Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (B737-800) Premium SEA-SAN

The Details

  • Flight: AS1264
  • Aircraft: B737-800
  • Class: Premium
  • Seat: 9A
  • Route: Seattle Tacoma (SEA)-San Diego (SAN)
  • Distance: 1,100miles
  • Duration: 2hr 9min
  • Departure: 9:38PM
  • Arrival: 11:47PM

The Preflight

I had a one-hour 45-minute layover between my flight from Indy to Seattle and from Seattle to San Diego. Thanks to my Priority Pass from the Chase Ritz Carlton Card, I had a $28 dining credit to use at the restaurant Bambuza which served Vietnamese food. Dinner consisted of a nice warm bowl of beef pho with fresh bean sprouts and cilantro.

Boarding started at 8:46PM. Today our B737-800, registration N538AS, was in the Star Wars Galaxy Edge livery.

The Flight

While the outside of the aircraft was painted in an interesting Star Wars livery, the interior was the usual Alaska Airlines mood lighting and slimline seats. The main cabin was arranged in a 3-3 configuration with rows 6-10 designated Premium seats that offered 34.5″ of pitch. Standard economy seats had 31″ of pitch.

The Recaro BL3530 slimline seats were 17.7″ wide. Each seat had a simple tray table with two cup holders as well as a USB port and 110V outlet.

We pushed back at 9:24PM with takeoff at 9:38PM.

Premium seat passengers are offered complimentary alcohol including spirits. I had a Buffalo Trace with Coke Zero served alongside crackers.

The rest of the flight was entirely uneventful with pitch-black clouds covering any city landscape we might have seen.

We landed uneventfully at 11:47PM followed by a short four minute to gate 22. Thanks for the ride!

I enjoyed this Premium class flight with Alaska Airlines down the West Coast. The generous pitch and complimentary alcohol made for a relaxing two-hour flight.

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (B737-900) Main Cabin IND-SEA

The Details

  • Flight: AS500
  • Aircraft: B737-900
  • Class: Main Cabin
  • Seat: 17A
  • Route: Indianapolis (IND)-Seattle Tacoma (SEA)
  • Distance: 1,915miles
  • Duration: 4hrs 25min
  • Departure: 6:28PM
  • Arrival: 7:53PM

The Preflight

For this trip, I was going back home to San Diego again to visit family. Since I had a few Alaska Airlines gift cards left over from previous Costco sales ($500 for $450), I booked with Alaska on the flight down. The routing would be IND-SEA-SEA with a two-hour layover in Seattle. However, on the morning of the flight, I got an email notification from Alaska stating the flight was going to be delayed by an hour.

I arrived at the terminal just 50 minutes prior to departure and within 10 minutes was clear through TSA thanks to Precheck. Our flight was departing from B5 at one end of the terminal. Our aircraft was a true vintage B737-900, one of just 52 ever produced prior to the more popular B737-900ER. Registration N317AS, she was delivered to Alaska Airlines 20 years ago in March 2003.

Our flight number was the aptly numbered AS500 after the Indy 500. Boarding began at 5:48PM.

The Flight

Alaska Airlines offers a total of 16 Domestic First and 162 economy seats in a two-cabin configuration on board their B737-900s, -990ERs, and -9MAXs. The economy cabin is further split between 24 “Premium” extra-legroom seats in the first four rows and 138 Main Cabin seats arranged in a 3-3 configuration. I was seated in 17A, which was the second exit row on the aircraft. Both exit rows and the five rows between Premium and the exit row were reserved for Oneworld elites.

Alaska Airlines features BL3530 slimline seats in their Main Cabin which are each 17.7 inches wide.

Both exit rows also offer over 37.5 inches of pitch which is the most of any economy row including Premium seats.

The slimline seats were well designed with a simple two-drink tray table, 110V outlet, USB port, and storage pocket.

