium passenger perspective, fleetwide.
Alaska is Expanding Premium Seating due to Customer Demand
In the press release, Alaska states that the decision to increase the number of First Class and Premium Class seats is due to growing demand from passengers. Business travel still hasn’t rebounded as expected but many people are choosing to spend more to travel in comfort by buying up to First or Premium Class seating.
Alaska has been making a push for the premium traveler in recent months. The Seattle based carrier has rolled out more premium snack and beverage options along with returning hot meals to the Main Cabin.
Additionally, the airline is allowing passengers to pay to upgrade with cash up to 50 minutes before departure. This may not be well received by frequent flyers hoping for an upgrade, but at least there will be more premium seats on board. These bids can be placed via AlaskaAir.com.
The airline also noted in the release that all of its aircraft will retain four lavatories on board. With the additional row of First Class or Premium seats, and all four lavatories being left in place, expect Economy legroom to get a little bit tighter.
Summary
Alaska Airlines is increasing the number of First Class and Premium seats across it’s fleet of Boeing 737s. The first plane with the new layout is expected to enter service in September with updates across the fleet being finalized by summer 2026. The additional premium seats appear to come at the expense of Economy legroom.
(Images courtesy Alaska Airlines)
