Alaska Airlines celebrates summer travel season with 'upgrade unlocked' - get ready for a surprise upgrade to Premium Class!

Rhea-AI Summary

Alaska Airlines is launching 'upgrade unlocked', a summer promotion upgrading at least one Main Cabin passenger daily to Premium Class from June 1 to September 2. This initiative provides enhanced legroom, custom leather seats, and complimentary beverages on flights over 350 miles. Passengers can also enjoy early boarding and increased overhead bin space. The promotion coincides with increased travel demand, with a 6% rise in passengers over Memorial Day weekend. Alaska Airlines has added more flights in response, including new routes from Anchorage to New York City, and expanded international services to Guatemala, The Bahamas, and Toronto.

Positive

• Random daily upgrades to Premium Class from June 1 to September 2.
• Increased legroom in Premium Class, the most among U.S. legacy airlines.
• Complimentary beverages for Premium Class passengers on flights over 350 miles.
• Early boarding and additional overhead bin space for Premium Class passengers.
• 6% increase in passengers during Memorial Day weekend indicating strong travel demand.
• Expanded flights and new routes, including Anchorage to New York City and international destinations.
• Enhanced customer experience with premium products and services, including best-in-class lounges and award-winning Mileage Plan program.

Negative

• Potential increased operational costs due to expanded flight schedules and services.
• Possible passenger dissatisfaction for those not receiving upgrades.
• Revenue impact from offering complimentary upgrades instead of selling Premium Class seats.

Every day, all summerlong, at least one Main Cabin guest will be randomly upgraded to Premium Class

SEATTLE, May 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Every day this summer, Alaska Airlines is surprising and delighting at least one guest seated in our Main Cabin with an upgrade to Premium Class to celebrate the start of the busy travel season. upgrade unlocked, which runs from June 1 until Sept. 2, allows our guests to experience the airline with the most legroom in Premium Class.*

"upgrade unlocked is one way we're showing guests our appreciation for choosing to fly with us to their favorite destinations this summer. Premium Class is just one of the many premium products and services we offer to our guests, including our best-in-class lounges, the freshest West Coast food and beverage line-up and our award-winning Mileage Plan program with the fastest path to elite status," said Eric Edge, managing director of marketing and advertising at Alaska Airlines. "Whether it's their first time or they've experienced Premium Class before – we can't wait to hear from our guests who receive this surprise upgrade!"

Each day we'll notify one of our guests (and their travel partner, if they have one) through the Alaska Airlines mobile app or by email that they've been randomly selected to be upgraded from their Main Cabin seat to Premium Class.

These rows of seats, which are behind First Class, are typically reserved for our loyalty program elite members or for purchase. Alaska's Premium Class offers our guests four extra inches of legroom – the most of any U.S. legacy airline – custom-designed leather seats and complimentary beer, wine, or cocktails for our guests 21+ on most flights over 350 miles. Our Premium Class guests also enjoy early boarding and they're among the first to get access to overhead bin space and deplane. 

upgrade unlocked is launching as the busy summer travel season is underway. This past Memorial Day weekend, we saw an increase of 6% of passengers traveling away from home to sunnier destinations. We expect to see even more flying when bookings increase ahead of the Independence Day holiday weekend. 

To respond to the summer travel demand, Alaska Airlines has added more flights to our existing schedule in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We've greatly expanded our service from Anchorage to destinations such as Chicago, Denver, and Salt Lake City and are excited to begin new service to New York City in June. We're also expanding our reach to the east this summer with new nonstop routes connecting Portland to Nashville, and San Diego to both Atlanta and Tampa. That's all in addition to our recently inaugurated international expansion to Guatemala, The Bahamas, and Toronto!

Can't wait to learn if you've been selected for upgrade unlocked? We're making it easier for you to upgrade! Now you can pay to upgrade to First or Premium Class up to 30 minutes before departure on www.alaskaair.com under Manage or through your Alaska Airlines mobile app.

To learn more about upgrade unlocked, click here.

*Among U.S. legacy airlines

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. We offer our guests a premium flying experience with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program, Mileage Plan. With our fellow oneworld Alliance members and additional global partners, our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000 worldwide destinations. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group. 

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SOURCE ALASKA AIRLINES

FAQ

What is the 'upgrade unlocked' promotion by Alaska Airlines?

'upgrade unlocked' is a summer promotion where at least one Main Cabin passenger is randomly upgraded to Premium Class daily from June 1 to September 2.

When does the 'upgrade unlocked' promotion start and end?

The promotion runs from June 1 to September 2.

What are the benefits of Alaska Airlines Premium Class?

Premium Class offers extra legroom, custom leather seats, complimentary beverages, early boarding, and increased overhead bin space.

How much legroom does Alaska Airlines Premium Class offer?

Premium Class offers four extra inches of legroom, the most among U.S. legacy airlines.

What routes are being expanded by Alaska Airlines?

Alaska Airlines has expanded routes from Anchorage to New York City, Chicago, Denver, and Salt Lake City, along with new international destinations to Guatemala, The Bahamas, and Toronto.

How can I upgrade to Premium Class on Alaska Airlines?

You can upgrade to Premium Class up to 30 minutes before departure through the Alaska Airlines mobile app or their website under 'Manage'.