Alaskaair Sets 2028 Premium Economy Plan for 787s
Alaskaair plans to start outfitting premium economy recliners on its Boeing 787s in 2028, adding a cabin that CEO Ben Minicucci said is missing from the airline’s long-haul product. The move comes as the carrier deepens its push beyond domestic flying, and it gives travelers a clearer split between coach, extra-legroom seats and a true premium economy option.
Minicucci on the missing cabin
Ben Minicucci called premium economy “the true piece that’s missing,” and said, “I think that’s really going to enhance the product. That’s one of the most popular products on long-haul, it’s one of the most profitable products on long-haul,” while discussing the plan. His comments point to a revenue mix Alaska wants on international flying that goes beyond selling only the top cabin and standard coach.
The airline’s 787 seat map already shows seats branded as Premium, but those are coach seats with extra legroom, not an international-style premium economy cabin. That gap matters on the Rome service, because Alaska launched its first European route last week and is now selling a more complex long-haul product on a nearly brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that Hawaiian Airlines debuted in 2024.
Seattle C Concourse lounge
40,000 square feet is the size Alaska is planning for a premium lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, on the C Concourse. The space would be a step above a standard Alaska Lounge and would likely serve some combination of business-class flyers and high-level Atmos Rewards elite members, closer in concept to American Airlines’ Flagship Lounge or United Airlines’ Polaris Lounge than to the airline’s regular club footprint.
2028 is also when Alaska says it will begin retrofitting Hawaiian’s older Airbus A330s, replacing the aging lie-flat business-class product up front with new suites and adding premium economy for the first time. That means the carrier is lining up cabin changes on two widebody fleets at once, one for its 787s and one for the A330s, while the Seattle lounge would support the long-haul network from the ground up.
For travelers booking Alaska’s overseas flights, the practical change is simple: the airline is moving toward a three-tier widebody layout with a true mid-cabin product, not just extra-legroom coach. The first visible test is already on the Rome route, and the bigger shift arrives in 2028, when the retrofit schedule begins to reshape both the onboard experience and the Seattle hub that feeds it.
