Alaska Airlines operates a large hub of activity from it’s home in the lower states from Seattle Tacoma International Airport. As Canadian travellers who fly Alaska Airlines, we frequently find ourselves connecting through busy Seattle Tacoma International Airport. Today’s connection experience had us departing from the North Satellite Terminal, on a positioning flight to San Francisco. We would get the opportunity to test out their First Class service with an important VIP on board.

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This post is one chapter on my trip to the Republic of the Maldives. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and Air Canada’s Aeroplan. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Review: Alaska Airlines B737-8, Seattle Tacoma International Airport – San Francisco International Airport

I had a really difficult time locating Qatar Q Suites Business Class award availability from the United States to the Maldives. Despite my best efforts, I wasn’t able to locate any saver award space out of any city other than San Francisco, with the more “convenient to us” Seattle drawing an empty blank.

As a result, we had to position from Seattle to San Francisco to get our comfortable ride onwards from North America to the Middle East and onwards to the Maldives.

Boarding Alaska Airlines First Class:

We departed the all new American Express Centurion Lounge Seattle and took the train over to the North Terminal by taking the SEA Underground Train.

Once we were over at centrally located Seattle Tacoma International Airport Gate N12, it was a pretty light boarding experience today without much crowding.

Alaska Airlines likes to board it’s planes really early, so we boarded right at the boarding time printed on the boarding card. We were on the plane before we knew it.

Alaska Airlines
First Class (E)
SEA – SFO (Seattle Tacoma International Airport – San Francisco International Airport)
AS 1112
March 6, 2023
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
Departure: 8:50 PM
Arrival: 10:57 PM

On Board Alaska Airlines First Class:

After an invitation for Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP Gold and active military members, First Class passengers were given an invitation to board.

We boarded the empty aircraft through door 1L and were the second passengers on board the familiar Alaska Airlines First Class seating.

The Alaska Airlines First class puffy blue leather seats are comfortable, pleasant and soft. It’s perhaps the oldest school domestic First Class seat today. For a short two hour hop from Seattle to San Francisco, these leather seats of goodness were perfectly plush for a smooth soft ride.

Pre Departure Services:

Alaska Airlines has recently economized the pre-departure beverage offering. Today’s pre-departure beverage service was completely absent. Instead, we were offered the typical boxed water which was served at room temperature (without refrigeration).

I don’t happen to mind the boxed water but MrsWT73 doesn’t enjoy the taste of it, finding it metallic and less refreshing than bottled water.

Riding with a VIP:

Flying with the Prime Minister of Finland

While we were settling into Alaska Airlines First Class, we had a few minutes prior to the rest of the cabin boarding. Looking out of the window, I happened to notice a number of limosines on the Seattle Tacoma apron.

The convoy seemed to have a number of tactical officers next to the plane. Based on this, I assumed they were likely waiting for, or perhaps boarding a VIP of some sort.

While we were seated, we had a number of ground agents discussing logistics with the “in charge” flight attendant. We were then joined by an entourage of travellers, which included an “aide de camp” dressed in a military uniform with a Finnish Flag.

The entourage took over the entire first class cabin, surrounding us on all sides with aides, an armed aircraft protective officer and what I’d later discover to be the President of Finland – Mr. Sauli Niinistö. He ended up joining us in row 2 by seating across from us in 2F, after he didn’t seem to keen on his assigned 1F in the bulkhead.

It turns out that the President of Finland was on an official visit to the State of Washington to bolster green and technology supports. While his entourage and security kept an eye on us, it would mark my first occasion where we had been surrounded by “an entourage” flying Alaska Airlines. The group pretty much bought out the whole First Class Cabin with the exception of our two seats. With Finnair also being a member of One World, it seemed to make sense that they were also flying One World Alaska Airlines.

We got underway reasonably quickly out of Seattle Tacoma International Airport. While it felt like we had expedited clearance, we departed on a southerly tract without delay.

Food and Beverage:

Once airborne, a light meal service was offered. Alaska Airlines offered the ability to pre-select a meal within fourteen days up to twenty four hours before a flight. However, there weren’t a whole lot of choices for an under two hour flight.

Menus were offered by the in flight menu card located in the seat pocket. The featured wines in Alaska First Class were McBride Sisters Wine Company.

While I pre-ordered a cheese plate, I ended up being offered a protein version with chicken and hard boiled egg whites on them. I paired this with a glass of cold McBride Sisters Chardonnay, which was offered with several friendly refills throughout the flight.

Although it was a little dry, it was pretty tasty as a snack. The food was more than I might have expected for under a two hour flight. It was much more than my last United Airlines flight under two hours, that typically offers a snack basket or pre-wrapped snack.

In Flight Entertainment:

Alaska Airlines offers a comparable offering of in flight entertainment delivered through your smart phone device and the Go Go Entertainment application.

Along with free texting, the flight was wifi enabled. The price point of a flat $8 USD for wifi streaming was also pretty reasonable for a longer haul trans continental flight.

The in-flight entertainment system worked without any drop offs. The content wasn’t too extensive for a short haul carrier, but there were enough movies to keep us entertained.

We had a quick arrival into San Francisco International Airport. We allowed our VIP Entourage to deplane around us. The fourteen of them scampered off into the terminal as a group. We gathered our luggage and headed onto the San Francisco Waterfront Airport Marriott hotel for the evening.

My Thoughts on Alaska Airlines First Class:

Alaska Airlines First Class provides a competitive and, at times, better service than it’s competitors American or United Airlines. The service is often friendlier, and in most cases, you get enough of a meal as a snack while flying Alaska. The plush Alaska Airlines First Class seat is a nice retro bonus, since it allows for comfortable flying.

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If you regularly travel in Alaska Airlines First Class, do you find it worth the extra expense ?

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