What It’s Like to Fly First Class on Alaska Airlines
When you’re flying on a domestic flight, even the first class seating can sometimes be a little sketchy. Chances are, if you’re spending the extra money to fly first class, it’s not exactly a short hop. As a matter of fact, most passengers don’t use first class unless that are going to be in the air or at least four hours. Given the fact that most airline flights take about six hours to fly across the country at normal cruising speed, the majority of people that pay for first class flights on domestic airlines are flying fairly long distances. This is the case with most of the flights that are completed by Alaska Airlines.
If you’re wondering what it’s like to fly first class on this airline, you might be surprised. You won’t find any suites or beds that lay flat like you would on some airliners that provide overseas service, but the first class service available on Alaska Airlines is definitely a cut above flying in coach, to say the least. As a matter of fact, the first thing you’re likely to notice is the seat itself. It’s important to note that Alaska Airlines uses the Airbus A320 for these types of flights, and that fact alone is enough to get most people’s attention. This is an aircraft that is much larger than most of the other aircraft that are currently being utilized for shorter flights. As such, it’s a lot easier to find the room you’re looking for on a first class flight when you’re in this type of airplane.
If you’re worried about the airline packing a larger airplane full of more seats, you don’t have to worry about that when you fly first class on Alaska Airlines. As a matter of fact, they only have two rows of seats, each row with two seats side by side. That leaves more than enough room to get comfortable. The seats are not your standard airplane seating, either. Instead, they’re much wider than most airplane seats and they recline. It isn’t just the back that reclines, but the entire seat. This provides support for your legs and feet as well. In addition, you don’t have to worry about jamming your seat back into somebody’s legs because there’s plenty of room from front to back, allowing you to have your own space.
There are actually several amenities that are provided by Alaska Airlines for their first class section. Aside from the larger seats, passengers also have the opportunity to enjoy a pillow, a quilted blanket and even a pair of headphones, all ready and waiting for them as part of their ticket price. There’s a screen attached to the seat that you can use to watch movies, television shows, or listen to music. In fact, there are about 40 to 50 different movies to choose from along with the television shows. That gives you plenty of things to do while you’re in the air.
If you need to stay connected for work, you can stream unlimited data for an additional $20 fee. That’s not bad, especially when you consider the fact that you can use it from the time you take off until the time you land. If you don’t want to spend the extra money, that’s fine, too. You can still stay in touch with friends and family by using something like Facebook or the Messenger app on your smartphone. You have access to these options without spending an extra dime.
One of the greatest things about flying first class on Alaska Airlines is that you get the opportunity to eat some really good food. The first thing you’re likely to notice about it, aside from the fact that you have several options available to you, is that it doesn’t taste anything like airplane food. It actually tastes fresh and it’s made with high-quality ingredients. You can also choose all the coffee or tea you’d like to have throughout the flight and you can even choose alcoholic beverages once you’re airborne.
There’s no doubt that Alaska Airlines has some very good options for its first class passengers. By now, you’re probably wondering how much it’s all going to cost you. A lot of it depends on where you’re taking off from and how far you’re going. Generally speaking, a first class seat on this airline is going to cost you anywhere from just over $700 to about $1,500 for a round trip ticket. All Things considered, that’s not really that much more than it is the fly coach on a lot of other airlines, so it very well may be worth the extra money.
