Alaska Airlines unveils big cabin retrofits, adding premium seats to Boeing 737s

Premium demand is surging, and Alaska Airlines is betting that travelers will want to splurge for premium seats for the long haul.

The Seattle-based carrier announced on Wednesday that it would add new first class and extra-legroom seats to its aircraft as part of a retrofit program covering its Boeing 737 fleet, which will add 1.3 million premium seats to its schedule each year.

The retrofit program will span over 200 Boeing 737-800, 737-900ER and 737 MAX 9 aircraft. The first plane to undergo a cabin revamp will be pulled from service for retrofitting in September, with the entire retrofit process expected to be completed by summer 2026.

You’ll find an aircraft-by-aircraft breakdown of the cabin retrofits at the bottom of this story, but highlights include adding four first-class seats to the Boeing 737-800 fleet, bringing the total to 16 new recliners in the pointy end of the jet. (This news was already announced earlier this year.)

Going forward, the only mainline jets to feature 12 first-class recliners will be some Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 737-700 aircraft. (It’s interesting that Alaska didn’t announce plans to harmonize the number of first-class seats across its 737 MAX 8 fleet, an aircraft that will presumably be in the carrier’s fleet for many more years to come. That could change as the seats on the airline’s existing MAX 8 aircraft come due for replacement.)

The retrofitted Boeing 737-800s will offer updated Recaro first-class recliners with additional legroom, a foot rest (a rare and excellent touch for domestic first-class), a seatback device holder, a winged headrest, universal power outlets and USB-C charging ports. These seats will also feature built-in cup holders, along with additional recline and larger tray tables.

No other first-class cabins are being updated with new products as part of this announcement, but Alaska is expanding its so-called Premium Class footprint. Alaska is adding six Premium Class seats on its Boeing 737-900ER and Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, increasing this cabin from 24 to 30 seats on both jets.

These extra-legroom economy seats include four additional inches of pitch compared to standard economy seats, free alcoholic drinks on flights longer than 350 miles and priority boarding.

Alaska says that Premium Class and economy travelers on all the retrofitted fleets will enjoy device holders, cup holders, USB-C charging ports and winged headrests. The airline also said it will continue offering four lavatories across its Boeing fleet.

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The carrier said in a statement that it decided to invest in this project “in response to growing demand from our valued guests… Our Premium Cabin performance continues to support what we believe to be a structural shift in higher demand for premium products.”

Alaska isn’t the only airline to notice an upmarket shift in its traveler profile. For years, Delta Air Lines has leaned into a premium-focused strategy that has landed it at the top of the pack among U.S. airlines across multiple dimensions. United Airlines new “Next” brand campaign launched in 2021 and is highlighted by a nose-to-tail refresh of almost the entire domestic fleet, elevating the premium experience for travelers.

In the second quarter of 2024, Alaska announced that its first-class and Premium Class revenues finished up 8% and 6%, respectively, with a first-class load factor hitting 71%.

While these new premium seats may pad Alaska’s bottom line, they should also be good news for elite travelers looking for more award and upgrade space. With a higher proportion of premium seats, Alaska Mileage Plan members might begin noticing that upgrades clear just a little more frequently than before.