- Introduction: A New Era Of German Business Class
- Review: Lufthansa Lounge Detroit Airport (DTW)
- Review: Lufthansa Business Class 787 (DTW-FRA)
- Review: Lufthansa Welcome Lounge Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- Review: Hilton Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- Review: Condor Business Class A330-900neo (FRA-SEA)
- Are Condor’s “Prime” Business Class Seats Worth It?
- Review: Marriott Seattle Airport (SEA)
- Review: Alaska Lounge Seattle Airport (SEA)
- Review: Amex Centurion Lounge Seattle Airport (SEA)
- Review: Alaska Airlines 737-900ER First Class (SEA-MIA)
For the final segment of my quick review trip to Germany, I flew Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737 first class from Seattle to Miami. I was thrilled when the airline launched this route in mid-2022, as it’s a flight between my current home and my former home (and my gosh, the cities are as different as they are far apart). By the way, at 2,724 miles, this is the farthest scheduled flight in the lower 48.
I figured this was also a good chance to review Alaska’s Boeing 737 first class experience. Alaska offers an excellent first class product, with more legroom than you’ll find on other airlines, friendly service, fast and reasonably priced Wi-Fi, and an above average food and drink selection. Let’s get into the review.
In this post:
How I booked my Alaska first class ticket
I booked my Alaska Airlines first class ticket with cash. Alaska’s first class fares between Seattle and Miami start at $659, which is what I managed to book. While not cheap, I knew that upgrades would be tough in this market, and on top of that I’d be earning American AAdvantage Loyalty Points.
The flight I booked had the following schedule:
3/03 AS305 Seattle to Miami departing 7:35AM arriving 4:28PM
By the way, I love how Alaska’s flights to & from Miami have the flight number 305, which is Miami’s area code.
One other thing to mention. When I booked this flight, it was scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 9, featuring Alaska’s new first class seats. Unfortunately the plane for my flight got swapped to a Boeing 737-900ER. Alaska seems to use these jets totally interchangeably, and changes tail numbers assigned to flights even up to a few hours before departure.
So expect that a flight that’s scheduled to be operated by a 737 MAX 9 could in fact be operated by a 737-900ER, and vice versa.
Alaska first class lounge & boarding
In the previous installment I reviewed the Alaska Lounge Seattle, which my first class ticket gave me access to. My flight was departing from gate N14, just near the lounge, which was convenient.
Boarding was scheduled for 6:55AM, 40 minutes before departure, and that’s exactly when it started. First class passengers were invited to board first.
Alaska Boeing 737 first class cabin & seats
Alaska’s Boeing 737-900ERs feature a total of 178 seats, including 16 first class seats and 162 economy class seats.
Before I even talk about the first class cabin, I had a quick glance into the economy cabin upon boarding, since I was seated in the last row of first class (I assigned myself seat 4A, the window seat on the left side in the last row).
In the very front of economy, Alaska has four rows of extra legroom economy seats, which Alaska markets as the “Premium” cabin. These seats have 35″ of pitch, and as you can see, the legroom is quite good.
As far as the first class cabin goes, Alaska has four rows of seats in a 2-2 configuration.
While Alaska doesn’t have any aircraft with flat beds, the airline does have industry leading pitch in first class. Alaska has 41″ of pitch, which is way better than you’ll find on any other US airline. Most other US airlines have closer to 37″ of pitch, so the extra space is noticeable. This really makes a difference, especially if the person in front of you reclines their seat.
The tray table extended from the far armrest, and could be folded over in half, depending on whether you want a full tray or just room to place a glass.
The center console between seats also had an additional tray that could be extended, for some extra space.
The power outlets were located underneath the center armrest, and there were both USB-A and AC charging options.
The overhead console was modern, and had reading lights and individual air nozzles.
The overhead bins on this jet were also large, so that you could place bags sideways, to maximize space.
For a standard domestic first class product, this is about as good as it gets in terms of space. I do find the general design of Alaska’s cabins to be kind of funny.
On the one hand, they have the modern Boeing signature interior, with large overhead bins and mood lighting. On the other hand, the leather seats and bulkhead cabins give the cabin a decidedly classic feel. Furthermore, Alaska doesn’t have personal televisions, or even personal device holders, on these aircraft.
Alaska first class amenities
Waiting at each seat upon boarding was a box of water. Alaska exclusively uses boxed water nowadays, to minimize plastic. There weren’t otherwise pre-departure beverages, but personally I’m not as obsessed with pre-departure beverages as some other people.
