Alaska Airlines has announced plans to retrofit nearly 220 aircraft with more premium seats, adding 1.3 million premium seats annually to the carrier’s mainline fleet.
Alaska adds first class & extra legroom seats
Alaska Airlines will be retrofitting three variants of its Boeing 737s with more premium seats. Some planes will get more first class seats, while other planes will get more Premium Class seats (the name of Alaska’s extra legroom economy section).
Here’s what we can expect from the 218 planes that are getting some updates:
- 59 Boeing 737-800s will be retrofitted between early 2025 and the summer of 2025; first class will go from 12 to 16 first class seats, while Premium Class will maintain 30 seats
- 79 Boeing 737-900ERs will be retrofitted between the fall of 2024 and the summer of 2025; first class will maintain 16 seats, while Premium Class will go from 24 to 30 seats
- 80 Boeing 737 MAX 9s will be retrofitted between the spring of 2025 and the summer of 2026; first class will maintain 16 seats, while Premium Class will go from 24 to 30 seats
So as you can see, 737-800s are getting an extra row of first class, while 737-900ERs and 737 MAX 9s are getting an extra row of Premium Class.
For the planes getting an extra row of Premium Class, that’s being done without changing the seat count. With the current configuration, there are four rows of Premium Class, plus five standard economy rows, ahead of the exit rows.
With the new configuration, there are five rows of Premium Class, plus four standard economy rows, ahead of the exit rows.
So that space has to come from somewhere. Is legroom being reduced in those four economy rows, is legroom being reduced in all the Premium Class rows, or what?
This latest update is only partially new news. Earlier this year we learned about Alaska’s plans to retrofit 737-800s with new interiors, and we knew that first class would go from 12 to 16 first class seats. Those planes are getting all-new interiors. Furthermore, the 737-900ERs will also get an interior refresh, bringing modern touches like device holders in economy.
Why Alaska is adding more premiums seats
Alaska describes these updates as being in response to the growing demand for premium travel, in what the airline views as a structural shift. The airline notes how in the second quarter, first class revenue was up 8%, while Premium Class revenue was up 6%.
Alaska sold 71% of its first class seats, which is a pretty impressive number. Going back many years, a vast majority of first class seats were taken by those getting complimentary upgrades, while nowadays airlines actually do a good job monetizing their premium cabin products.
While it’s nice to see Alaska adding more premium capacity, ultimately there’s nothing earth-shattering here. It’s not like the airline is going all-out in leading the industry in premium capacity. For example, United has 20 first class seats on the 737 MAX 9 and 737-900ER, while Alaska is only maintaining 16 seats.
I’ve long been curious if we’ll eventually see a US airline greatly expand its premium cabin capacity, and set a new standard. After all, most flights aren’t 100% full, and the more premium seating you have, the more potential upsell opportunities there are for those who are booked on a flight.
Bottom line
Alaska Airlines has announced plans to retrofit much of its existing fleet with more premium cabin seats. 737-800s are getting an extra row of first class, while 737-900ERs and 737 MAX 9s are getting an extra row of Premium Class. The airline is seeing an increasing demand for premium products (as so many airlines have), so this isn’t terribly surprising.
I wouldn’t even view these changes as being particularly bold or revolutionary, as the airline is just matching the layouts of some competitors.
What do you make of Alaska increasing its premium capacity?
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