The flight ended up being less than 50% full on this Wednesday evening which meant boarding was very quick at under 20 minutes. We pushed back at 6:15PM and took off eight minutes later.

Alaska Airlines offers a fairly tasty buy-on-board program for food. I had pre-ordered the Thai Ginger Beef wrap for which I got 25% off of thanks to my Alaska Airlines personal credit card. The wrap was delicious.

I also ordered a refreshing Elysian IPA that was served with packaged chips.

Rather than seatback entertainment screens, Alaska had personal device streaming available. While not as robust as American, Delta, or United, I was still able to entertain myself for a few hours.

At the rear of the main cabin were three narrow lavatories.

We landed in a rainy Seattle at 7:53PM and arrived at the gate at 8:01PM. Thanks for the ride!

I really enjoyed the main cabin experience with Alaska Airlines. They have a robust food and beverage program for economy passengers and the seats generally offer an inch more legroom than other domestic competitors.

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (E175) Domestic First SFO-SAN

The Details

  • Flight: AS3348
  • Aircraft: E175
  • Class: Domestic First
  • Seat: 3A
  • Route: San Francisco (SFO)-San Diego (SAN)
  • Distance: 510miles
  • Flight Time: 1hr 9min
  • Departure: 12:30PM (PST)
  • Arrival: 1:38PM (PST)

The Preflight

After landing in San Francisco, I had a two-hour layover before my final flight home to visit family in San Diego. Our aircraft was actually delayed (late inbound from Santa Ana) and the gate staff arranged for a game with big dice for all passengers on the flight. I enjoyed the short game (I did not win) which had a grand prize of free economy tickets anywhere in the Alaska route network.

Boarding began at 11:54AM, six minutes prior to our scheduled departure at noon from SFO. Our E175 today, registration N194SY, was a four-year-old jet delivered to SkyWest in November 2017 and operated on behalf of Alaska Airlines.

The Flight

Alaska Airlines offers a total of 12 Domestic First-class seats onboard their E175s arranged in a 1-2 configuration across four rows. I was seated in 3A for the short flight today.

Each seat offers a pitch of 37.8″ with a width of 21″ as standard across almost all Domestic First-class E175s.

There was a small cup holder in the armrest as well as a 110V outlet.

A simple bi-fold tray table was stored within the aisle armrest.

Awaiting each first-class passenger was the standard Alaska carton of water.

Boarding was quick and we pushed back only 20 minutes late at 12:20PM. We took off from runway 19R at exactly half past noon.

Drinks were offered 10 minutes after take-off from a friendly flight attendant. I went with a Woodfords on the Rocks and a side of Diet Coke.

There was also a snack basket offered on this hour-long flight. Options included Kind Bars, Biscoff cookies, a blueberry cookie, Peatos, and popcon.

California Coast

There was a single first-class lavatory at the front of the aircraft.

We began our descent at 1:20PM with incredible coastal views. As we approached from the East, we had an expansive view of the US Pacific Fleet and downtown San Diego.

We arrived just 10 minutes late in San Diego and had less than one minute taxi to gate 24. Thanks for the ride!

I appreciated the efforts that Alaska Airlines went to to keep passengers entertained on this delayed flight from SFO. The Domestic First upgrade was appreciated and I would happily fly Alaska Airlines again over their other competitors.

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (A320) Premium ORD-SFO

The Details

  • Flight: AS251
  • Aircraft: A320
  • Class: Premium
  • Seat: 6A
  • Route: Chicago O’Hare (ORD)-San Francisco (SFO)
  • Distance: 1,855miles
  • Flight Time: 4hrs 6min
  • Departure: 7:40AM (CST)
  • Arrival: 9:47AM (PST)

The Preflight

After arriving on my separately ticketed flight with United from IND-ORD, I had an hour layover before my Alaska Airlines flight to San Francisco. Once I arrived in Terminal 1, I quickly made my way over to Terminal 3 where my flight was departing from. Boarding began just was I arrived at gate G4 at 6:58AM.

