SEATTLE, Nov. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today
Alaska Airlines fliers who want a little more legroom will have the
option to purchase seats with up to four more inches of space
between rows. The airline will debut its Premium Class section for
travel on select routes beginning Jan. 5,
2017, as it continues a significant retrofit of its
all-Boeing fleet. In addition to four extra inches of legroom,
passengers seated in Premium Class will enjoy early boarding,
snacks and complimentary drinks.
Alaska Mileage Plan MVP, Gold and Gold 75K members will be
eligible for complimentary upgrades into Premium Class at the time
of booking, or up to 24 hours in advance of travel, depending on
status and the fare purchased.
With the addition of Premium Class, Alaska's most loyal customers who aren't able
to upgrade into First Class will see a significantly increased
likelihood of getting a seat with more legroom near the front of
the cabin.
"Premium Class is the most recent example of the on-going
investment we are making to enhance the customer experience on our
airplanes," said Andrew Harrison,
executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Alaska
Airlines. "We will continue to reward our loyal customers by
offering one of the most generous upgrade policies in the industry
with an average of 60 percent of the First Class cabin being
occupied by upgraded elites."
For more information around upgrades for elites see the Alaska
Airlines blog: Treat yourself: Alaska Airlines launches new Premium
Class
Initial prices for Premium Class seats range from $15 to $79 in addition to base fares and are
based on the length of the flight. Seats in the new section can be
purchased at the time of booking through alaskaair.com or
Alaska's mobile apps, during
check-in, and at the airport.
Premium Class seats are located in the front portion of the main
cabin, allowing for faster boarding and deplaning. The new section
offers an additional four inches of legroom, with 35 inches of
space between rows, compared to the 31 to 32 inches between rows in
the rest of the main cabin.
"As a businessman who flies at least 75,000 miles every year,
the extra room allowed me to work more comfortably with my laptop
and is almost like having a mini office in the air," said
Frank Albano, an Alaska frequent flier who has logged more than
a million miles and was recently seated in the new section on one
of the reconfigured planes.
First Class cabin enhancements
The aircraft retrofits
will also result in significantly expanded legroom in the First
Class cabin, which will increase from 36 to 41 or 42 inches, and
will be among the most spacious First Class cabins domestically. In
addition to the increased legroom, First Class customers will
continue to enjoy a seat that is four inches wider, free inflight
entertainment tablets, a complimentary selection of fine wines and
spirits, and chef-inspired, locally-sourced snacks and meals.
It is expected that nearly half of the fleet will feature
Premium Class by the end by the end of 2016, with the balance of
planes being reconfigured in 2017. A decision on when the 737-700s
will be retrofitted will be announced mid-2017. Alaska will retire its fleet of 737-400s in
2017. The upgrade option will also be available on the Embraer 175s
operated by SkyWest Airlines and soon, Horizon Air.
Plane
Type
|
Fleet
count*
|
Current
Cabin
(First Class/ Main
Cabin)
|
Reconfigured
Cabin
(First Class/Premium
Class/Main Cabin)
|
737-800
|
61
|
16/147
|
12/30/117
|
737-900/900ER
|
77
|
16/165
|
16/24/138
|
737-700
|
11
|
12/112
|
More detail to come
in 2017
|
E175
|
15
|
12/64
|
12/12/52
|
Premium Class is replacing Preferred Plus, which was only
available in exit rows and bulkhead seats. Customers on flights
that have yet to be retrofitted, can still can purchase extra
legroom starting at $15, during
booking, check-in, at the airport, or through the Alaska Airlines
mobile app. Once an aircraft is upgraded, exit row seats will no
longer be available for purchase.
In the past two years, Alaska
has made significant investments to improve the customer experience
throughout the aircraft providing customers more of what they love,
which includes outfitting nearly half of its fleet with larger
overhead bins that increase room for carry-on baggage by 48 percent
and providing personal power outlets at every seat. Also, customers
can enjoy Pacific Northwest-inspired food from iconic Seattle chef Tom
Douglas, local wine and spirits, custom-designed leather
seats, and free and premium streaming entertainment on every
flight.**
To purchase a Premium Class upgrade, visit alaskaair.com, or
call 1-800-ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522 or Hearing & Speech Impaired
(TTY): Dial 711 for Relay Services).
Supporting assets including a video, still images, and a graphic
are available at the Alaska Airlines newsroom.
*Alaska Air Group fleet count through the end of 2016.
**On E175s aircraft, power at each seat is available only in
First Class. Power at every seat is not available on 737-400 and
700 aircraft.
Alaska Airlines, together with its regional partners, flies 32
million customers a year to more than 110 cities with an average of
970 daily flights throughout the United
States, Canada,
Costa Rica, Mexico and soon Cuba. With Alaska's global airline partners, customers
can earn and redeem miles to more than 800 destinations worldwide.
Onboard, customers are invited to make the most of their flight
with amenities like power outlets at every seat, streaming
entertainment direct to your device, Wi-Fi and an inspired food and
beverage selection featured on most flights. Alaska Airlines ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in
North America" in the J.D. Power
North American Airline Satisfaction Study for nine consecutive
years from 2008 to 2016. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan also ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards
Programs" in the J.D. Power Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program
Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. Alaska
Airlines is a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK). Learn
more on the airline's newsroom, blog, alaskaair.com, @AlaskaAir,
facebook.com/alaskaairlines and
linkedin.com/company/alaska-airlines.
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines