Alaska Airlines debuts exciting new international business-class service and amenities
Is it an Alaska Airlines flight? Is it Hawaiian Airlines? That's been a question on a lot of flyers' minds since Alaska Airlines acquired Hawaiian back in 2024.
All the more so if you've flown one of the combined airline's intercontinental flights between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT) or Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul, South Korea, of late.
During my own recent flight from Tokyo to Seattle, I couldn't help but notice that, while the exterior of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operating my flight was emblazoned with Alaska Airlines' eye-catching new livery, the interior still bore the hallmarks of Hawaiian Airlines (after all, it was Hawaiian Airlines that originally ordered these jets).
Those elements included an island-inspired color palette and signage in the Hawaiian language, as well as Noho Home bedding and amenity kits stocked with Hawaiian Airlines' private line of Solii skincare products.
That's about to change, though. As the company has been teasing for a while now, Alaska is planning a distinctly Alaska Airlines-focused revamp of its long-haul business-class experience as it continues its global expansion out of its hub in Seattle.
Here's what flyers can expect to see in the coming days and all the exciting changes on the horizon.
Alaska Airlines' new international business class
Alaska Airlines placed a huge order of 787-10s and other Boeing aircraft in January. To start, though, this revamp is rolling out to Alaska Airlines' growing fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which it already deploys on those two Asia routes, and which will also operate the carrier's soon-to-launch services to Rome (launching April 28) and London (launching May 21).
Keep in mind that this new business-class experience is specifically for Alaska Airlines-operated flights and not those operated by Hawaiian Airlines, since the two entities continue to operate as individual brands under a single parent company.
Alaska Airlines' current fleet of Dreamliners was originally intended for Hawaiian Airlines, so the seats and interiors might look familiar to folks who have flown them in the past two years.
The business-class cabins have 34 suite-style pods with closing doors. They are laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, and their entertainment systems include 18-inch high-definition touchscreens.
All that remains the same. What's changing is the "soft product" — meal service, amenity kits, bedding and the like.
"We set out to design a business class experience that is both sophisticated and authentically Alaska: premium, comfortable and thoughtfully created for our guests," said Andrew Harrison, chief commercial officer at Alaska Airlines.
So, what exactly is in store for passengers?
First, the airline will start providing bedding designed in collaboration with the long-standing Pacific Northwest clothing and home goods brand Filson. The set will include lumbar pillows, larger pillows for sleeping with cute brown piping, mattress pads, and large duvets with a flannel-like pattern.
Alaska Airlines international business-class passengers will also receive new Filson amenity kits containing skincare products from Los Angeles-based body care company Salt & Stone. To bring a touch of sustainability, passengers will receive reusable water bottles from Path Water instead of plastic bottles.
Passengers have a lot to look forward to in terms of food and beverage as well, all inspired by Alaska Airlines' West Coast roots and international destinations.
Meal service will begin with a charcuterie board, billed as "a refined interpretation of Alaska's iconic signature fruit and cheese platter" that you can usually find available for purchase in economy on its domestic and medium-haul routes. It will be paired with a selection of cocktails, craft beers and wines from both Europe and the West Coast, including vintages from Stag's Leap and Roederer Champagne. Of course, you can also expect Portland, Oregon-sourced Stumptown coffee on board, too.
Meal service will continue with an appetizer course, followed by a main course with up to six entree choices inspired by individual routes. Among the examples the airline gave were gochujang chicken with an array of banchan on flights to Seoul and chicken ripieno on Rome flights. You might also find dishes by the airline's partner chef, Seattle-based Brady Ishiwata Williams, including his signature Klingemann Farms short rib. If you want to be sure you get your first choice, you can even order ahead of time through the airline's preorder feature.
Perhaps most exciting of all will be Alaska's new dessert cart serving a selection of Salt & Straw ice cream sundaes, along with other options.
After a midflight rest, passengers can expect a prearrival meal also inspired by each destination, such as a full English breakfast en route to London.
What else is new?
Even if you're not flying up front, you will still see some new features on Alaska Airlines' long-haul flights. Those seated in the main cabin and Alaska's Premium Class will receive complimentary meals and — for use during the flight — Filson blankets and pillows to help them rest.
Premium Class seats have 4 inches of extra legroom, power outlets and 12-inch entertainment screens, and those seated in this section will receive complimentary alcoholic beverages and smaller Filson amenity kits with destination-inspired designs.
The airline also announced that Starlink will soon be installed on its 787-9 Dreamliners this fall (it's already available on select aircraft in Alaska's fleet) so that international passengers can browse and stream content from gate to gate. To enjoy the new connectivity, starting in May, travelers on Starlink-enabled aircraft will have to sign in using their Atmos Rewards numbers in order to use it for free.
The airline does have plans to launch premium economy seating, too, but not until 2028.
The rollout plan: First up is Seoul in April
Passengers should start seeing these new amenities and meals in the coming days and months; they should be available on flights from Seattle to Seoul starting April 25 and will roll out to subsequent flights including the inaugural Seattle-Rome service on April 28 and from Seattle to London on May 21.
The airline has also announced plans to launch a route from SEA to Reykjavik's Keflavik Airport (KEF) on May 28, but this service will be operated by a narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8 with its own version of the new premium experience.
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