Airline Profile: Alaska Airlines
The Facts:
| Founded | 1932 |
| Alliance | N/A |
| Hubs |
Seattle Tacoma San Francisco Los Angeles Portland Anchorage San Diego San Jose |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington |
| Frequent Flyer Program | Mileage Plan |
| Skytrax Rating | 3 (out of 5) |
| Parent Company | Alaska Air Group |
| Travel Classes |
Economy Premium Class (extra legroom economy) First Class |
| Fleet Count | Around 228 |
| Website | alaskaair.com |
| Type of Airline | Full Service |
| Competitors | |
| Subsidiaries | Horizon Air |
| Logo |  |
A Virgin America Airbus A320 at BWI
Analysis:
What to Fly:
Ex-Virgin American Aircraft (all Airbus aircraft): Most of you probably know that Alaska Airlines and Virgin America recently merged (April 2018). Virgin America generally had a pretty good reputation for having excellent service and new aircraft. Unfortunately for Virgin America lovers, Alaska Airlines bought them and is stripping the planes that made them so beloved. For example, ex-Virgin America aircraft have personal televisions with seatback entertainment at every seat, while Alaska planes only have personal device entertainment (stream movies for free onto your devices), which takes more effort to use. Also, ex-Virgin America aircraft feature recliner seats in First Class with leg rests, which is a full step more comfortable than Alaska’s 737 first class seats with no leg rests. These two things make the flight experience on ex-Virgin America superior to Alaska airplanes. The ex-Virgin America airplanes are mostly based in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Alaska Airlines plans to retrofit Airbus aircraft with a standardized interior. While it doesn’t look bad, it certainly doesn’t look as good as Virgin America’s interiors. Now, I won’t say that the Alaska planes are worth avoiding at all because they aren’t. 737s feature first class recliner seats (without leg-rests) and personal device entertainment in economy. Pretty standard on a domestic level. Overall, if you can, take ex-Virgin America Aircraft.
Alaska Airlines New Interior (Photo Courtesy of Alaska Airlines)
Alaska Airlines New Interior (Photo Courtesy of Alaska Airlines)
Travel Classes:
Economy: On most 737s and all Embraer E175s, Alaska Airlines features personal device entertainment. Passengers can stream free movies and tv shows to their devices using in-flight wifi. Also, on most flights 3.5 hours longer (on 737s and E175s), passengers can rent tablets filled with movies and tv shows (3.5-5 hours: $8, over 5 hours: $10). Suggestion: don’t rent tablets. Plan and download the Gogo wifi app (needed for personal device entertainment) and entertain yourself with personal device entertainment. All flights on Airbus aircraft feature personal screens at every seat. Wifi is available on mainline aircraft. Another feature: Alaska allows free texting on all flights equipped with wifi. Meals are available for purchase and can be bought in advance on Alaska Airlines flights.
Premium Class: Premium Class on Alaska is just extra legroom economy with a few more features. Passengers in Premium Class get around 4 inches extra legroom and get to board earlier than regular economy passengers. The only other difference between Premium and Economy is that in Premium Class, alcoholic beverages are available with no extra surcharge. Upgrades to Premium Class are available for $15 or more. Premium Class is available on all Airbus and Embraer E175 aircraft, and on most Boeing 737s. My suggestion: only upgrade to Premium Class if you are tall and need the extra legroom. If not, stay in regular economy.
First Class: On all 737s and Embraer E175s, Alaska Airlines features recliner seats without a leg-rest in first class. On all Airbus Aircraft (see “What to Fly” section), First Class features more substantial and more comfortable recliner seats with leg rests. First Class passengers have access to Alaska Airlines lounges in Anchorage, JFK, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle, in addition to access to partner lounges. On longer flights, first-class passengers get access to a blanket (a small feature, although Delta, United, and American do not offer blankets on most domestic flights). Also, First Class passengers get access to meals and tablets both free of an additional charge.
Have you ever flown on Alaska Airlines? Share about your experience below in the comments section!
