FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) – Alaska Airlines is planning to begin rolling out seating arrangement changes in more than 200 of its aircraft this September.
The changes will augment premium and first-class seating in its mainline fleet, with the expansion increasing annual premium seats by 1.3 million, according to a July 17 press release.
First-class availability in 59 Boeing 737-800s will go from 12 to 16 seats — putting in another row, in other words.
And premium seating in 79 of the Boeing 737-900ER planes and 80 of the Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft will increase from 24 to 30 seats apiece, also the equivalent of another row.
Alaska Airlines said in the release that the updates respond to what they call a structural shift toward higher demand for premium products.
Premiumization, or the trend in which a company systematically enhances the quality and raises the price of consumer goods, has been an increasingly common technique in the last couple of years, according to Forbes. The New York Times reported in 2023 that premiumization tactics were visible in corporate strategies for companies like Krispy Kreme, WD-40 and Six Flags.
In their most recent quarterly report, which came out this month, Alaska Air Group recorded year-over-year revenue increases of 8% for first-class and 6% for premium seating, while overall passenger revenue went up by 2%.
In an emailed response to questions, an Alaska Airlines spokesperson said Tuesday the concurrent drop in economy seats within the aircraft is not expected to drive up prices for the standard options and that the configuration updates will not disrupt or alter flight availability while the rollout is underway.
The spokesperson also confirmed that the change will tighten standard rows by one inch, from a seat pitch of 31 inches to 30 inches.
Seat pitch refers to the distance between a particular position on a seat and the same position on the seat in front of it — for instance, from the front of one head rest to the front of the head rest on the seat in the foregoing row.
An analysis from travel website Upgraded Points found that seat pitch ranges from 28 inches to 32.3 inches across major U.S. airlines. The shortened distance with the new configuration will put Alaska Airlines on par with United Airlines, which also has a 30-inch seat pitch, according to the Upgraded Points analysis.
But Alaska Airlines says the seats from manufacturer RECARO for the revamped configuration will be equipped with new features, like device holders and USB-C charging. The economy seats used in the new configuration will also tout those upgrades.
According to Alaska Air Group’s second quarter report, premium options will make up 28% of the airlines’ seating after the conversions, compared to the current proportion of 25%.
The configuration changeover will begin this Fall in the 737-900ER aircraft, with the airline expecting completion of that phase by 2025. Updates in the other two models will start in 2025 and are projected to wrap up by summer of 2026.
Copyright 2024 KTVF. All rights reserved.