Airlines are always looking for ways to segment their consumer base, in order to get as much revenue from each passenger as possible. Over the years, we’ve seen just about all major US airlines introduce extra legroom economy seating, intended both as a reward for elite member, and as an ancillary revenue opportunity.
Continue reading: Guide To Alaska Airlines Premium Class: Is It Worth It?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
...... " having a basic level of comfort while flying "
.. that was a good one, especially thinking of ANY US airline these days! 😉 i almost peed my pants, reading this!
The country that loves to call things Premium but hav no idea what they are talking about!
Champagne = cheap sparkling wine in reality
FIRST CLASS = elsewhere this would just be about Business or Premium Class
LOL . . . you just made me laugh so bad, i was out of breath!
Just flew KOA- MUC in "First"&Business . . . on a US and UK carrier, and i need to say . . . nothing was even close to earn this title in ANY way! Fare: US$ 5860,- OW shows, how much the people of this country like to "waste" there money, to try to be "ELITE".
I would rather have an aisle or window in Economy than a middle seat in Premium.
I find the automatic upgrade process to be pretty inconsistent. I think it's only supposed to upgrade you to the same seat type (aisle to aisle or window to window), but even that doesn't seem to be a reliable predictor. Always worth checking even if you're supposed to get it automatically.
Can you open the windows in case there's no individual air nozzles or they are non-functional?
I've heard it's a feature in the main economy cabin on their latest 737-9s.
I flew First - which should be better than Premium - from Vancouver to Seattle. However, the only premium element was the seat. Otherwise: NO lounge access (I continued on to Doha on Qatar Airways), NO drink(!) or snack. Their lame excuse: it's a short flight. C'mon! Thus, totally not worth it
This was a HUGE issue for my 1K UA people...being "upgraded" to a middle seat from an aisle in main. Yeah No !
Hang on. You think it's reasonable to serve alcohol to Premium Economy on a 45-minute flight that crosses an international border? And you think you get lounge access on a partner airline when flying in Premium Economy?
In Business/First, yeah, I would be annoyed. But Premium Economy is barely different than Economy, especially on a non-intercontinental flight. Oneworld lounge access policy is also very clear on requiring either Oneworld Sapphire or Business class to get into the lounge.
Alaska allows elites to set those preferences. I have the setting enabled where if I'm Exit Row or in a window/aisle, I skip the Premium Economy upgrade. Exit Row has more legroom than Premium Economy, so I haven't taken Premium Economy for over a year now.
"FIRST CLASS = elsewhere this would just be about Business or Premium Class"
Well US carriers don't sell "Business Class" tickets on domestic flights, unless it explicitly has lie-flat seats (like the American A321T between JFK and LAX). So you just need manage your expectations about a flight between Tucson and DFW.
I am sitting on AS 619 PHX-SEA, then on to FAI tomorrow morning. As a Gold 75K, I can choose "premium" for free at booking, but I prefer Exit Row aisle, where I am now. AS puts all 3 lavs in the rear, so Premium have an incredibly long walk to pee.
Reasonable first class when traveling in the US.... I think you should explain this.
@ben Just a clarification, "Premium Class is typically located in the first several rows of economy, and also at exit rows." Alaska sells exit rows differently and they aren't Premium Class; they're typically a bit less than Premium but they don't include perks, and their availability is a separate priority list than Premium Class upgrades (might be a whole separate article, actually). This differs from the way other airlines combine Premium and Exit.
Does the exit row recline? Is there a difference in recliner economy and premium? Is food served premium?