Travel · NEWS EXPLAINER
Alaska and Hawaiian add lie-flat suites, premium economy and new lounges for 2028
Alaska Air Group plans a major premium-travel overhaul beginning in 2028: lie-flat Aurora and Leihōkū suites, a new Premium Reserve premium-economy cabin and larger lounges in Seattle and Honolulu. The 737-10 part of the plan still depends on aircraft certification and delivery.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are planning a broad premium-cabin overhaul that will give travelers new lie-flat suites, a separate premium-economy product and larger airport lounges beginning in 2028. Alaska Air Group unveiled the passenger-facing changes on September 29 as part of a wider push toward longer-haul and international flying.
The biggest distinction for travelers is that Premium Reserve will be a new cabin, separate from Alaska's existing Premium Class. Alaska says Premium Reserve will offer 38 inches of seat pitch, larger recline, leg and calf rests, 16-inch 4K OLED screens and more space on selected long-haul aircraft.
Aurora and Leihōkū bring lie-flat suites to more routes
Alaska says every 787 in its long-haul fleet will feature 34 Aurora Suites, with fully lie-flat beds, direct aisle access and privacy doors on the 787. The airline also plans 12 Aurora Suites on at least 25 Boeing 737-10 MAX aircraft for select transcontinental routes, giving some narrowbody flights a lie-flat front cabin.
Hawaiian's 24 Airbus A330s are planned for a full interior retrofit beginning in 2028. The new front cabin will have 22 Leihōkū Suites with lie-flat seating, direct aisle access and privacy doors, up from 18 premium seats in the current configuration, some of which lack direct aisle access.
Premium Reserve is a new cabin, not a rename of Premium Class
Alaska Air Group says Premium Reserve will sit between the lie-flat suite cabin and the existing Premium Class/Main Cabin products. The new premium-economy seats are planned for Alaska 787s, Hawaiian A330s and select 737-10 MAX aircraft, with sales expected to begin before the 2028 rollout.
The company says Premium Reserve will have 38 inches of pitch, a wider seat than traditional economy, enhanced recline, leg and calf rests, larger tray tables, a 16-inch 4K OLED screen, Bluetooth and multiple charging options. Planned counts are 35 seats on the 787, 28 on the A330 and 12 on the 737-10 MAX.
Seattle and Honolulu get larger premium lounges
At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Alaska plans a nearly 41,000-square-foot two-level lounge complex in the expanded C Concourse for late 2027. The lower level is planned as a 500-seat Alaska Lounge, while a 200-seat Aurora Lounge upstairs will be reserved for Aurora Suites customers on intercontinental flights.
Hawaiian plans a nearly 13,000-square-foot lounge near the Mauka Concourse entrance in Honolulu Terminal 1 for early 2028, with seating for about 200 guests. Alaska also says a new 14,000-square-foot Alaska Lounge is planned for San Diego in 2028.
The 737-10 plans still have a certification dependency
The 787 and A330 retrofit programs rely on aircraft already in the group's widebody fleet, but the 737-10 plan has an extra dependency: the aircraft still needs regulatory certification before Alaska can put it into passenger service. Skift noted that certification timing remains uncertain after a Boeing software issue.
That means travelers should read the 737-10 Aurora and Premium Reserve details as Alaska's planned product configuration, not as a guaranteed flight schedule. The airline's own announcement says the suites are intended for select transcontinental flying beginning in 2028, but certification and delivery will determine when those aircraft actually enter service.
