Alaska Airlines unveils new cabin experience

By March 1, 2019 May 4th, 2020 Amenities, Catering, Design, Featured, IFEC, Lighting, Seating

Following two years of customer research Alaska Airlines has introduced a new cabin as part of its Airbus fleet retrofit.

Alaska’s Airbus fleet of A319, A320 and A321 aircraft are being updated in phases this year and by early 2020, 36% of the mainline fleet will feature the new cabin interior – including the entire Airbus fleet, Boeing 737-700s and three new Boeing MAX 9 planes. The retrofitted planes will bring consistency to the guest experience across the Alaska fleet, and expand the First Class and Premium Class sections with 12-seats and 24-seats respectively, offering more guests the option of an elevated experience. Alaska will take delivery of its first MAX 9 this summer, which will feature the new cabin interiors.

“Our guests are at the center of everything we do,” said Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines’ executive vice president and chief commercial officer. “From relaxing in our lounges to being in the air, we know travelers want more control and comfort, while also enjoying the same low fares and great service. So that’s exactly what we did – we created a relaxing travel experience, so that our guests can focus on where they’re going and leave the rest to us.”

“Just two years after acquiring Virgin America, we’re thrilled to introduce a modern cabin that aligns the onboard experience across our fleet,” said Ben Minicucci, president and COO at Alaska Airlines. “After extensive feedback from our guests and in collaboration with our partners, we’ve infused the Alaska Airlines cabin with key brand elements from Virgin America – the result is a premium experience at an affordable price.”

Cabin enhancements
New cabin features include ambient mood lighting with calming, cool blue hues developed by lighting and colour experts to complement the human body’s natural circadian rhythm; redesigned first class Recaro seats with sculpted design features memory foam and a 40-inch pitch, along with footrests to support guests of varying heights; ergonomically-friendly tablet holders at each seat that accommodate most tablets and smartphones; cup holders throughout first class and premium class; upgraded premium and main cabin seats now feature memory foam for added comfort; conveniently-placed and tilted power outlets at every seat (USB & 110 V) that allow guests to easily locate and charge two devices at once; and a curated, onboard music program with a ‘cool West Coast vibe’.

Gogo has launched its Gogo 2Ku high-speed connectivity and Gogo Vision wireless IFE on an A321neo featuring the airline’s redesigned cabin interior.

Passengers onboard Alaska aircraft will have service from gate-to-gate, including to popular destinations like Mexico and Costa Rica, and over the ocean to Hawaii, where connectivity was not previously available. The advanced high-speed satellite Wi-Fi will deliver faster connection speeds, including the ability to stream content from popular services like Netflix or HBOGo.

The airline offers over 500 free movie titles to its guests on nearly every aircraft outfitted with Gogo Vision.

Alaska will have satellite Wi-Fi powered by 2Ku available to guests on most of its Boeing and Airbus mainline fleet by the end of 2020.

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