Alaska Airlines Enters the Long-Haul Game
Alaska Airlines just crossed a threshold it has never crossed before. The airline launched Alaska Airlines International Business Class this spring, its first true long-haul premium cabin. Until now, Alaska has offered nonstop service from Seattle to Europe and Asia, but Alaska Airlines International Business Class has not existed as a separate product.
That has changed. The new cabin debuted on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners flying nonstop from Seattle to Rome, London, Seoul, and soon Tokyo. For West Coast travelers who want a premium way to reach Europe or Asia without connecting through another hub, this is an interesting new option.
Here is everything you need to know before you book.
What Makes Alaska Airlines International Business Class Different
Alaska built this product around 34 enclosed suites on each 787-9, arranged in a 1-2-1 layout. Every seat has direct aisle access. No passenger has to climb over a neighbor mid-flight.
Each suite includes:
- A fully lie-flat bed with a sliding privacy door
- An 18-inch HD entertainment screen, among the largest in any business class cabin
- Access to more than 1,500 movies and TV shows
- Personal power outlets and wireless charging
- Noise-reducing headsets
The seat converts between three positions: upright for takeoff and landing, a lounging position for relaxing, and fully flat for sleeping. A Do Not Disturb button lets you skip a wake-up call if you want to sleep through a meal service.
One detail worth knowing before you book: the seats have universal power plugs and USB-A ports, but no USB-C. That is a small gap compared to some competitors, though Alaska has added USB-C in other cabins on the same aircraft.
A Familiar Seat With a New Identity
Here is an important nuance for travelers who follow airline news closely. Alaska Airlines International Business Class is not an entirely new seat design. The suites are the same hard product already flying on Hawaiian Airlines’ Boeing 787s, aircraft Alaska gained through its 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian.
What Alaska built this spring is the “Suites Experience,” a fully reimagined soft product layered onto the existing seat. Until now, these aircraft carried Hawaiian Airlines branding and amenities. Now they carry a unified, Alaska-branded experience from check-in to landing.
This matters for travelers in one practical way. The hard product, the seat itself, has already been tested and refined on Hawaiian’s long-haul routes. You are not flying a brand-new, unproven design. You are flying a proven lie-flat suite with a fresh layer of service and amenities on top.
Routes and Launch Dates
Alaska Airlines International Business Class flies nonstop from Seattle on these routes:
- Seattle to Rome — launched April 28, 2026
- Seattle to London Heathrow — launched May 21, 2026
- Seattle to Seoul Incheon — already in service
- Seattle to Tokyo Narita — launching this fall
- Seattle to Reykjavik — launched May 28, but operated on a Boeing 737 MAX 8, not the 787-9. This route does not have the lie-flat suite product. Alaska offers an upgraded premium experience on this aircraft instead, suited to the shorter seven-hour flight time.
All of these routes are nonstop from Seattle, which gives West Coast travelers a real alternative to connecting through other major US hubs.
The Onboard Experience: Dining and Amenities
Alaska did not stop at the seat. The dining concept reflects the airline’s Pacific Northwest roots while adapting to each route. Expect a cheese-and-charcuterie service to start, followed by a main course with up to six entrée choices tailored to the destination. Roasted chicken with pasta carbonara appears on flights to Rome. Gochujang chicken with traditional banchan appears on flights to Seoul.
Passengers can also choose Alaska’s Chef’s Tray Table entrée, developed with Seattle chef Brady Ishiwata Williams, featuring short rib sourced from a local farm. After the main course, a dessert cart offers a customizable Salt & Straw sundae.
Alaska partnered with Seattle-based outdoor brand Filson for the bedding: a mattress pad, sleeping and lumbar pillows, and an oversized duvet with a plaid print. Amenity kits from the Los Angeles skincare brand Salt & Stone are paired with a reusable water bottle developed in partnership with PATH Water.
It is a distinctly regional approach. Other airlines lean into generic luxury branding. Alaska is leaning into where it is from.
Wi-Fi: Starlink Is Coming This Fall
Connectivity has been one of the bigger gaps in Alaska’s long-haul product so far. That is changing. Alaska confirmed that Starlink, the satellite-based Wi-Fi system, is scheduled to roll out on the 787-9 fleet this fall.
Starlink is already live on select aircraft across Alaska’s domestic fleet, and early reports point to meaningfully faster speeds than traditional airline Wi-Fi. Thanks to Alaska’s partnership with T-Mobile, the service will be completely free for passengers once installed. Guests will need to sign in with their Atmos Rewards number starting in May to access it on equipped flights.
For business travelers who need to stay connected on a transatlantic or transpacific flight, this is a significant upgrade once it arrives.
How Alaska Airlines International Business Class Compares to Other US Carriers
Alaska now joins American, Delta, and United in offering a true long-haul business class suite with a door. Each of these products has its own strengths.
Delta One remains the benchmark among US carriers, with nearly a decade of refinement and a wider route network. United’s Polaris and the newer Polaris Studio suite bring more space and a larger screen on select aircraft. American’s Flagship Suite, still expanding across its fleet, offers a similar sliding-door experience.
Alaska’s advantage is its Seattle hub. If you live on the West Coast, Alaska now offers a nonstop premium option to Europe and Asia that did not exist before. You no longer need to connect through Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Dallas to find a lie-flat suite heading overseas.
For a deeper look at how Alaska’s shorter-haul First Class product compares, read our Alaska Airlines First Class Review. That product, on domestic 737-s and A321-s, is a different experience entirely from the new international suites covered here.
Is It Worth Booking?
For travelers based on the West Coast, the answer leans yes. A nonstop flight from Seattle in a proven lie-flat suite, with a thoughtful regional dining program and free Wi-Fi arriving this fall, is a strong new option in a market that has lacked one.
For travelers elsewhere in the country, the calculation is different. Getting to Seattle first adds time and cost. Whether Alaska Airlines International Business Class makes sense for you depends on your starting point, your destination, and how the fare compares to competing options on Delta, United, or American.
Award pricing and fare structures are still settling as the route network matures. A Skylux expert can help you compare the real cost across carriers for your specific route and dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alaska Airlines have lie-flat seats on international flights?
Yes. Alaska Airlines International Business Class features fully lie-flat suites with privacy doors and direct aisle access on its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
Which routes have Alaska Airlines International Business Class?
Seattle to Rome, London Heathrow, Seoul Incheon, and Tokyo Narita (launching this fall). The Seattle–Reykjavik route uses a Boeing 737 MAX 8 without the lie-flat suite.
Is Alaska’s new business class a brand-new seat?
No. The hard product is the same suite already flying on Hawaiian Airlines’ 787s. Alaska’s launch introduces a new, unified soft product and branding across these aircraft.
Does Alaska Airlines International Business Class have Wi-Fi?
Starlink Wi-Fi is scheduled to roll out on the 787-9 fleet this fall and will be free for all passengers through Alaska’s partnership with T-Mobile.
How does Alaska’s business class compare to Delta, United, and American?
All four carriers now offer lie-flat suites with privacy doors on select long-haul aircraft. Alaska’s main advantage is a nonstop option from Seattle, a route West Coast travelers previously lacked.
Book Alaska Airlines International Business Class
Skylux Travel tracks new premium cabin launches across every major airline, including Alaska’s new international suites. If you want to compare fares across carriers and find the best price for your route, our team can help. We offer unpublished consolidator fares on over 70 partner airlines. So, call us anytime at 888-999-5524 to ask about our best Alaska Airlines offers.
