Alaska Airlines announced that it will roll out additional First Class and Premium Class seating across more than 200 of its aircraft to meet the growing demand for deluxe seat options.
The airline said that starting September 1, 2024, it will begin to add the premium seats to its B737 aircraft types, including 900ERs, 800s and MAX9s.
Alaska Airlines said that the expansion will add 1.3 million premium seats annually to its mainline fleet.
At the beginning of 2024, the carrier had retrofitted its entire regional fleet, adding 400,000 Premium Class seats to its E175 fleet.
The airline laid out its First and Premium Class expansion plans:
First Class enhancements
Alaska Airlines said that its RECARO-made First Class seats installed on the 737-800 fleet will be enhanced with a new seatback device holder, six-way headrest with neck support and USB-C charging capabilities.
Premium Class & economy
Meanwhile, improved features on the B737-800’s Premium Class and Main Cabin will include new device holders with built-in cup holders, USB-C charging and a six-way headrest with dedicated neck support.
For its 737-900ER fleet, the airline said it plans to convert six of its economy class seats to Premium Class. All of its B737 MAX9 aircraft will also get six additional seats converted to Premium cabins.
The airline said that the decision to expand the First and Premium Class seats comes in response to the growing demand of its guests.
“First Class and Premium Class revenues finished up 8% and 6% respectively, during this quarter, with our First Class load factor hitting 71% for the quarter, up 4.3 points. Our paid premium capacity has come a long way from the days of paid load factors in the 40% range for mainline and all-coach regional fleet,” the airline said in a statement.