Furthermore, there was a blanket waiting at each seat, though there weren’t any pillows. With many airlines having eliminated blankets in first class during the pandemic, I was happy to see this available. I don’t remember the last time I received a blanket on a standard domestic American first class flight.
Alaska Boeing 737 entertainment & Wi-Fi
While Alaska doesn’t have seatback televisions, the airline otherwise has pretty good tech nowadays. Alaska has Gogo 2Ku Wi-Fi on its 737s, and full flight streaming passes always cost $8. That’s a great deal, especially on a flight of this length.
On top of that, Alaska has a huge selection of free movies and TV shows that you can stream.
Alaska also offers free messaging on mobile devices.
Lastly, T-Mobile customers can receive free Wi-Fi on their mobile devices.
So for a total of $8 I had streaming Wi-Fi on my laptop, and then I had free Wi-Fi on my phone thanks to T-Mobile.
I found the Wi-Fi speeds to be fast throughout the flight.
Alaska Boeing 737 departure from Seattle
There are several things I noticed during the boarding process:
- The crew welcomed each passenger onboard with a big smile, and frequently complimented guests; that makes such a difference in terms of creating a positive first impression, and that attitude rubs off on passengers
- I was amazed by how many passengers were wearing masks, as I’d estimate that well over 50% of passengers boarded with N-95s on; I was kind of surprised to see that on a flight to Miami (heck, there were more people with green hair on this flight than people with masks on most flights I’ve taken out of Miami)
- Toward the end of boarding, a couple boarded out of breath, and joked that their first class seats were stolen; the guy ended up being seated right behind me in economy, and he explained that their inbound flight was delayed but Alaska still gave away their seats, so I was impressed by the positive attitude he had about the whole situation, as this isn’t a short flight to be downgraded on
At 7:25AM, the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our flight time of 5hr5min, and our cruising altitude of 39,000 feet. A few minutes after that, the main cabin door closed, and we began our pushback. At that point a manual safety demonstration was performed.
We started our taxi at 7:40AM, and it was a pretty short distance to the departure runway.
We were cleared for takeoff on runway 16L at 7:50AM, just behind Alaska’s “Salmon Thirty Salmon.”
It wasn’t a particularly nice day underneath the clouds, but as usual, it was much nicer above the clouds. Sadly there were no good Mount Rainier views on this flight.
The seatbelt sign was turned off about 25 minutes after takeoff.
Alaska first class food & drinks
Once we reached our cruising altitude, first class flight attendant Ally came through the cabin to introduce herself and take meal orders. She also thanked both Mileage Plan and partner oneworld elite members for their loyalty — for example, I was thanked for being a oneworld Emerald member.
One other thing to note about meal choices. Alaska lets you pre-order meals in first class, but it works a bit differently than at American. Alaska’s website showed three meal choices a couple of days before departure, but one showed as unavailable, which I found odd.
At American there are no limits to the meal pre-orders, as they’ll cater the flight accordingly. I guess at Alaska there is a limit based on how much is ordinarily catered.
As you can see, the three meal choices were a fruit & cheese plate, apple cobbler oatmeal, and a sweet potato & feta omelet (which wasn’t available). I didn’t pre-reserve a meal since my preferred choice showed as being unavailable. By the time the flight attendant got to my seat, the only option was the fruit & cheese plate.
To drink, I ordered a cup of coffee, which was served with a couple of “sticks” of creamer.
The meal was served about an hour after takeoff. I was initially kind of bummed when I found out that only a fruit & cheese plate was available, but I was pleasantly surprised. There were two types of cheese, apple wedges, crackers, grapes, and a sea salt chocolate. On top of that, there was a separate fruit plate, some greek yogurt, and a bread roll. It was tasty and filling.
Later in the flight, Ally came through the cabin with a snack basket, which had a variety of options. I chose a KIND Bar and some toasted coconut cashews. Other choices included popcorn and turkey jerkey.
Alaska also has a drink list that I find to be much more interesting than you’ll find on American.
I remember that back in the day when I lived in Seattle and was an Alaska frequent flyer, I enjoyed the Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka. I was happy to see that still on the drink list, so I decided to order that as a pre-landing “refreshment.”
Alaska first class inflight service
I find that service on Alaska is consistently a cut above service on American and United, and Ally, the flight attendant working first class, was no exception. She was genuinely friendly, constantly checked on passengers, and seemed to enjoy her job.
Even though Alaska is a big airline at this point, there’s something about flying with the airline that feels a lot less corporate and a bit more scrappy than on other airlines, and I like that.
Alaska Boeing 737 first class lavatory
While Alaska’s first class cabin feels more spacious than on other US airlines, the lavatory is unfortunately an exception. There was a lavatory at the front of first class, and it was extremely tight, and had an absolutely tiny sink. This is the new standard lavatory configuration for the 737, which is a real shame.
