Alaska’s new Suites review: Flying the 787 from Seattle to Rome

Alaska Airlines’ global era is officially here, and it starts with an all-new Suites business-class experience.

It’s been a long time in the making — after all, it could only happen after Alaska acquired Boeing 787 Dreamliners through its Hawaiian Airlines merger — but there’s a lot to get excited about.

It starts with a slew of new long-haul routes from Seattle. On Tuesday, Alaska started flying to Europe for the first time in its history. (The inaugural to Rome is the first of many more European routes, including London and Reykjavik, launching next month.)

Once onboard, the business-class experience has been fully overhauled. Here’s what to expect.

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Booking Alaska’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Alaska’s Suites business class starts at around $5,000 round-trip on the Seattle-to-Rome route. (You’ll find better pricing if you’re starting from somewhere else.)

If you’d rather redeem miles, Alaska’s Atmos loyalty program might be your best bet. I found mileage redemptions starting at 150,000 points each way, but expect those rates to climb during busier periods. (You might get lucky and find a cheaper award, but you’ll need to be flexible.)

You can also book through Oneworld partners like American AAdvantage and British Airways Avios, though saver award space has been limited since the start.

Note that Bilt Rewards transfers to Alaska Atmos at a 1:1 ratio, making it one of the easier ways to top off your account if you’re a few miles short.

Alaska Suites business class ground experience

Alaska’s Suites experience starts the moment you pull into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Alaska just debuted a new VIP check-in area tucked away right by the terminal entrance.

You don’t want to miss this spot, even if you’re only carrying on. Not only is it stunning, but it also deposits you right in front of the TSA line.

(This check-in facility, which is far nicer than the Delta One check-in at the other end of the terminal, is also open to the airline’s top-tier Atmos Titanium members.)

Once you clear security, you’ll need to make your way to the gate. If you’re lucky, your long-haul flight will depart from the N Gates — my favorite concourse at SEA.

It’s also home to Alaska’s nicest and newest lounge in the airport.

This isn’t a separate business-class-only outpost — those might be coming soon — but it gets the job done.

I love the design, especially the wood-lined panels and fireplace, but the views are some of the best you’ll find in the airport.

The food choices aren’t as good as what you’d find in a Sky Club, but how can you complain when you can make yourself pancakes at the push of a button?

Jokes aside, the Alaska lounge experience is a step down from what you’d find in the nearby Delta One Lounge or in a United Polaris Lounge.

My visit, however, was unique.

From the moment I stepped inside, I could tell there was a buzz in the air. Maybe it was the special poster for the Rome inaugural, or all the VIPs, dignitaries, and even CEO Ben Minicucci camped out in the lounge. Either way, you could tell travelers and employees were excited — even those not heading to Rome.

Everyone’s lounge experience got a nice, limited-time upgrade, too.

Alaska brought in Umbria Coffee Roasters and Tutta Bella pizza for all travelers in celebration of the inaugural. Free Aperol spritzes and negronis were on offer for everyone, too.

A one-of-a-kind gate party

Don’t expect this welcome reception on every flight, but Alaska rolled out the red carpet for the Rome inaugural.

The carrier turned the hold room into a party, with Italian-themed activations, including a gelato and cannoli station (at one point, manned by Minicucci himself), a DJ, and a few speeches followed by a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

It was clear that everyone — and I mean everyone — knew about the significance of this flight before arriving at the airport.

I tried my hardest to find someone who inadvertently booked the inaugural flight. (That certainly didn’t happen up front, where Suites was occupied by Minicucci, his extended family, Alaska’s vice president of revenue management and network planning, influencers, journalists, the president of Gonzaga University, and a few key partners.)

Even employees working in nearby areas stopped by to join the fun. At one point, there were 1,732 non-rev travelers listed for standby on this flight — that must be a record of some sort.

Suffice it to say, Gate N16 was where you wanted to be on Tuesday.

Alaska Suites business class cabin and seat

As for me, I was especially excited to board an Alaska 787 Dreamliner for the first time.

(I’m based in New York, and the typical extent of my Alaska flying takes me to Seattle and San Diego.)

Before I boarded, I marveled at the stunning new livery on N780HA, a four-year-old 787-9 Dreamliner originally delivered to Hawaiian Airlines.

Once I stepped foot on board and turned left, it became pretty clear this was now Alaska’s new premium global offering.

Gone are the lavatory signs with male and female figures in traditional Hawaiian garb, as well as the Hawaiian-branded inflight entertainment software.

In their place are shades of green and blue reminiscent of the Northern Lights. (The one noticeable Hawaiian holdover is the Hawaiian name written next to the seat numbers on the overhead bins.)

Alaska inherited Hawaiian’s hard product on this Dreamliner. That means 34 business-class pods arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration.

Window seats face toward the window, while center seats face toward the aisle.

Just be sure to avoid row 6, which has missing windows.

There’s a large privacy divider that can be extended down to the ground to create a makeshift double bed for couples traveling together (a choice that certainly made sense for Hawaiian’s primarily leisure network).

The seats themselves are based on the Elevate Ascent product, which you’ll now find flying on American, United, Qatar, and many others.

It’s become an incredibly popular choice, and for good reason.

The seat is comfortable, offers plenty of personal space, and has a sliding door.

Every airline picks different finishes and tech, and Hawaiian seemed to go with one of the more thinly padded seat choices. (Fortunately, there’s a plush mattress pad that fixes that.)

I do like the colors Hawaiian went with — browns, grays, and pops of blue — though those will likely be replaced by Alaska colors eventually.

The tech is a mixed bag. There’s a universal AC power outlet, USB-A charging port, 18-inch high-definition television, and a Qi wireless charging pad.

