Review: Alaska Airlines Business Class Suites (787-9)

Following its merger with Hawaiian Airlines and the launch of its new Atmos Rewards loyalty program, Alaska Airlines has embarked on an ambitious expansion to establish itself as North America’s newest global airline. The carrier has introduced long-haul service to several international destinations, with plans to add many more routes as its widebody fleet continues to grow.

These initial routes are operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners acquired through the Hawaiian Airlines merger, with additional aircraft expected to join the fleet in the coming years. Fellow Frugal Flyer contributor Daniel previously reviewed this same aircraft when it flew as Hawaiian Airlines First Class, so the hard product is largely unchanged. However, now that the aircraft operate under the Alaska Airlines brand, the airline has completely refreshed the soft product with new bedding, upgraded amenities, and an enhanced dining experience.

For travelers based on the West Coast, these new international flights are an exciting addition. Here’s what you can expect when flying in Alaska Airlines’ new Business Class Suites.

Booking Alaska Airlines Business Class on the Boeing 787-9

I booked this flight through the American Airlines AAdvantage program for 60,000 AAdvantage miles plus $5.60 in taxes and fees.

This represents one of the better deals available for a transpacific business class redemption, especially as many loyalty programs continue to increase award costs and add higher fees. For comparison, booking this exact same flight through Alaska Airlines’ own Atmos Rewards program would require 95,000 Atmos miles.

After booking, I had no issues managing my reservation through the Alaska Airlines app, including selecting my seat and pre-ordering my meal.

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage miles in Canada is relatively easy thanks to the ability to transfer RBC Avion Rewards points to AAdvantage.

While the reduced transfer ratio of 1:0.7 may not look particularly attractive at first glance, there’s still significant value in the AAdvantage program, especially given AAdvantage’s low taxes and fees on award bookings. If you can time your transfer with a 15% bonus promotion to AAdvantage, the value proposition becomes even stronger.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

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RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card earns flexible Avion points that can be transferred to British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, American Airlines AAdvantage, WestJet Rewards, or used against travel purchases via the fixed-rate Air Travel Redemption Schedule.

OFFER
70,000 Avion points

MINSPEND
$5,000

EST. VALUE
$1,330+

ANNUAL FEE
$120

FOREX FEES
Yes

EXPIRY
Nov 25, 2026

Ground Experience – Alaska Lounge at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport

Alaska Airlines operates an extensive lounge network at its hub at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), with three full-service lounges located in the C Concourse, D Concourse, and North Satellite terminals.

The North Satellite Lounge is considered the airline’s flagship location at SeaTac and is the primary lounge for passengers departing on Alaska’s new long-haul international flights, which leave from the nearby North Satellite gates.

As Alaska Airlines’ home airport and the hub with likely its largest concentration of elite members, the Seattle lounges get absolutely packed in the early afternoon, when its flights to Asia and Europe are set to depart. Even with two other lounges available to distribute passengers, the North Satellite Lounge was overflowing with passengers during my visit, and even finding an open seat was challenging despite its impressive size. If you’re hoping for a quiet place to relax before your flight, you may be disappointed.

That said, the lounge delivers everything you would expect from a North American airline lounge. It provides a comfortable place to sit, charge your devices, enjoy complimentary food and drinks, and escape the bustle of the terminal before boarding.

The entire lounge featured floor to ceiling double-height windows, offering excellent views of the airfield and providing great opportunities to capture close up shots of aircraft parked at nearby gates.

The self-serve food drinks were available from a station in the center of the lounge and offered a decent variety of items such as cold meats and cheeses, salads, pasta, and more. 

Alaska Airlines’ lounges are a nice addition when included on your ticket, but the overcrowding issue can largely ruin the experience. It’s not a lounge worth arriving early for, though for what it is, it’s about as good as you can reasonably expect given the circumstances.

Cabin Arrangement

The Alaska Airlines Boeing 787-9 has 34 business class seats arranged in a 1–2–1 reverse-herringbone layout. All seats have direct aisle access.

The seats along the sides of the cabin are angled outward toward the windows, while the center seats face away from each other and toward the aisle. However, the center seats are positioned close together, making them a better option for companions traveling together. Solo travelers seated in the middle can use the privacy dividers for additional separation if needed.

I don’t like the decision of orienting the center seats toward the aisle, so if privacy and fewer disturbances are a concern, you’ll want to select a window seat. Though since all suites have a sliding privacy door, all seats are fairly equal and private once the door is closed.

Additionally, you’ll want to avoid the window seats in row 6, as these two seats each have a missing window.

I chose seat 5A because it offered a good balance between being close enough to the front for a quicker deplaning while still providing enough distance to minimize foot traffic and noise from the forward galley.

Seat

Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 fleet is still very new, and the cabin reflects that with a modern business class suite featuring the latest technology. You can expect a sharp and responsive entertainment screen, plenty of charging options, including wireless charging, a privacy door, and many other features that have become standard on recent business class products.

Placed on the seat before boarding was a duvet, a mattress pad, two pillows, a pair of slippers, and the amenity kit.

The side console features a small storage compartment that holds the provided headphones and a bottle of water. Beneath the compartment is the handheld entertainment system controller, a universal AC power outlet, and a USB-A charging port.

Adjacent to the storage compartment is the wireless charging tray. This is one of the best implementations of wireless charging I’ve seen on an aircraft. Instead of using a flat charging pad where your phone can easily slide out of position, Alaska Airlines has equipped the tray with a retractable retaining arm that securely holds your device against the charger, ensuring it stays in place throughout the flight, even during turbulence.

Just below the armrest were the seat controls for operating the recline of the seat and a DND button.

Directly ahead was the entertainment screen, along with a small literature pocket. 