It’s one thing if just the lavatory were tight, but then on top of that you have a sink so small that you really can’t wash your hands without getting water all over the place.
Watching the country pass by…
Nowadays a vast majority of my travel is up and down the East Coast or international, and I do fairly few daytime transcon flights. So I just have to mention how much I enjoyed gazing out the window for the entire flight as we traveled from one corner of the country to the other.
The views were stunning throughout…
…and I particularly loved the views over Idaho, which made me feel like I was in Greenland, or somewhere.
I loved the views so much at this point in the flight that I had to look at our location on a map. It looked like we were somewhere between Boise and Idaho Falls.
Does anyone know if there are any roads, or anything, near the area shown above? Gosh, I’d love to do a road trip here sometime (though on second thought, I’m not necessarily the best driver in snow).
While the scenery eventually flattened out, it was still fun to look at.
Alaska Boeing 737 arrival in Miami
At 3:30PM local time, the first officer announced that we’d be landing in around 30 minutes, and would be starting our descent shortly. At this point we were just near St. Petersburg.
Suffice it to say that the views in Florida aren’t quite as inspiring as over Idaho (well, unless you’re one of those people who believes aliens are behind these planned community designs, or something).
Eventually we flew over the Everglades…
We were lucky to be landing into the east, which meant we could approach the airport without having to fly out over the water first.
It was really windy on approach, and we landed safely at 4PM on runway 9.
While our gate was only a short distance from where we landed, there was some congestion, so we had to stand on the taxiway for a bit. There was some fun traffic to look at, including of a Qatar Airways 777 and British Airways A380.
We ended up pulling into gate E6 at 4:10PM, nearly 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
While I had a great trip, I was excited to get home and see my family!
Bottom line
I had a great flight in Alaska Airlines first class. While I was initially bummed about the swap from a 737 MAX 9 to a 737-900ER, I still had a good experience. Alaska’s first class seats are more spacious than at other US airlines, and the airline has pretty good food and drinks, friendly service, and reasonably priced Wi-Fi.
It’s always a pleasure to fly with Alaska, and I’m glad I finally had the chance to fly the carrier’s new route to my hometown. With the partnership between Alaska and American, I hope to fly with the airline more.
What do you make of Alaska’s 737 first class?
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 Cattle Class review --
"Windy"
No TV screens in biz class. let alone economy? Is this 1987?
Look like a really crap flight with economy buy on board catering and ratty old 737. Jetblue needs to bring Mint from South Florida to Seattle (won't happen though)
I don’t know why people are expecting lie flat seats on domestic flights! But it would be nice to have foot rests!
The first class meals have been disappointing. They used to be better. But I’ll always pick Alaska for their excellent customer service.
Maybe people expect lie flat seats on domestic flights because ... literally EVERY OTHER MAJOR domestic airline w/business class has them. It's ridiculous Alaska still has "MICKEY MOUSE" first class seats, which are slightly wider and recline a few inches more. They have the most embarrassing "first class" in the sky today. It's like their seats are stuck in 1990 and haven't been updated in 30+ years.
I was upgraded on a transcontinental Alaska airlines flight yesterday. My experience was okay but it didn't seem exceptional. The WiFi was broken and we were delayed. The dinner was decent (salmon bowl). But no pillows, only one drink service not even coffee/tea after meal. (I guess I could have asked the flight attendant if I really wanted another beverage.) No pre-arrival snack. In the past, I remember they had water on your seat, a...
I was upgraded on a transcontinental Alaska airlines flight yesterday. My experience was okay but it didn't seem exceptional. The WiFi was broken and we were delayed. The dinner was decent (salmon bowl). But no pillows, only one drink service not even coffee/tea after meal. (I guess I could have asked the flight attendant if I really wanted another beverage.) No pre-arrival snack. In the past, I remember they had water on your seat, a small cup of smoothie, warmed nuts, warmed cookie, small piece of chocolate for MVP. The last couple of times I was in first class in Alaska they got rid of all of that. Overall it was fine but I'm surprised by the high rating because I think they've cut back a bit from previous years.
Alaska first class is generally pretty comfortable. Although I fly Delta much more often, sometimes paid Alaska first on a transcon is preferable to hoping for an upgrade on Delta, especially given that Delta One prices are typically sky high.
I do like the extra legroom that Alaska has. Getting a beat up older 800 or 900 can be a bit disappointing, but the food and service are normally good. And the Max’s are...