The A320 today, registration N854VA, was painted in the colorful “Fly with Pride” livery. She was originally delivered to Virgin America in March 2012 before being transferred to Alaska in January 2018 after the merger between the two airlines.

The Flight

Alaska Airlines A320s feature a total of 138 economy seats arranged in a 3-3 configuration. The first four rows of the economy cabin make up the Premium seats which offer 37″ of pitch and 17.7″ of width. I was seated in 6A, the first row of the Premium.

Alaska Airlines does not use bulkheads between their economy and first-class cabins which meant my seat had a very generous amount of legroom as well as under-seat storage. I had easy access to two separate literature pockets (meant for the middle seat).

The legroom was fantastic for an economy seat.

For the row of three seats, there were two USB ports and two 110V outlets to share.

In the armrest was a sturdy bi-fold tray table with a built-in tablet holder.

The boarding doors were closed at 7:23AM and we pushed back two minutes early at 7:28AM. We took off from runway 28R at 7:40AM.

The main cabin service began half an hour into the flight with pre-ordered food being delivered individually to passengers. I decided to pre-order the Breakfast Protein meal to try.

Premium class passengers are also offered complimentary alcoholic beverages so I had my customary Bloody Mary. I really enjoyed this breakfast meal onboard as all the ingredients were fresh and relatively healthy.

Halfway through the flight, the attendants came through with another full beverage service. I decided to have a Gin&Tonic. Alaska also served a delicious snack packet of braided chips.

At the rear of the cabin were two economy lavatories.

It was a beautiful day in the Bay Area and we had a birds-eye view of San Jose Airport on our approach.

We raced a Southwest B737-700 on a parallel approach for our landing on runway 1L.

We landed at 9:46AM and arrived at the gate five minutes later. There was a slight delay with the gate crew not being ready to open the doors but at 9:59AM we were let off of the plane, 15 minutes early. Thanks for the ride!

The Alaska Airlines Premium service remains my favorite extra legroom economy option compared to other US carriers such as Delta, United, and American. The industry-leading legroom, complimentary drinks, and friendly crew make the Alaska experience a top choice for me.

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (B737-900ER) Domestic First SEA-IND

The Details

  • Flight: AS500
  • Aircraft: B737-900ER
  • Class: Domestic First
  • Seat: 3A
  • Route: Seattle Tacoma (SEA)-Indianapolis (IND)
  • Distance: 1,903 miles
  • Duration: 3hrs 20min
  • Departure: 10:23AM
  • Arrival: 4:43PM

The Preflight

After arriving from San Diego, I had a forty-minute connection before my flight home to Indy. The aptly named flight 500, was departing from the North satellite terminal and I arrived at the gate with five minutes until boarding.

The B737-900ER for this leg, registration N285AK, was a three-year-old aircraft delivered to Alaska Airlines in March 2018.

The Flight

Alaska Airlines offers a total of 16 Domestic First-class seats on board their B737-900ERs arranged in a 2-2 configuration across four rows. I was seated in 3A on this flight.

Each seat was 21″ wide and had a generous 41″ of pitch. The recline was at five inches.

While I generally like window seats, the drawback is that the legroom is slightly reduced due to the in-seat power supply.

There was a large bi-fold tray table stowed in the armrest.

In between the two seats was a small tabletop area. There was also a small retractable cocktail tray.

Each seat also had an individual USB port and 110V outlet.

Each passenger was also given a carton of water and a sanitizing wipe.

Boarding finished at 10:04AM and we pushed back two minutes later. The taxi to runway 16L was about 18 minutes. We took off at 10:24AM with a thick cloud layover over the downtown Seattle area.

Service began slowly 30 minutes after take-off with a drink and nuts service. I went with a glass of sparkling wine.

Lunch was served 10 minutes later. I went with a tasty Moroccan chicken over couscous. It was served with a small green salad, cold bread, and chocolate chip cookie.

