Alaska Airlines will configure at least 25 of its incoming Boeing 737-10 MAX deliveries into a transcon subfleet featuring 12 flat-bed seats and a new "Premium Reserve" cabin, the carrier disclosed at its Alaska Accelerate media and investor day in Seattle.

The narrowbody subfleet carries the airline's new "Aurora" livery treatment and mirrors the long-haul 787 cabin. The 25-aircraft figure is a floor; Alaska executives signalled additional frames could follow. The bet comes as American, Delta and United each field flat-bed domestic narrowbody competition — A321neo XLRs, A330s, 757s and the forthcoming "Coastliner" aircraft.

What does the 737-10 subfleet look like?

Each aircraft seats 12 passengers in a reverse-herringbone flat-bed layout, a notable departure from the forward-herringbone configuration entering the A321neo family. The reverse orientation allows window-facing seating and direct aisle access from every suite.

A 12-seat Premium Reserve cabin in a 2-2 layout sits forward. Alaska did not announce routes, but Seattle–JFK, Seattle and Portland shuttle flying, and San Francisco and Los Angeles services are the most likely candidates. Hawaiian-branded service seems unlikely because the aircraft will wear Alaska titles.

How will Hawaiian's A330 be refit?

Hawaiian's A330-200 fleet — 18 aircraft based at Honolulu — will receive a cabin overhaul that lifts premium seating from roughly 30% to 40% of the aircraft. The new Leihōkū suites ("lei of stars" in Hawaiian) replace 18 forward-herringbone beds across three rows with 22 reverse-herringbone suites across five and a half rows. Each suite carries direct aisle access and a closing door.

The aircraft will also carry 28 Premium Reserve seats configured more openly than the Alaska-branded version — a layout Alaska says encourages group interaction on Hawaiian's family-heavy network. The refit was previously announced; the new disclosure adds cabin-specific details and seat counts.

What changes are coming to the 787?

Alaska will retrofit its existing 787 fleet with the new "Aurora" suite — the long-haul premium brand now standardised across the Alaska group. Each 787 will carry 35 Premium Reserve seats. Alaska did not detail retrofit timing or specific seat-mechanical differences from current 787 interiors.

Where will the new lounges sit?

Three premium lounges are in the pipeline:

• Seattle C concourse: 41,000 sq ft, split between a standard Alaska lounge and a dedicated Aurora Lounge for long-haul premium passengers
• Honolulu Mauka concourse: 13,000 sq ft
• San Diego: 14,000 sq ft

What changes in Atmos Rewards?

Atmos will accept point transfers from eligible Bank of America card products starting in 2027 — the first generic credit-card transfer partnership since the brief post-merger window when Amex Membership Rewards flowed to HawaiianMiles. Alaska added that transfers from "other select global financial institutions" will follow without specifying dates.

A new Atmos-branded debit card also launches as part of the program update, alongside previously announced partner changes going live.

How does this close the premium gap?

Alaska has historically lacked a flat-bed answer on transcon routes — a gap visible since the 2016 Virgin America merger and only partly addressed by the 2024 Hawaiian acquisition. American's A321neo XLRs, Delta's 757s and eventual A321neos, and United's Coastliner plans each pose direct competition for premium traffic between Seattle, the Bay Area and the East Coast.

The Hawaiian A330 refit answers a different problem: a 2-2-2 business cabin, in service for more than a decade, no longer matches the privacy standard of newer lie-flat products. Lifting premium share from 30% to 40% of the cabin reflects the revenue mix that long-haul flying now requires.

Forward look

The rollout will test whether Alaska can convert its Seattle hub strength and domestic loyalty base into transcon premium share, while simultaneously extracting more revenue per seat from the Honolulu long-haul network inherited in the Hawaiian deal.