Alaska & Hawaiian Reveal New Business Suites And Premium Economy

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have unveiled new flagship business class products, Aurora Suites for Alaska and Leihōkū Suites for Hawaiian, along with a new premium economy cabin called Premium Reserve and three new lounges. Most of it arrives in 2028.

Hawaiian's Airbus A330s, which fly Sydney-Honolulu, will be fitted with new interiors throughout, including doored business suites and premium economy for the first time.

Alaska Air Group calls it its biggest premium investment to date. CEO Ben Minicucci says "premium is more than a seat", which is the sort of thing airline CEOs say right before unveiling a lot of new seats.

Alaska's Aurora Suites

Alaska is fitting 34 lie-flat Aurora Suites across its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. That's the same number of doored Adient Ascent suites Hawaiian launched on its 787-9s in 2024 under the Leihōkū name. Those jets now fly for Alaska, and the Leihōkū brand moves across to the A330.

Alaska hasn't said whether the seat itself is changing, so on the 787 Aurora looks like an evolution of an already excellent suite:

• Fully lie-flat beds with privacy doors and direct aisle access
• 19-inch 4K screens (up from 18 inches) with Bluetooth audio
• Wireless and USB-C charging plus AC power
• Softer, more breathable Ultraleather upholstery
• Chef-curated menus with on-demand dining
• Free Starlink Wi-Fi for Atmos Rewards members, sponsored by T-Mobile

Premium seating on the 787-9 rises to about 46% of the aircraft, up from 38%.

Lie-flats on a 737

At least 25 of Alaska's incoming Boeing 737-10 MAX will carry 12 Aurora Suites on select transcontinental first class routes from 2028 (and yes the seats face the window!). It's Alaska's first lie-flat seat on a domestic flight, bringing it into line with American, Delta, JetBlue and United on premium coast-to-coast routes. Routes haven't been named, but Seattle-New York is the obvious candidate. These jets will also wear the aurora livery currently reserved for the Dreamliners.

Alaska only mentions privacy doors for the 787 version, so the 737 suites appear to go without.

Aurora on the ground

Aurora passengers get a dedicated check-in and concierge service at Seattle, plus access to a new Aurora Lounge on intercontinental flights.

Seattle chef Renee Erickson will design menus for European routes including London and Rome, with Athens and Paris added from spring 2027. James Beard Award winner Brady Ishiwata Williams handles Asia. International flights open with a cheese and charcuterie board, a posher take on Alaska's fruit and cheese platter, and a new international wine list is on the way.

Hawaiian's New Leihōkū Suites

Hawaiian's current A330 business cabin has 18 lie-flat seats in a 2-2-2 layout, so window passengers have to climb over their neighbour to reach the aisle. From 2028, all 24 A330s get 22 Leihōkū Suites in a 1-2-1 layout:

• Lie-flat seats with direct aisle access and privacy doors
• 19-inch 4K screens with Bluetooth, wireless and USB-C charging plus AC power
• Menus by Hawaiian Executive Chef Dell Valdez, with wine pairings
• Hotel-quality bedding and upgraded amenities
• Dedicated check-in and concierge in Honolulu and Seattle
• Free Starlink Wi-Fi for Atmos Rewards members

The cabin is sold as business class on international routes and first class between Hawaii and the US mainland.

The rest of the A330 gets new interiors and a 4K entertainment system with Bluetooth. Premium seating rises to about 40% of the aircraft, up from 30%.

Premium Reserve: Premium Economy Arrives

Premium Reserve will be sold on both airlines, creating a four-cabin layout on long-haul flights: Aurora or Leihōkū Suites, Premium Reserve, Premium Class (extra legroom economy) and Main Cabin.

Each seat offers:

• 38 inches (97cm) of pitch and a wider seat than economy
• Extra recline with a leg and calf rest
• Large tray tables and storage pockets
• 16-inch 4K OLED screens with Bluetooth
• AC power and USB-C charging
• Upgraded dining and amenities

Premium Reserve goes on sale next northern summer, with first flights in 2028.

The 2-3-2 layout on the widebodies means someone is still stuck in a middle seat after paying for premium economy, and the 737 version sounds a lot like a domestic first class recliner with a new name. On a 10-hour flight to Honolulu, though, it beats jumping from Extra Comfort straight to business.

Three New Lounges

Seattle: Alaska's new lounge on the expanded C Concourse covers almost 41,000 square feet (around 3,800 square metres) and will be Seattle's largest when it opens in late 2027. There's a 500-seat Alaska Lounge under current access rules, plus a 200-seat Aurora Lounge for Aurora Suites passengers flying intercontinental.

The Aurora Lounge adds shower suites, wellness spaces and à la carte dining with table service. Other features include an outdoor patio with a fireplace, work pods, a pizza oven, a coffee lab and three bars.

Honolulu: Hawaiian opens a lounge of nearly 13,000 square feet (around 1,200 square metres) at the entrance to the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1 in early 2028. It seats around 200, with access similar to today's Plumeria Lounge plus Leihōkū Suites passengers.

San Diego: A 14,000 square foot (around 1,300 square metre) Alaska Lounge opens in 2028.

What It Means For Australians

From 2028, Sydney-Honolulu passengers can expect doored suites, direct aisle access for everyone in business and a premium economy option. Hawaiian's business cabin currently trails Qantas on the same route, and this upgrade should put Hawaiian/Alaska in front if they can beat Qantas’s new cabin delivery which is also due in 2028.

Alaska and Hawaiian are both oneworld members, so these flights can be booked with Qantas Points and other oneworld partner currencies, as well as Atmos Rewards. Award availability in the new cabins won't be clear until they go on sale.

Atmos Rewards points regularly go on sale with bonuses of up to 100%, which can make them a cheap way into Hawaiian or Alaska business class. Here's our guide on how to buy Atmos Rewards points.

Summing Up

Hawaiian's current business class on Sydney-Honolulu is well past its use-by date, and a doored 1-2-1 suite finally puts it in the same league (or maybe in a league of its own?!) as Qantas on the route. Premium economy has been a huge win for many airlines around the world, so it's no surprise to see Alaska and Hawaiian adding an extra option for passengers who are happy to settle for the middle ground between economy and business.

Aurora on the 787 feels like a rebrand. The suite was already one of the best in the US, and new upholstery and a slightly bigger screen don't change much. The lie-flat 737s are the bolder move, and one we love to see!