At the front of the aircraft was a single lavatory for first-class passengers.

An hour before landing, flight attendants came through with another dedicated beverage service. I had my second Bloody Mary of the day.

Soon we began our descent into the Indy area with dramatic fall and winter scenery.

We had a great view of downtown Indy and the Salesforce Tower on our approach to runway 5L.

We landed at 4:42PM, over forty minutes ahead of schedule thanks to generous schedule padding. The taxi to the gate took only seven minutes and soon I was on my way home.

This was another pleasant flight in Domestic First with Alaska Airlines. They remain my favorite airline when flying from the West Coast.

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (B737-900ER) Domestic First SAN-SEA

The Details

  • Flight: AS209
  • Aircraft: B737-900ER
  • Class: Domestic First
  • Seat: 2A
  • Route: San Diego (SAN)-Seattle Tacoma (SEA)
  • Distance: 1,120 miles
  • Duration: 2hrs 30min
  • Departure: 6:37AM
  • Arrival: 9:07AM

The Preflight

After spending a holiday weekend with family in San Diego, it was time for me to fly home to Indy. I was flying with Alaska Airlines via Seattle in Domestic First class. I arrived at the airport early in the morning to find a very busy check-in area.

There was a fairly large line for TSA PreCheck but I was still through security within five minutes. Because it was so early in the morning, the Aspire Lounge, which is an AMEX partner lounge, was not open. I spent about 30 minutes walking around the terminal prior to boarding.

Our B737-900ER, registration N214AK, was one of the newer B737s in the AS fleet at just two years old. She was delivered brand new to Alaska in March 2019.

Boarding began at 5:32AM, 43 minutes prior to our schedule departure time.

The Flight

Alaska Airlines offers a total of 16 Domestic first-class seats onboard their B737-900ERs arranged in a 2-2 configuration across four rows. I was seated in 2A this morning. The Recaro CL4400 seats in Domestic First were originally introduced in 2012 and had been the standard across the Alaska fleet for almost a decade. Each seat offered five inches of recline with an articulating seat bottom and a six-way adjustable headrest.

The seat itself was 21″ wide and had a generous 41″ of pitch. There were no seat back inflight entertainment screens.

A large bi-fold tray table with cup holder was stored in the armrest.

The center console had a small tabletop space for drinks as well as a retractable cocktail tray. Underneath was the seat recline button.

Each seat also had an individual USB port and 110V outlet.

A small carton of water was also provided to First class passengers.

The doors were closed at 6:07AM and we pushed back 15 minutes later. There was a long line of aircraft awaiting take-off as San Diego Airport has a take-off curfew from 23:30 to 06:30. At 6:36AM we took off from runway 27 bound for Seattle with a beautiful sunrise.

Breakfast was served 20 minutes into the flight. Options included either a breakfast croissant or a fruit and cheese plate. I went with the breakfast croissant which was one of the best cold breakfasts I have had on an airplane. The sandwich was filled with avocado, bacon, and egg with a side of fresh fruit. I washed the tasty sandwich down with a Bloody Mary.

Afterward, I indulged in a coffee with Baileys.

There was a single basic lavatory at the front of the cabin for First class passengers.

There were a few clouds as we approached a stormy Seattle and the cabin was prepared for landing 40 minutes prior to landing due to turbulence.

On the final approach to runway 16R, we had a great overhead view of Boeing Field and all of the grounded B737 MAX-8s.

We landed 22 minutes early at 9:07AM and arrived a the gate five minutes later. Thanks for the ride!

As always, I had a fantastic Domestic First class experience with Alaska Airlines. Their food and beverage service, friendly flight crew, and punctual service makes them my preferred airline from San Diego.