The tray table slides out from underneath the entertainment console and folds open to create a large, sturdy surface.

The footwell provided plenty of space to stretch out, with enough room in both reclined and flatbed modes to find a comfortable position for your feet.

Privacy is one of the standout features of the cabin. After the meal service, the flight attendants came through the cabin to unlock each suite’s sliding privacy door, which nicely transformed the suite into a cozy and highly secluded personal area.

Overall, this is one of the strongest business class cabins currently offered by a North American airline. It delivers nearly everything travelers expect from a modern premium seat, including excellent privacy, a high-resolution and responsive entertainment display, and all the essential features such as sufficient storage and multiple power outlets.

Bed

The seat converts into a fully flat bed, and I had no trouble finding a comfortable sleeping position during this overnight flight. Alaska provides a solid bedding setup, including a mattress pad, duvet, and a substantial pillow.

The aisle-side armrest can also be lowered to create additional space around your shoulders, which should help with back sleepers. The design provides one of the better sleeping arrangements you can expect from this style of business class seat, matching or exceeding many similar products currently available.

Amenity Kit

The amenity kits were provided by Seattle-based brand Filson and are presented in a brown canvas zippered pouch.

The contents of the amenity kit were an eye mask, a pair of socks, a pack of tissues, earplugs, a pen, a dental kit, and cosmetics from Salt & Stone. A pair of slippers were also provided.

Bathroom

The bathroom was nothing particularly noteworthy, offering a completely standard setup without any standout features. Unlike some airlines that have introduced unique touches such as windows in their lavatories, Alaska has kept things simple and functional.

The amenities were a nice addition, with Salt & Stone products including a facial mist and moisturizing lotion available for passengers.

Dining

During the pre-departure service, one of the flight attendants stopped by my seat to hand out the dining menu, confirm my pre-ordered meal, and let me know that the meal service would begin shortly after takeoff.

I always recommend pre-ordering a meal, especially when departing from an airline’s hub. Airlines often offer a wider selection through the pre-order menu than what is loaded onboard, and it also guarantees you’ll receive your preferred meal rather than risking it selling out before the crew reaches your seat.

Below are the meal options that were available through the pre-order menu, which can be accessed up to 20 hours before departure.

The inflight food and drink menu was as follows:

First Meal

Once we reached cruising altitude, the first meal service began with a round of drinks along with a charcuterie board appetizer featuring a selection of cured meats, cheeses, crackers, and accompaniments.

The second course featured an apple and citrus salad, a bowl of asparagus soup, and a warm bread roll. I always enjoy having soup on a flight, and the asparagus soup ended up being one of the more memorable items of the entire meal.

For my main course, I selected the braised short ribs with bok choy and mushrooms. Unfortunately, this dish was only just okay. Despite being served with plenty of sauce, the short ribs were very dry and lacked any of the tenderness I would typically associate with a braised beef, making it one of the weaker parts of the meal.

For dessert, I went with the classic ice cream sundae, a staple that all the major U.S. airlines seem to offer and consistently execute well. It’s hard to go wrong with a simple dessert like this, and it provided a satisfying finish to what was otherwise a somewhat mixed meal.

Following the dinner service, the cabin lights were dimmed, and the flight attendants set up snack baskets in the forward galley area. The baskets had a selection of items, including chips, nuts, chocolate, gummies, and other treats that passengers could help themselves to at any point throughout the remainder of the flight.

Second Meal

About an hour before arrival, the second meal service began. I had the chicken and rice dish, which was served cold.

This was accompanied by a mixed salad and a citrus cake. I didn’t find this meal to be any better than the first, and it was mostly just acceptable. Like many airline meals, it suffered from the common issue of the meat drying out, resulting in the texture being less than ideal.

Entertainment

Entertainment Console

The entertainment system featured an extensive library of movies and TV shows, including the latest Hollywood releases, classic films, and a selection of international titles. There was also a good lineup of HBO and Apple TV content available, providing plenty of options throughout the flight.

Navigating the system was simple thanks to its well-designed interface and responsive touchscreen, which performed exactly as you would expect from a modern entertainment console.

The interactive inflight map was another highlight, offering a smooth and intuitive experience. Moving through the menus, zooming in and out, and exploring the map were all quick and seamless, with no noticeable lag.

Wi-Fi

Alaska Airlines currently does not offer Wi-Fi on any of its Boeing 787 aircraft, as the airline is still awaiting FAA certification before it can begin with the installation of Wi-Fi service. This is a major and, frankly, borderline inexcusable omission for what is supposed to be the airline’s flagship long-haul product.

Alaska continues to promise that free Starlink Wi-Fi is coming, but no definitive date has been set for when the service will launch given the glacial pace of which regulatory bodies operate.

For the time being, passengers are left with the worst possible outcome: no internet connectivity whatsoever during the flight.

To its credit, Alaska publishes a monthly report on the status of its Starlink rollout across the fleet, allowing passengers to see which aircraft have already been equipped with the service and where they can expect Wi-Fi to be available.

Conclusion

With its new business class suites, Alaska Airlines is right in the mix as one of the top North American carriers for premium cabin travel. The hard product is particularly impressive, featuring a modern suite with excellent privacy, decent storage, and solid tech.

The soft product was a bit more uneven. While the cabin crew provided friendly and attentive service throughout the flight, the food was inconsistent and fell short of expectations.

The biggest drawback was the complete lack of Wi-Fi, which was especially noticeable on a long-haul flight. Hopefully, Alaska can complete its Starlink rollout soon, as reliable high-speed internet has become an expected part of the premium travel experience.

Once that issue is resolved, I would have no hesitation flying in Alaska’s business class suites again, especially if the very competitive award pricing via American Airlines AAdvantage remains in place.