Alaska first class is generally pretty comfortable. Although I fly Delta much more often, sometimes paid Alaska first on a transcon is preferable to hoping for an upgrade on Delta, especially given that Delta One prices are typically sky high.
I do like the extra legroom that Alaska has. Getting a beat up older 800 or 900 can be a bit disappointing, but the food and service are normally good. And the Max’s are new and quite nice.
Alaska does have a habit of letting the cabins on their older models get really shabby prior to retirement. I recall MD-80’s and 737 Classics in really deplorable condition. Hopefully they don’t let these 737 NG’s go that badly.
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 Cattle Class review --
"Windy"
Whenever I see those Alaska "first class" seats I chuckle. They look like a 1980's Lazyboy that has been downgraded to the basement family room.
First Class meal? Even as horrendous as American Airlines is on mostly domestic first class flights, that Alaska meal was less than appealing.
The breakfast looks ridiculous for such a route and the cabin like something from a 1990s Home Alone movie. This deserves 3.5 stars at best!
Nice review, Ben. I agree with your take on Alaska's first class product. I live in Seattle but am not an elite flyer either with Alaska or American. Living here, Alaska is often the best option for travel because they offer nonstop service almost anywhere I want to go domestically. Their economy product is OK but has become way more cramped over the years. First class is very comfortable by comparison and is often available...
Nice review, Ben. I agree with your take on Alaska's first class product. I live in Seattle but am not an elite flyer either with Alaska or American. Living here, Alaska is often the best option for travel because they offer nonstop service almost anywhere I want to go domestically. Their economy product is OK but has become way more cramped over the years. First class is very comfortable by comparison and is often available for a reasonable price, at least as compared to their competitors. It's also possible to upgrade with Alaska miles for a reasonable price on occasion, even for us non-elites. My most recent first class experience was returning to SEA from HNL, where I was able to upgrade for $115 cash. I felt it was worth it.
Is their first class service perfect? Of course not. I would agree that catering is not Alaska's strong suit but I always pre-order and have not had issues when I do that. I used to love that I got club access when flying first class and am not happy at how that benefit has been degraded. At the same time the 2,100 mile minimum flight length cane into effect, the ability to use ÀA lounges was completely eliminated. That's important because Alaska has very few of its own lounges at outstations. The 2.100 mile requirement also seems a little chicken s**t to me given that one of my favorite routes is SEA-MSY. Alaska is the only carrier doing this route nonstop--and it comes in at 2,084 miles, just 16 shy of the new requirement.
Yes, Alaska Airlines is a quirky carrier but I thought your review was spot-on.
Sorry to say, but your review sounded liked you worked for them and didn’t want to say anything negative about them! Their food service is in FC is horrible their blankets are thin and are not even individually wrapped for your protection, NO pillows on a almost 6 hour flight! Sorry, but I’m sticking with United!
The blankets are always individually wrapped as seen in the pictures
This review reads like an apology. It's like a defense of Alaska. It appears that entertainment must be paid for, even in first class, which didn't used to be. They also used to give out a viewer in first - apparently no more. This has been my experience in Alaska first class as well - no pre-departure drink. Your first drink will appear with your meal and flight attendants will be scarce after that. The...
This review reads like an apology. It's like a defense of Alaska. It appears that entertainment must be paid for, even in first class, which didn't used to be. They also used to give out a viewer in first - apparently no more. This has been my experience in Alaska first class as well - no pre-departure drink. Your first drink will appear with your meal and flight attendants will be scarce after that. The interior pictured in this review looks worn out and wrinkled. I'm sorry - I'm not impressed. Alaska and American first class will not impress Delta first class fliers at Seattle.
Hey, Brick,
I am a Delta 2 million miler based in Seattle. I have flown DL's first class for years and would agree that it's generally good but I agree with Ben that Alaska's a better value on price. Add to that more cross-country nonstop routes and often more and better frequencies on routes where they compete directly and I find myself on Alaska more and more--especially since DL has consistently downgraded its treatment of...
Hey, Brick,
I am a Delta 2 million miler based in Seattle. I have flown DL's first class for years and would agree that it's generally good but I agree with Ben that Alaska's a better value on price. Add to that more cross-country nonstop routes and often more and better frequencies on routes where they compete directly and I find myself on Alaska more and more--especially since DL has consistently downgraded its treatment of frequent flyers/elites. If you are comparing Alaska's first class with domestic DeltaOne, yes, DeltaOne is a superior product--but it comes at a huge price premium and is only available on a few routes out of SEA.
