We’re seeing many airlines start to reopen airport lounge as demand is slowly picking up, and protocols can be standardized. Alaska Airlines will be the next airline to open a majority of its lounges (see here for the best way to access Alaska Lounges).
In this post:
Which Alaska Lounges are opening?
Currently only the Alaska Lounge Seattle (SEA) Concourse D is open. As of August 1, 2020, Alaska Lounges at the following airports will reopen:
- Anchorage (ANC)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Seattle (SEA) North Satellite
- Portland (PDX)
In other words, at that point only the following two lounges will remain closed:
- New York (JFK)
- Seattle (SEA) Concourse C
The Alaska Lounge New York JFK won’t be opening yet
How are food & beverage offerings changing?
While details are vague as of now, here’s the information that Alaska Airlines has provided about updated lounge catering:
- Fresh food options will be available at locations where local restrictions allow
- Pre-packaged snacks will be available at all locations
- Lounge attendants will be wearing gloves, and will only pour drinks into clean glasses
- Beer, wine, and liquor selections will be reinstated as local authorities permit
- Water will be served by a barista, either into a clean glass, or into a water bottle brought by a guest
Expect a modified food & beverage selection
What other safety precautions are being taken?
Alaska Airlines highlights the following other measures being taken at lounges:
- Employees will have their temperatures taken before each shift
- Lounge capacity is being limited in line with local restrictions, which in most cities limits capacity to 50%
- Guests and employees must wear masks when not eating or drinking
- Hand-sanitizing stations have been installed throughout lounges
- Foot-pull door handles have been installed in restrooms
- Staff will be cleaning lounges continuously throughout the day
- Physical newspapers will be replaced with complimentary online access to digital media
- There will be added signage encouraging social distancing
- Guests are asked to hold out boarding passes when entering the lounge so staff can scan them, rather than passing your phone or boarding pass to them; the use of fingerprint scanners for lounge access has been paused
Lounge entry will work differently than before
Bottom line
Most Alaska Lounges will be reopening as of August 1, 2020. As you’d expect, the service will be different than in the past, as is the case at airport lounges around the world. Expect adjustments to the buffet format, packaged snacks, and reduced capacity, among other changes.
@Bobo
Did you miss all the emails and discussion of the 6-month extensions all lounge members are getting? Check your membership expiration date, it should be 18 months from when you signed up.
Lucky: any word on whether Alaska is extending the expiration of our paid lounge memberships? I, for example, joined in January. Half the membership year is gone and I haven't gotten to use it at all yet.
I flew with Alaska in February from EWR to SFO.
It was pleasant, but to me Alaska is like an ordinary carrier, nothing bad nor good.
My flights were on time, and the plane was fine.
I prefer Jet-blue and Delta which have better inflight experiences. I prefer Delta because they are more punctual.
Alaska did, in Terminal 1 until American moved to the new SFO Terminal 1, Harvey Milk (moving out of Terminal 2 and leaving the original Admirals Club too).
@Sharon, it’s supposed to open “soon.”
Its very interesting that Alaska doesnt have a lounge in SFO