Alaska Airlines is no longer just a domestic narrowbody specialist. The Seattle-based carrier has unveiled its first ever international business class cabin on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with the new suites already flying to Rome, ramping up to London Heathrow on May 21, and entering Reykjavik service from May 28. By 2030 Alaska expects the 787-9 to serve at least 12 long-haul international destinations from Seattle.
Inside The Suite
The cabin features 34 fully enclosed business class suites laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, every seat enjoying direct aisle access. Each seat converts into a fully flat bed and is finished with white marble accent surfaces, light wood paneling and teal trim. A closing privacy door, an 18-inch HD entertainment screen, noise-reducing headsets and personal wireless charging round out the in-seat tech package.
Dining And Connectivity
Alaska is leaning hard into its West Coast food identity. The carrier is rolling out multi-course menus tied to the global destinations it serves, with locally inspired dishes that change by route. Crucially, the airline has confirmed Starlink Wi-Fi will be installed across the 787-9 fleet later this year, joining a small but growing club of long-haul operators offering true broadband-grade connectivity in flight.
How It Stacks Up
The new product positions Alaska between Delta One and United Polaris on hard product, with a closer-to-Polaris feel thanks to the closed door and dedicated suite layout. Routing into Rome, London, Reykjavik, Seoul and Tokyo gives the carrier a credible long-haul footprint after the Hawaiian Airlines integration, while frequent flyers gain a premium global product without leaving the Mileage Plan ecosystem. Industry observers see the launch as the strongest signal yet that Alaska intends to compete head-to-head with the Big Three for high-yield Pacific Northwest premium traffic.
Compiled from publicly available aviation news sources. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. This article is original editorial content; facts have been verified across multiple public sources.
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