AS swaps 737-MAX9's with 739ERs often, as I've found, on the JFK-SEA route. The service on AS in First is well above UA and AA. The cabins are a strange mix of modern and dated though, but you are right, the legroom and pitch in First is industry leading (domestic US first, that is). The few rows of economy behind first with extra legroom also feature incredibly narrow and uncomfortable seats, with limited padding, making them less optimal compared to AA and UA.
Have you all blasting the fruit and cheese platter actually tried the fruit and cheese platter? It's extremely reasonably priced, delicious, and one of the things I actually look forward to on each Alaska flight. Usually it has a block of brie, but I understand that supply issues have forced Alaska to substitute extra slices of the other cheese at times. Last month, I flew round trips to Phoenix and Austin out of Seattle. Brie...
Have you all blasting the fruit and cheese platter actually tried the fruit and cheese platter? It's extremely reasonably priced, delicious, and one of the things I actually look forward to on each Alaska flight. Usually it has a block of brie, but I understand that supply issues have forced Alaska to substitute extra slices of the other cheese at times. Last month, I flew round trips to Phoenix and Austin out of Seattle. Brie was served in three of the four platters I ordered. Yes, it's so good that I got one on each leg of my trips!
Don't knock the fruit and cheese platter. If you know, you know why it's an Alaska specialty.
I agree completely! The fruit and cheese plate is excellent. However, recently, there has been no brie. There was a little card citing a "national brie shortage.". Apparently, they don't buy it at Costco, where French brie is plentiful!
I try to fly Alaska when possible. Their companion pass is great. We fly to PDX to HNL to visit our daughter and usually are able to get the rear exit row seats and preorder food. I call it the poor man's first class. Good legroom and the seats recline. Try too bring a treat for the crew (multi pack of Toblerone is nice) when we think of it.
I'm not so sure if I would be too satisfied or happy with "scrappy" service. For a 5 hour flight that meal selection is pretty poor and to be served a very average looking cheese plate, is very poor. Can anyone explain why USA carrier are so sub par?
I'm Anchorage based, MVP 75K, nearing million miles status on Alaska Air. Their service has suffered significantly in the past 3-5 years (yes even pre-pandemic). Due to the partnership with American I fly first class on board AA often. Domestic first class on AA is far better than Alaska, no comparison. Also, AA has blankets on most evening flights I've been on in first class, always on ANC-DFW, for instance. The catering in first on...
I'm Anchorage based, MVP 75K, nearing million miles status on Alaska Air. Their service has suffered significantly in the past 3-5 years (yes even pre-pandemic). Due to the partnership with American I fly first class on board AA often. Domestic first class on AA is far better than Alaska, no comparison. Also, AA has blankets on most evening flights I've been on in first class, always on ANC-DFW, for instance. The catering in first on Alaska is a joke, always short on selection and even availability. I just flew SEA-CLT and they didn't have a meal for me. Pathetic.
You're lucky to get the equipment swap to the 739. The first class seats in the new Max is hard as a rock by comparison.
Fruit and Cheese plate with a side of fruit?
The crowd have spoken. That 'meal' is no meal at all. For many other folks (myself included) to get served this as a 'meal' in a premium cabin would be pathetic, actually. And I'm no big eater! Sometimes, I'm content with just one meal a day, two at most. So if a small eater like me thinks this is pathetic, can you imagine what a normal eater (the majority) would think?!
Ben, I understand that you have addressed the issue of booking a seat in the last row of a first/business cabin but could you please explain your rationale again? My plan of attack is to reserve a seat as forward as possible to ensure that my preferred meal option is available unless a 'book the cook' option is offered. I understand that some seats are 'too far forward' given the placement of a galley or...
Ben, I understand that you have addressed the issue of booking a seat in the last row of a first/business cabin but could you please explain your rationale again? My plan of attack is to reserve a seat as forward as possible to ensure that my preferred meal option is available unless a 'book the cook' option is offered. I understand that some seats are 'too far forward' given the placement of a galley or lav but I wonder at the wisdom of a seat in the last rows of a given class.
When reading this, I am also surprised of the good rating, especially I. Relation to food. In Africa, where I live, we would never be satisfied, even in economy, with this “meal” for such a relatively long flight. And I recently flew Vistara in India, where they serve a fantastic, hot meal for all passengers, even if the flight is only one hour.
I think Ben’s 4.5 rating captures what makes Alaska great - the service. Everyone is so kind and friendly, it elevates what is a standard product into a much more satisfying experience. Frequent AS fliers will know exactly what I’m talking about, especially when you get longer-tenured crews from ANC/SEA/PDX. The level of service far exceeds other carriers, not in terms of what they give you but how they interact with you.
the food offer for this 5+ hour transcon flight is APPALLING. Qatar, Emirates, Singapore would offer a FEAST with caviar & champagne for such a long flight.
shocked you rated this 4.5.