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (B737-900ER) Domestic First SEA-SAN

The Details

  • Flight: AS1178
  • Aircraft: B737-900ER
  • Class: Domestic First
  • Seat: 4A
  • Route: Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA)-San Diego International (SAN)
  • Distance: 1,093 miles
  • Duration: 2hrs 25min
  • Departure: 4:01PM
  • Arrival: 6:44PM

The Preflight

After arriving from Chicago, I had a few hours before my final flight to San Diego. I headed toward the flagship Alaska Lounge located in the North Terminal which I had access to thanks to my First class ticket. It was located on the second floor above the gate area.

Immediately walking in, there was a warm fireplace to the left-hand side. There was a good amount of sofa seats and individual chairs looking over the apron.

To the right on the entrance was the main dining area with a variety of tables. In the center was a barista staffed coffee counter as well as food.

Food options included prepackaged muffins, bars, baked goods, and fruit.

There were also salad kits with chicken breast as well as cheese cubes.

The hot food option was a turkey bean soup.

Other snacks included chips, pretzels, cookies, nuts, and a pancake machine.

Additional drink options included a soda mixer and coffee. The self-serve espresso machine was not working during my visit.

Further into the dining area was the bar which had a good amount of stools and additional tables.

One reason I love Alaska lounges is that the drinks are all complimentary including liquor and wine. They also had an excellent selection of local craft beers on tap.

I had a pint of the excellent hefeweizen with a bowl of warm coup and cheese cubes. Delicious.

With an hour until boarding, I made my way to the gate area. The terminal was packed and the gate area crowded.

Our B737-900ER, registration N268AK, was delivered brand new to Alaska Airlines in February 2017.

Boarding began exactly at 3:20PM.

The Flight

Each B737-900ER in the Alaska Airlines fleet features 16 First class seats arranged in a 2-2 configuration.

Seatmap of the Boeing 737-900ER

I was seated in 4A in the last row of the First class cabin. These First class seats are the most comfortable Domestic First class seats of the major US airlines such as American, Delta, or United. They have industry leading pitch as well as thick padding.

Seats have 41 inches of pitch and are 21 inches wide.

Seatbacks featured a small literature pocket but was otherwise spartan.

While pitch was generous, the legroom itself was restriced by a large box.

In between the two seats was a small counter top space. Each passanger was provisioned with a small water bottle and hand sanitizing wipe.

There was also a small tray that could be pulled out from below the surface.

Below the center console was a 110V outlet and USB port. My neighbors outlet did not look too safe…

The tray table was stowed in the left-hand armrest.

It was fairly basic but felt stable.

The boarding doors were closed 30 minutes after boarding began and we pushed back 10 minutes later at 4:01PM. The taxi to runway 16L took 15 minutes and finally we were off towards San Diego.

The ascent from Seattle was a bit bumpy due to the rain in the region. I loaded up the inflight map on my laptop once we reached cruising altitude.

Alaska Airlines had just reintroduced liquor and a more expansive drink menu on their flights during COVID-19 and a menu was provided with all the options. Our drink choices had been taken on the ground before take off by the lead flight attendant.

I had Gin & Tonic which was served a double.

Food options included either a Fruit and Cheese plate or a Turkey Sandwich. I had the turkey sandwich which was incredibly dry.

30 minutes after the main meal service, warmed chocolate chip cookies were distributed. Very tasty.

Another snack basket was passed through the cabin and options included blueberry cookies, Kind bars, Swedish Fish, popcorn, and Peatos.

We had some beautiful views of Sequoia National Forest and the California mountain ranges as we passed over Central Cali.

Once past Los Angeles, we hugged the Southern California coast.

At 6:22PM we began our initial descent into San Diego and had a stunning view of downtown as the sun was setting.

Thanks for the ride!

This flight again redemonstrated with Alaska Airlines is my favorite domestic carrier for flying in Domestic First. Great seats, excellent food, and friendly service makes them one of the best in the US.

