Alaska and Hawaiian Reveal New Suites and Premium Economy

Alaska and Hawaiian have announced new premium cabins, including lie-flat seats on select Alaska 737 MAX 10s, enclosed suites for Hawaiian’s A330s, and a separate Premium Economy cabin called Premium Reserve.

The recent announcement adds detail to the fleet expansion we covered in January. Premium Reserve goes on sale in summer 2027, with flights starting in 2028. Hawaiian’s A330 refits and Alaska’s transcontinental 737 lie-flat service also begin in 2028.

For travelers using points, Premium Reserve could be a useful addition. In our earlier Seattle–Paris searches, Business Class cost 175,000 Atmos points per person, one way, before taxes and fees. A cabin between Economy and Business could give travelers more comfort without spending that much. Its value will depend on the award prices, which Alaska has not announced.

Which Aircraft Get the New Cabins?

You can check Alaska’s full fleet fact sheet for all the details. Here’s a summary:

These are planned seat counts and may change. Only some of those seats may be available to book with points.

Aurora: Lie-Flat Seats Reach the 737

Alaska’s Aurora plans for the 787 include suites with privacy doors and direct aisle access, 19-inch 4K screens, Bluetooth audio, wireless charging, USB-C, and AC power.

Alaska already has lie-flat Business Class suites on its Dreamliners. Aurora updates those cabins with new screens, materials, and service.

The bigger change for domestic travelers is the 737 MAX 10 version. At least 25 aircraft are planned with 12 lie-flat Aurora Suites for select transcontinental flights. Privacy doors are confirmed for the 787s, but not for the 737s.

This applies to selected new 737 MAX 10s, so an Alaska First Class ticket alone will not tell you whether the seat turns into a bed.

Hawaiian Brings Leihōkū to the A330

Hawaiian introduced Leihōkū Suites with its 787. The new announcement extends the name to a redesigned A330 cabin, with 24 aircraft scheduled for full interior refits beginning in 2028.

The A330 plans include 22 lie-flat suites in a 1-2-1 layout, with doors and direct aisle access for everyone. Screens measure 19 inches, with Bluetooth, wireless charging, USB-C, and AC power.

During the refits, older and newer interiors may fly at the same time. An A330 label in a search result will not tell you which cabin you get; check the seat map too.

Premium Reserve Is a Separate Premium Economy Cabin

The new cabin sits between the suites and extra-legroom Economy. Premium Reserve has wider reclining seats, 38 inches of pitch (the distance between rows), leg and calf support, and 16-inch 4K screens. Benefits include meals, alcoholic drinks, priority boarding, and two checked bags.

The planned widebody layouts are 2-3-2 on the 787 and 2-4-2 on the A330. For two people traveling together, the side pairs are worth checking when choosing seats.

The names are easy to mix up: Premium Reserve is the new Premium Economy cabin; Premium Class is extra-legroom Economy. Today’s Premium Class seats are not the new product.

New Lounges and Dining

New lounges are planned in three cities:

• Seattle, late 2027: A nearly 41,000-square-foot facility with a 500-seat Alaska Lounge and a separate 200-seat Aurora Lounge. The latter is intended for Aurora Suites guests on intercontinental flights, with showers and à la carte dining.
• Honolulu, early 2028: A roughly 200-seat lounge at Terminal 1’s Mauka Concourse, with access planned along similar lines to The Plumeria Lounge.
• San Diego, 2028: A new 14,000-square-foot Alaska Lounge.

Renee Erickson will create menus for Alaska’s Europe routes, and Brady Ishiwata Williams will work on Asia routes. Dell Valdez continues to oversee Hawaiian’s premium-cabin menus. In Main Cabin, Sheldon Simeon’s pre-order meals launched this summer.

Finding Alaska and Hawaiian Awards in AwardFares

For a trip you can book now, start with Seattle–Paris in AwardFares, then select your dates and passenger count. Timeline View shows Economy and Business awards across several dates in our search, with nine seats reported in each cabin on the highlighted day.

The results below show AS136 on a Boeing 787-9, nonstop from Seattle to Paris. Business Class costs 175,000 Atmos points per person, one way, before taxes and fees, with eight or nine award seats reported on the dates shown. Economy costs 42,500 or 55,000 points. There are seats available, but the jump in price is steep. That is where Premium Reserve could offer a useful middle option, depending on its award pricing.

Use Equipment to narrow the aircraft type, then open the flight details and Seat Map where available. The aircraft type alone does not confirm which interior you will get. For a connecting trip, check the cabin on each flight, especially the overnight leg.

Gold and Diamond include live searches and Alerts. If the points price is too high, set an Alert with your dates, passenger count, and maximum price.