Of course the food is great...that is because these airlines are "State Run" Owned by these countries
Flew AA 321T flagship first BOS-LAX, the only remaining meal choice when they got to me was a similar cheese plate, and I was livid as for an almost 6 hour first class flight, that was the only meal service. Genuine question, how were you okay with this?
Though to be livid when you had 30 days prior to go on the app and order the meal you wanted. I am hoping you werent upgraded for free and are now complaining about a meal you never expected to get.
The breakfast menu for a first class flight is pretty sad to say the least!
I wish lie-flats on transcons were more prevalent. For instance, between NY and Seattle, only JetBlue reliably has lie-flats. Not even Delta!
I think this pretty much tells you why there aren't so many lie-flat transcon flights. As long as the big names don't feel like they're losing significant business because of this these simply won't happen.
I had over 1M miles with UA and 2M with AA when I stopped flying them about 20 years ago and began flying essentially exclusively with AA. On AS its the people. They're just so darn nice. That's why when something goes wrong passengers tend not to get tsoo upset. When people care and it doesn't go quite right you don't get all bent out of shape. I'll bet the flight crew took good care...
I had over 1M miles with UA and 2M with AA when I stopped flying them about 20 years ago and began flying essentially exclusively with AA. On AS its the people. They're just so darn nice. That's why when something goes wrong passengers tend not to get tsoo upset. When people care and it doesn't go quite right you don't get all bent out of shape. I'll bet the flight crew took good care of the guy who got downgraded and frequent AS flyers know to call customer service when there's a problem and they'll make it right (because AS gives them the authority to do so).
I can live with the food. Both PDX and SEA have Priority Pass restaurants so I bring something nice to eat. Flyers with status get to upgrade to Premium at the time of booking where the drinks are free and they have a nice selection. So it works for me and I think a lot of other flyers too. For those old enough to remember its the closest you can get domestically to how flying was in the '60s and '70s in terms of the people. Don't underestimate how important that is.
To hell with the review, agree with it or not one thing is for certain - Lucky doesn't often say good things about the country that allowed him to get rich for posting airplane food. As an immigrant, I appreciate him acknowledging that at least from high up our good ole United States looks quire beautiful. And I think regardless of politics that's one thing we can all agree on.
Wasn't he born in New York?
Son of immigrants maybe as I think he was born in New York
The scenic byway you are looking for is Highway 75 between Sun Valley/Ketchum and Stanley.
Let us know if you visit. My wife and I would be happy to take you to dinner for the many tens of thousands of dollars you have helped us save on travel.
Thanks! I’ve only been there once decades ago but beautiful in and especially outside Stanley in the Sawtooth mountains. Enjoy!
As an Idaho-based reader, I believe the views you saw were likely of the Sawtooth and White Cloud mountains near Stanley and Sun Valley, Idaho. An incredible place to visit, especially Redfish Lake. Hope you visit sometime.
Thanks! I’ve only been there once decades ago but beautiful in and especially outside Stanley in the Sawtooth
the food looks better than much of the swill that I've eaten on transatlantic flights the last few years. Although I do sit in coach
The cheese & fruit tray is an Alaska specialty and has been for years. It tastes better at altitude where alternatives are few. I was hoping to learn that other carriers had better first class service than Alaska because I am ready for a change. Whatever.
Don't believe I'd be too impressed or accepting of a "scrappy" service. From what is written and shown, it looks average. A cheese plate (or anything on offer as a meal) is poor for a 5hr flight. Pathetic meal level. Can anyone explain why USA Airlines are so sub par?
I have asked this question here before and got flamed. The unanimous responses were that US airlines offered great service, especially in first class.
I can’t help but notice that everything in this flight looks pretty crappy, just like it would on AA or UA or DL. Yet you manage to use very positive adjectives throughout, almost making excuses for subpar quality. If you had received a fruit and cheese plate on a 5 hours flight on AA… Gosh I cannot imagine the rant! But here nope, it was fine. Good for thoughts Ben.
This rating doesn’t make much sense: no lie-flat seats, no PDB, no IFE, limited meal options, tiny lavatories, old seats. How does this get 4.5*?? This looks like a flight review from 1993.
The magic of the “flexible” OMAAT star ratings!
nobody said these were objective or authoritative ratings. these are *lucky* ratings...
Alaska's first class seats look worn but it's just because of the wrinkled design.
Alaska's soft product is slightly better than the 3 majors (UA, DL, AA), in my opinion. They have way fewer asshat FA's.