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (B737-800) Premium ORD-SEA

The Details

  • Flight: AS329
  • Aircraft: B737-800
  • Class: Premium
  • Seat: 9A
  • Route: Chicago O’Hare (ORD)-Seattle-Tacoma (SEA)
  • Distance: 1,755miles
  • Duration: 4hrs 6min
  • Departure: 9:40AM
  • Arrival: 11:59AM

The Preflight

For the weekend, I was heading home to San Diego to spend some time with my college buddies. I had booked this trip as a one-way in paid first class with the intention of continuing to earn status with Alaska Airlines for 2022. I prefer to sit in the last row of cabins and was originally seated in 4A on the B737-900ER. Unfortunately, the night before the trip, I got an alert that the plane had swapped to a B737-800. This aircraft only features three rows of first and I had been involuntarily downgraded to economy albeit “Premium” class.

After an unhelpful call to Alaska Airlines, I decided to show up early to O’Hare in the morning to see if I could be reseated in the class that I had booked. The check-in agent told me that the entire cabin was full and that if one seat opened up, I could have a chance of getting the seat. They did not offer to book me on American Airlines or a later flight. He then told me to check back at the gate during the boarding process for an update.

While Alaska Airlines flights depart from Terminal 3, the check-in counters are located in Terminal 2. The terminal was deserted and there was no line for TSA. Nevertheless, I used the CLEAR line to get a free hand sanitizer travel kit.

There were only two flights scheduled to depart from the G concourse this morning…

Our B737-800 this morning, registration N519AS, was a 12-year-old aircraft delivered to Alaska back in 2009.

My efforts to reclaim a first-class seat were futile as every passenger in rows 1-3 showed up for the flight this morning. Boarding began at 9:10AM first First Class passengers were invited to board first. The gate agent gave me a slip of paper with the phone number for Alaska Customer Care on it so that I could call them after my trip was complete for reimbursement.

The Flight

Alaska Airlines features a total of 30 Premium class and 117 Main Cabin seats onboard their B737-800s arranged in a 3-3 configuration.

Seatmap of the Boeing 737-800

I managed to get seat 9A, the last remaining window seat in Premium class.

Each seat in Premium class offers 35 inches of pitch and 17 inches of width.

The seatback had a literature pocket and tray table.

There were two cup holders on the tray table.

Each seat also offered individual 110V outlets and USB ports.

The legroom was very spacious and I had more than enough space to stretch out my feet on this four-hour flight.

Boarding was completed a short 25 minutes later and we pushed back at 9:40AM. The taxi to runway 28R took just 15 minutes and soon we were off towards Seattle.

Once in the air, I loaded up the Alaska inflight entertainment system on my laptop. There was a limited selection of movies and TV shows available.

Premium class passengers also had a menu provided which listed the beverage offerings on the flight. Alaska had just recently re-introduced hard liquor in their premium cabins during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cabin service began 40 minutes after take-off with Biscoff cookies and drinks. I went with my classic Bloody Mary.

Even though I had been downgraded, my pre-selected breakfast wrap had been loaded. The flight attendant was gracious enough to give it to me with an apology for the downgrade.

Halfway through the flight, the flight attendants came through the cabin with water bottles.

The remainder of the flight was smooth as we passed over the Great Plains.

As we neared Washington, I used the rear Main Cabin lavatory. It was fairly messy inside after three hours of flight.

There were thick clouds over Seattle as usual.

On our approach to SeaTac we had a great birds-eye view of Boeing field and all of their parked B737 MAXs.

We landed at 11:59AM local time in Seattle and had a very short taxi to the gate. Thanks for the ride!

Despite the involuntary downgrade from First to Premium class, I still had an enjoyable flight with Alaska Airlines. I appreciate the open bar and inflight service with a generous seat pitch. After I arrived in San Diego, I did call the Customer Care line and was given a fare different credit of $77.50. In addition, I also get a $75 eCert good for a future flight.

