My journey from Chicago to Seattle in Alaska Airlines Premium Class was very pleasant thanks to a a delicious breakfast onboard and a smooth flight with functioning Wi-Fi and friendly service.

Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 Premium Class Review (ORD-SEA)

Alaska Airlines offers “Premium Class” throughout its fleet, which is not a premium economy product in the traditional sense, but is an extra legroom economy class product in the front of the cabin with free drinks. I have American Airlines Gold status, which made me eligible for free Premium Class seating 48 hours before departure.

I was returning to California and this time chose to fly on Alaska…after recent trips on American, Delta, and United…yes, I truly am a “free agent” this year. I was hoping for a cheap buy-up to first class (the cabin was only booked 11/20 and it really seems like Alaska Airlines is still good about upgrading its elites), but the offer was ridiculous…$661 (my ticket itself was $340 including the connection to Palm Springs, California). As a low-tier elite, I was #19 on the upgrade waitlist.

It was a quiet morning at Chicago O’Hare and I chose to prioritize sleep over lounge access, arriving just as boarding commenced.

Alaska 715
Chicago (ORD) – Seattle (SEA)
Monday, June 1
Depart: 6:00 AM
Arrive: 8:34 AM
Duration: 4hr, 34min
Distance: 1,721 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 9
Seat: 8A (Premium Class)

As one of the last to board, stepping onboard I noted it would not be a full flight…indeed, most people who wanted had open middle seats and the flight went out with many open rows in the back. That automatically make a flight more pleasant.

Seats

Premium Class is arranged in the same 3-3 configuration as the rest of the economy cabin, the only difference being the placement in rows 6-10 and the four extra inches of legroom.

The seat itself was slim but not uncomfortable. Padding was acceptable, the headrest was adjustable, and the extra space was certainly noticeable. Seats are 17 inches wide and recline three inches.

Power outlets were available and nicely placed above knee level rather than toward the ground, which was also appreciated (in addition, there’s a UBB-A port at shoulder level).

Overhead, individual air nozzles were available.

Premium Class is not glamorous, but it delivers what it promises: more space than standard economy.

Lavatory

The aircraft has three lavatories in the rear of the aircraft and all are very small, but clean with soap from Salt + Stone.

IFE + Wi-Fi

There were no seatback screens onboard this Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, so entertainment was available via personal devices. Alaska offers streaming entertainment, including movies and TV shows, and the system was easy enough to access once connected.

A sign in the front of the aircraft promised faster Wi-Fi speeds, but unfortunately Wi-Fi was very slow…but at least it worked and I was thankful for that (I used a T-Mobile pass…otherwise it would have been $8). These days, Wi-Fi is the most important feature on a domestic flight…this would have been a very different (and negative) review had that been broken.

It was also a beautiful day outside from takeoff to landing, especially when we flew by Mt. Rainer:

Food + Drink

Complimentary beverages, including beer, wine, and cocktails, are available in Alaska Premium Class. Biscoff cookies were also offered.

As I highlighted here, Alaska Airlines offers snack boxes and meals for purchase (meals must be pre-ordered at least 20 hours in advance). On this flight, I enjoyed a very delicious carnitas breakfast bowl, which was the highlight of the flight.

Carnitas Breakfast Bowl

Slow-roasted pulled pork and salsa verde, with a side of breakfast potatoes and fresh scrambled eggs.

I cannot recommend this highly enough…it was fabulous.

Also fabulous: the Stumptown coffee served onboard. Very good.

90 minutes before landing a second beverage service took place. I took a Margarita and put it in my bag…it was too early for a cocktail but I enjoyed it later. The “French Dijon” pretzel twists pare well with it.

Service

The service on this flight was excellent – breakfast was served promptly after takeoff and there were two water runs between the two formal beverage services.

CONCLUSION

As far as economy class flights go, this one was pretty good. I had room to stretch out, an open middle seat, a delicious breakfast, and functioning Wi-Fi, though far from Starlink speeds. Alaska Airlines offers a consistent product and I enjoyed it, though the diversion via Seattle certainly adds a lot of travel time between Chicago and Southern California.