Sadly, there’s no Bluetooth connectivity or USB-C ports — two things that are becoming increasingly standard in newer products.

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As for the 21-inch-wide seat itself, I found it to be supremely comfortable for lounging.

The seat controls are easy to use, the footwell is relatively large, and the bed measures 73 inches. While the footwell was large, I had to slightly contort my 5-foot-11-inch frame to sleep comfortably.

The tray table pops out from under the TV and measures 18 inches long by 12 inches wide — plenty large for a 13- or 15-inch laptop.

There are two standard-size lavatories for the 34 biz passengers stocked with Salt and Stone amenities.

You’ll find one at the front of the cabin and one at the back.

Alaska Suites business class amenities

This is where the product really shines.

Alaska fully revamped the amenity experience for its global era, and the upgrades are immediately noticeable.

Waiting at my seat during boarding was Alaska’s new bedding package designed by Filson. It included a plush mattress pad, large pillow, and oversized tan duvet that enveloped me as I dozed off.

I’d say this bedding setup is on par with United’s Saks collab, which had previously been my favorite sleep experience in the sky.

There was also a pair of Filson slippers and a Filson-branded amenity kit, stocked with all the usual goodies, including skincare products from Salt and Stone.

I first learned about Filson while flying Alaska’s domestic first class back in the day, and I’ve enjoyed the brand’s offerings ever since.

Alaska doesn’t offer pajamas in business class.

Because of the inaugural, we also received an Alaska-branded bag containing four small gifts: a 3.4-ounce bottle of extra-virgin olive oil, a commemorative bag tag, a miniature espresso sippy cup, and a postcard with key Italian phrases.

Don’t worry: I’ve already Googled where I can buy that Giadzy-branded olive oil back home.

The two amenities I seriously missed are personal air nozzles and Wi-Fi.

There’s nothing Alaska can do now about the former.

The good news is that Alaska is planning to add Starlink Wi-Fi to these jets in the coming months. (That day can’t come soon enough, especially for business travelers heading on the airline’s upcoming London route.)

Other than that, Alaska did a phenomenal job with the soft product.

Alaska Suites business class dining

Alaska also fully redesigned its long-haul catering.

It starts with a thick cardstock Suites dining menu waiting at your seat.

During boarding, I was offered a choice of a welcome drink (served in a proper glass), and once airborne, the dinner service commenced.

The first two rounds of food were served from carts.

I loved the new signature welcome snack — a charcuterie board with cheeses, crackers, fruits, and salted nuts. This felt like Alaska’s famed fruit-and-cheese platter, but better. (The only miss is that the nuts weren’t warmed.)

The appetizer course was then served on a tray with a choice of three breads: white baguette, cheese twist, or brown roll. With Beurre d’Isigny waiting on the tray, I had to try them all.

I love the soup-and-salad concept for the appetizer. Both were tasty, though I wish the soup had been warmer.

After the appetizer plates were cleared, flight attendants came through the aisle with the entree. I preselected the butternut squash ravioli a few days before departure. (Be sure to do the same to guarantee your meal preference.)

It wasn’t the best pasta I’ve had on a plane — I’d bet the version on the return from Rome tastes better — but it was tasty and filling.

Finally, the moment I’d been waiting for: the new signature dessert cart, stocked with create-your-own Salt and Straw sundaes.

I’m a massive ice cream fan, and Salt and Straw is one of my favorite creameries, so I’m pleased to report that it tasted just as good as I expected.

The ice cream flavor was double-fold vanilla. There were three topping choices — salted whipped cream, funfetti cookies, and pecans — and three sauces — chocolate, caramel, and marionberry.

I had the works and immediately dozed off.

Throughout the meal, I sampled a few different wines and cocktails. I especially enjoyed Alaska’s regional-inspired wine list, particularly the cab from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, and even sampled a refreshing canned Roma spritz.

But perhaps my favorite drink was water from the Path-branded limited-edition bottle designed in Alaska’s new global livery color scheme. I wish these were available for purchase.

I didn’t partake in any of the mid-flight snacks (though the warm chocolate chip cookie did scream my name), and I woke up just in time for landing — meaning that I missed the pre-arrival meal.

Oh well, the food is better in Italy anyway.

Alaska Suites business class service

When the airline’s CEO is sitting in 8J, you know the crew will go above and beyond.

Truth is, the service on this Alaska flight felt just as personalized and friendly as most others I’ve had in domestic first class.

I generally find Alaska’s crew to be among the best in the business, and this flight, which was staffed by a former Hawaiian crew, was no exception. My water glass was never empty for more than a few minutes, and everyone I interacted with kept asking what more they could do.

That said, the service flow needs some fine-tuning.

Entrees were served two and a half hours into the flight, and I got my sundae an hour later. Sure, flights from the West Coast to Europe are longer than from New York, but a three-and-a-half-hour meal service is way too long, no matter the route.

I assume the crew will become more efficient as they learn the new service procedures, but until then, you might want to grab an extra snack before boarding, since it might be a while before your food is served.

Bottom line

Alaska’s fully revamped Suites experience is officially here, and it’s among the best in the sky.

The seats themselves are supremely comfortable, and combined with the cornucopia of amenities and delectable eats, you’re bound to have a memorable long-haul flight with Alaska.

The new biz product sets Alaska up for success on its new long-haul routes. With premium being the industry’s biggest buzzword (aside from higher fuel costs), the Suites experience checks every box and then some.

I’m excited to see where else these suites land in the coming years.

I’m definitely going to need to try them again to see whether the service gets faster — and what the flight is like with Starlink onboard.

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