This reflects my experience as well, I like Alaska(I miss Virgin though). I recently flew SFO-SEA in F on a Skywest ERJ if you get one of the single seats on the port side it's really nice. The service was very good, the FA did the announcements in: English, Spanish, French & Portuguese. He came around before take off to take our drink orders, I dozed off when he served them and actually pulled out...
This reflects my experience as well, I like Alaska(I miss Virgin though). I recently flew SFO-SEA in F on a Skywest ERJ if you get one of the single seats on the port side it's really nice. The service was very good, the FA did the announcements in: English, Spanish, French & Portuguese. He came around before take off to take our drink orders, I dozed off when he served them and actually pulled out the little drink tray, put my drink down then gently woke me up. I'm doing SFO-BOS soon and we will see how that long flight will be.
I'm an MVP 75k (former 100k) and this pretty accurately reflects my experience. I have occasionally seen pre-order meals grayed out buy it's more rare than not. How far in advance did you try to preorder, Ben? Usually I notice it when I'm upgraded and assume it has something to do with the short window. Could also be a supply issue either with the supplier unable to meet demand or the cost of eggs raising...
I'm an MVP 75k (former 100k) and this pretty accurately reflects my experience. I have occasionally seen pre-order meals grayed out buy it's more rare than not. How far in advance did you try to preorder, Ben? Usually I notice it when I'm upgraded and assume it has something to do with the short window. Could also be a supply issue either with the supplier unable to meet demand or the cost of eggs raising the price so much that Alaska only purchases so many; being on the west coast we've got a very large number of morning flights. I agree though that at a minimum there should be enough real entrees catered that the fruit and cheese, as good as it is, shouldn't be the only option.
I look forward to eventually moving back East to be closer to family but I'll definitely miss flying Alaska.
No excuse for Alaska not to serve a proper hot breakast in their premium cabin on their longest non-stop route departing their home base at 7:35 am.
Perhaps, but when I am searching on Google Flights or equivalent, Alaska’s prices appear to be cheaper, often substantially, than other transcon F/J options. Maybe it’s a case of you get what you pay for. (I never fly them because I want a lie flat for transcon whenever possible.)
Ben, I didn't see this mentioned, but it appears that AS's first class seats have better or at least more cushion/padding than the newer first class seats we see on the other major carriers. Was this your experience? Was the seat notably more comfortable from a padding/cushion/support perspective vs flying AA's first product on this route?
Nothing like that view of the Rotonda "wheel" in the Punta Gorda area to let you know you'll soon be on the ground...
I am happy to see that you were served in proper glassware and mugs. My recent Alaska first class flight from Austin to San Jose was operated by Horizon Air using an overall quite nice Embraer ERJ 175.
However all beverages including alcohol were served in rather small paper cups - this didn’t feel first class at all and took away from the experience.
Just look for some scenic byways in ID and you’ll have plenty of beautiful roads
Alaska Airlines had always been my go to favorite airline. Since Tilden left, and they threw their lot with American, the wonderful passenger focused attitude that made Alaska special has faded and faded and faded until now it is barely detectable.
It was that attitude that made one willing to overlook things like lack of lie flat seats on Long Haul flights that competitors were already offering. It was that attitude that made Alaska worth...
Alaska Airlines had always been my go to favorite airline. Since Tilden left, and they threw their lot with American, the wonderful passenger focused attitude that made Alaska special has faded and faded and faded until now it is barely detectable.
It was that attitude that made one willing to overlook things like lack of lie flat seats on Long Haul flights that competitors were already offering. It was that attitude that made Alaska worth flying. But now, when I've flown Alaska and six out of eight flights had no Wi-Fi and entertainment whatsoever on Cross Continental flights, and the price of travel is through the roof. And Luggage delays and other problems continue to bedevil this Airline along with others, that shiny customer service, and passenger first attitude is nowhere to be found anymore.
I just flew Alaska F from Washington DCA to LAX. Overall agree with you on most of this. But I did get the preorder option I wanted. It was good.
Normally I do think Alaska crew are a step above. Not on this flight. The crew was nowhere to be seen at boarding. They were mechanical throughout the flight, never thanked us for being there, never proactively asked if we wanted additional drinks, and...
I just flew Alaska F from Washington DCA to LAX. Overall agree with you on most of this. But I did get the preorder option I wanted. It was good.
Normally I do think Alaska crew are a step above. Not on this flight. The crew was nowhere to be seen at boarding. They were mechanical throughout the flight, never thanked us for being there, never proactively asked if we wanted additional drinks, and just went through the motions. Barely.
