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Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are giving travelers a first look at what’s next for their cabins, lounges, and onboard service — with new suites, a premium economy cabin, and airport upgrades planned across both airlines.
From Alaska’s Aurora Suites to Hawaiian’s refreshed Leihōkū Suites and the new Premium Reserve cabin, there’s plenty for travelers to look forward to. Just don’t expect everything on your next flight: Seattle’s new lounge is planned for late 2027, while several of the biggest cabin changes begin rolling out in 2028.
Here's the elevated experience Alaska and Hawaii travelers can look forward to experiencing on the ground and in the air.
Aurora Suites: Alaska's New Flagship
Alaska plans to launch a new suite product across all of its 787 widebody planes and, perhaps even more exciting, on the new 737-10 MAX aircraft that the airline has on order. Deliveries of this plane should start to roll out through 2028.
This represents a massive shift in Alaska Airlines’ push to become more competitive on long-haul transcontinental routes. With airlines like Delta and American operating many transcontinental routes using lie-flat seats, Alaska has not had a competitive product for routes to New York City and other cities on the East Coast.
Adding a premium suites class gives Alaska a chance to enter the market and steal market share from those other airlines.
Some key takeaways include:
- New lie-flat suites on the 787
- New lie-flat suites on select 737-10 MAX flights (expect NYC markets and other East Coast destinations)
- Sliding doors
- 19-inch screens, Bluetooth connectivity
- Dedicated check-in areas
- Lounge access
Leihōkū Suites: Hawaiian's Premium Makeover
Not to be left out of the refresh, Hawaiian Airlines will be doing a full nose-to-tail refresh of their A330 planes, upping their count of business class seats from 18 currently to 22. Hawaiian will be installing brand new Leihōkū Suites on all these aircraft, including new 4k screen, Bluetooth connectivity, and full aisle access for everyone.
- New Suites for the A330
- All Hawaiian long-haul aircraft are in a 1-2-1 configuration
- New 4k screens and bedding
- Dedicated check-in areas
Premium Reserve: A True Premium Economy
For passengers looking for an elevated experience on long flights without paying for full lie-flat business-class seats, Alaska will launch a new Premium Reserve product on both Hawaiian and Alaska flights. This will turn three-cabin planes into four-cabin planes.
The new seat will be rolled out on the 787-9 and 787-10 and A330 planes for long-haul travel, and then to the new 737-10 MAX flights.
- 38-inch pitch (slightly less than domestic first class)
- Leg/calf rests
- 16-inch 4K screens w/Bluetooth
- Enhanced dining over main cabin
The New Airport Experience
While many airlines focus on the premium experience on their planes, Alaska and Hawaiian are putting a lot of attention into the experience on the ground as well.
Seattle's New Premium Lounge
Later in 2027, Alaska will be opening its new Seattle Premium lounge. At over 41,000 square feet, it's going to be the largest airport lounge on the West Coast. Inside that lounge will be a special subset of the lounge called the Aurora lounge, serving Alaska's international long-haul flights.
The new lounge will have a capacity of over 500 to help with the overcrowding of the other Seattle Alaska lounges, and over 200 seats for international long-haul premium passengers. It'll have a private workspace, an outdoor patio with a fireplace, a coffee lab, local food options, and even a pizza oven cranking out oven-fired pizzas all day.
The Aurora lounge will have shower suites for those guests departing Seattle or those arriving and connecting on Alaska, made-to-order meals, and table-side service. It's a direct answer to the ultra-premium lounges offered by American Flagship and Delta One, and I, for one, can't wait to experience it firsthand.
Honolulu's New Premium Lounge
Located in Terminal 1, the new Premium Lounge will be around 13,000 square feet with seating for around 200. Some of the new amenities will include a signature coffee experience, locally inspired food and beverages, and a full bar featuring signature cocktails.
For those trying to sneak in a few more minutes working on charts and graphs, private workspaces and plenty of space let you get away for some peace and quiet from the busy main terminal.
Onboard Dining
As much as I love the fruit and cheese plate — and let's be honest, who doesn't love the fruit and cheese plate — being a premium airline means having a premium dining experience onboard. Alaska and Hawaiian aren't disappointing here either.
For Aurora Suites flights heading to Europe, you can expect meals from Seattle chef Renee Erickson. For those heading off to Asia, you'll be sampling cuisine from Seattle's Brady Ishiwata. Hawaiian Airlines long-haul flight menus have also gotten a glow-up, with new menus for their main cabin pre-order program on flights between Hawaii and the mainland.
I truly appreciate that Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines are truly looking to keep their roots local with fun, fresh flavors that are representations of the communities that they serve.
When Can We Expect To Fly These Products?
Don't expect all of this to be on your flight tomorrow. The majority of these changes are coming in 2027 and 2028 as the airline continues to get new planes delivered and retrofitted. New aircraft are getting Starlink wifi installed every day, and the new 737 MAX 10 won't even be delivered until 2028.
If you're flying through Seattle, you can already take advantage of the Suites check-in area, which is also available to Titanium members. This has a dedicated check-in and luggage drop-off and its own TSA security line, avoiding the potential long lines that can happen at peak travel times.
Bottom Line
The changes Alaska and Hawaiian are planning will give travelers even more reasons to consider the airlines for longer flights — both domestically and overseas. Lie-flat suites, a dedicated premium economy cabin, and expanded lounge options will significantly improve their current offerings.
I hope that Alaska and Hawaiian deliver on these impressive plans on time and on schedule, as we've seen lots of other airlines make big announcements and fail to deliver. Also, with the planned rollout stretching into 2028, it'll be a while before travelers can enjoy many of these new products.
Still, for Alaska and Hawaiian, this announcement feels less like a refresh and more like the start of a new chapter for the airlines.
