It’s a fascinating time for Alaska Air Group, given the merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. We know that a lot is changing, including turning Seattle into a global hub, using a fleet of Boeing 787s. In late 2024, we learned about some major changes coming to Alaska’s airport lounge network.
I’d like to provide an update, as some more details have been announced since then, with the latest updates being about the new lounge in San Diego.
Upcoming Alaska & Hawaiian lounge openings
Alaska Air Group intends to open new lounges in Honolulu (HNL), San Diego (SAN), and Seattle (SEA). As it stands, there are nine Alaska Lounges at a total of six airports, including in Anchorage (ANC), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Portland (PDX), San Francisco (SFO), and Seattle (SEA). That’s in addition to the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge in Honolulu (HNL).
So, what can we expect from these new lounges? Let’s cover what we know as of now…
Hawaiian Premium Lounge Honolulu opening 2027
In late 2027, Hawaiian Airlines will be opening a new premium lounge at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). The lounge will be located at the entrance of the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1, and will be five times larger than the carrier’s existing lounge in Honolulu, making it roughly 15,000 square feet.
The intent is that this lounge will cater to both Alaska and Hawaiian customers, given the company’s long term branding strategy — flights touching Hawaii will have Hawaiian branding, while all other flights will have Alaska branding.
Details beyond that are limited, though the first renderings of the new lounge look like a massive improvement over the old space.
Flagship Alaska Lounge Seattle opening 2027
While there are already three Alaska Lounges in Seattle, the airline has plans to introduce a new lounge concept at the airport. All we know as of now is that by 2027, Alaska plans to have “a new flagship international lounge in Seattle.”
With Alaska planning on launching 12 long haul routes out of Seattle by 2030, it makes sense that the company wants to invest in a premium lounge experience.
I’m very excited to see what Alaska comes up with here, since I think the airline will do something innovative, especially given the competition in Seattle. I’m also curious if this will replace one of the existing lounges, or if it will be newly built. The current best Alaska Lounge Seattle is a pretty gorgeous space, in terms of design and views.
It’s also not clear if this will be an international Alaska Lounge (as in, an Alaska Lounge for international departures for anyone who is a club member or a premium passenger), or if this will be a totally different lounge, with separate access requirements. I hope it’s along the lines of American Flagship Lounges, Delta One Lounges, and United Polaris Lounges. I suspect it will be, given Alaska’s desire to compete with Delta.
We’ve known that Alaska has plans to open a new 20,000+ square foot lounge as part of the Port of Seattle’s C Concourse Expansion Project, and it was supposed to be the primary lounge for guests departing from the C and D Concourses. However, that doesn’t necessarily seem that convenient for long haul flights, so we’ll see how that evolves.
This is purely speculation on my part, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this lounge has the new “Atmos” branding, which is now used for the company’s loyalty program. That’s because in 2024, Alaska filed a trademark for the name “Atmos,” to be used for “airport services featuring transit lounge facilities for passenger relaxation.”
Alaska Lounge San Diego opening 2028
In early 2027, Alaska Airlines will be starting construction on a new lounge at San Diego International Airport (SAN). Given that construction will only start in early 2027, I imagine that means an opening will happen either in very late 2027 or at some point in 2028, depending on how big of a project this is.
The lounge is expected to be roughly 13,000 square feet, and should be one of the largest lounges at the airport. Initially there had been rumors that the Aspire Lounge in Terminal 2 would become the Alaska Lounge, but that’s no longer in the cards. So if anyone knows where the space for this lounge is coming from, please report back!
This new lounge is described as an investment in the San Diego hub, as Alaska offers service to 45 nonstop destinations from the airport, the most of any carrier.
Bottom line
Alaska Air Group is investing in its lounge network, with plans to open three new lounges. This includes an Alaska Lounge San Diego, a Hawaiian Premium Lounge Honolulu, and some sort of a flagship Alaska Lounge Seattle.
We’ll see how this all plays out, though I think the main frustration is the amount of waiting required, as none of these lounges are opening in the next year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a couple of years before the first of these lounges actually welcomes guests, given how airport projects usually go.
What do you make of these investments into the Alaska Lounge network?
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