Later people told me that AS LAX-based crews are known to not be too great. I guess I had that. Oh well.
Having flown both the 737-900ER and the Max 9 just a few months ago, I honestly felt the 737-900ER was the more comfortable of the two. However, I felt that the seats needed more recline in both cases.
I really appreciate the updated cabin layout on the Alaska a321neos and the max 9s, except for the seat padding. For me it’s worth the trade off (to have the newer plane cabin vs more comfy seats), but I can understand enjoying the older design more.
All said, my favorite Alaska ride is the a321neos in F when traveling with someone.
The pic was misleading
*which photo was misleading*?
*how* was that specific photo misleading?
I completely agree. Flying Alaska is such a treat and it’s a real difference in service experience. I enjoy it immensely when I have the chance to fly them
Hey Ben thanks for the review.
I am really surprised you gave this flight such a high rating. I think the catering situation is appalling. For an airline to have a pre order service which only offers three options and then for the one 'proper' egg breakfast meal to be already unavailable at the pre-order stage is nothing short of shocking. The WHOLE point of pre-order is to (almost) guarantee your choice of meal. OK,...
Hey Ben thanks for the review.
I am really surprised you gave this flight such a high rating. I think the catering situation is appalling. For an airline to have a pre order service which only offers three options and then for the one 'proper' egg breakfast meal to be already unavailable at the pre-order stage is nothing short of shocking. The WHOLE point of pre-order is to (almost) guarantee your choice of meal. OK, if this was some from some random outstation port in rural Alaska with very limited catering facilities, maybe. But from their home hub?
And then to have NO option apart from a cheese plate onboard a 5hr5min flight?
Personally, i'd be seriously bummed.
This is Alaska's service. I have been flying them for years in First - due to convenience, not service - and their food service has always been average or below average. Check Ben's review of their flagship lounge in SEA - also no hot offerings of eggs, bacon etc during breakfast. Alaska's cabin crew tend to be friendler than others but otherwise there is nothing special about this airline.
Ahh nothing like views of El Palmetto and arriving at E gates (thankfully not the horrible satellite) to welcome you back to Miami ;)
And regarding the price paid, first class pricing is wacky these days. AA is charging near that price or more for most east coast hops from Miami, and double that to get to California
You flew over the Sawtooth mountains in Idaho. That’s the home of Sun Valley and Ketchum. It’s a beautiful area and full of celebrity homes, most famously- Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.
US routes 20 (east-west) and 93 (north-south) are the major roads through that part of Idaho. I'm planning a road trip with my son this summer to do US20 from Chicago to the Pacific (already did Boston to just west of O'Hare with him: it'll be my longest (and his, obviously!) "clinch" as my roadgeek side calls it). I'll have a reason to sign up for Best Western and Choice's programs: while 20 basically parallels...
US routes 20 (east-west) and 93 (north-south) are the major roads through that part of Idaho. I'm planning a road trip with my son this summer to do US20 from Chicago to the Pacific (already did Boston to just west of O'Hare with him: it'll be my longest (and his, obviously!) "clinch" as my roadgeek side calls it). I'll have a reason to sign up for Best Western and Choice's programs: while 20 basically parallels I-90 east of Rockford, Illinois (so has frequent Hilton and Marriott properties (mostly Hampton and Fairfield)), west of Rockford those chains are few and far between.
I flew this product round trip NYC - SEA a few weeks ago and my general experience was pretty in line with yours (including only the fruit and cheese plate being available on one leg).
But I would not have rated it anything like 4.5*? To me, a seat that barely reclines and very basic food options are a hard pass on a flight of this length (even with good pitch, friendly service etc.)....
I flew this product round trip NYC - SEA a few weeks ago and my general experience was pretty in line with yours (including only the fruit and cheese plate being available on one leg).
But I would not have rated it anything like 4.5*? To me, a seat that barely reclines and very basic food options are a hard pass on a flight of this length (even with good pitch, friendly service etc.). By comparison, the BA flight that you (rightly) panned earlier this year is only slightly longer, and I would take that over this any day of the week. I appreciate the pricing is something like 4x different, is value the main driver that leads to the strong rating here?
(Just curious - appreciate the review as always).
@ T_ -- I appreciate the feedback. The rating is supposed to be in comparison to other US airlines operating similar routes, so I'm comparing this to the typical domestic first class experience you'd otherwise find in the United States, like on American and United. Yes, a transcontinental flight and transatlantic flight are almost the same length, but there's not a single market where Alaska Airlines and British Airways compete.
Where you were over Idaho is Sun Valley. There is a road, and Ketchum is a nice town. It is the playground of the very wealthy ;)