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (B737-900ER) Main Cabin SFO-ORD

The Details

  • Flight: AS1208
  • Aircraft: B737-900ER
  • Class: Main Cabin
  • Seat: 16A
  • Route: San Francisco International (SFO)-Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
  • Distance: 1,930miles
  • Flight Time: 3hrs 41min
  • Departure: 11:18AM
  • Landing: 5:17PM

The Preflight

After arriving from San Diego aboard the E175, I had a few hours to kill before my flight home to Chicago. Despite Alaska being located in Terminal 2, I decided to head over to Terminal 3 to grab breakfast in the American Express Centurion Lounge. Thanks to CLEAR and TSA Precheck the whole process to re-clearing security took under five minutes.

The Centurion Lounge was surprisingly full given the early morning time. Breakfast was being served from 8-10:45AM.

I had a delicious and hearty meal including perfectly cooked scrambled eggs, quiche, sausages, and avocado toast.

After breakfast, I headed back to Terminal 2 which involved re-clearing security again. Once again, thanks to CLEAR and Precheck I breezed through the checkpoint. Prior to the flight, I had been checking Flightradar24 and was pleased to find out that the plane was the special livery “Honoring Those Who Serve” B737-900ER.

Alaska Airlines operates a total of 79 B737-900ERs as well as 12 B737-900s. Our special livery -900ER, N265AK, was delivered to AS in 2016.

Boarding began at 10:46AM.

The Flight

Alaska Airlines features a total of 138 coach and 24 Premium seats onboard their B737-900ERs arranged in a standard 3-3 configuration.

Seatmap of the Boeing 737-900ER

I chose to sit in Seat 16A which is an exit row coach seat. Unlike American Airlines, Alaska does not designate the exit rows as Premium/Main Cabin Extra. The perks of the exit row included extra legroom while the con was that the seat could not recline.

The seat in front of me also could not recline which gave me much more room to stretch out.

In the seatback was a literature pocket and standard tray table with two cup holders. Noticeably absent was any sort of personal device holder.

Each seat also had a personal 110V outlet and USB port which I appreciated.

Boarding was completed 30 minutes after it commenced as we pushed back from the gate at 11:23AM. After a 15 minute taxi to the runway, we took off from 1L.

Once in the air, I loaded up the inflight entertainment system on my tablet. For some reason, I could not load the flight map on my device.

Service began 20 minutes after takeoff with a small snack packet which was tasty.

It was followed by a beverage service.

I absolutely love the Alaska Signature Fruit and Cheese plate and pre-ordered it for lunch. It is only available if pre-ordered on the inflight app. Thanks to my Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa card I got 20% off the cheese plate.

Yummy.

We had stunning views of the Rockies as we cruised eastward. Quiet the juxtaposition with the American flag on the wingtip.

Halfway into the flight, I used one of the three rear lavatories in the main cabin. It was rather dirty and the floor was wet…

The rest of the flight was uneventful. I managed to watch a few movies on the Alaska app and flight attendants came through the cabin a few times offering more water.

Flight attendants prepped the cabin for landing 30 minutes out from O’Hare. As we approached O’Hare from the east, we had stunning views of downtown Chicago.

We landed on runway 28C and had a long taxi to the gate.

Thanks for the ride!

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines (E175) Domestic First SAN-SFO

The Details

  • Flight: AS3461
  • Aircraft: E175
  • Class: Domestic First
  • Seat: 1D
  • Route: San Diego International (SAN)-San Francisco International (SFO)
  • Distance: 458miles
  • Flight Time: 1hr 4min
  • Departure: 6:29AM
  • Landed: 7:46AM

The Preflight

After spending a few awesome days in San Diego, it was time for me to fly home to Chicago via San Francisco with Alaska Airlines. I got dropped off at Terminal 2 East at 5:20 in the morning to find a relatively busy check-in area. I was lucky enough to get upgraded on this short intra-California flight to First Class upon checking in.

TSA Pre-check took just five minutes and I quickly made my way to the Airspace Lounge which I have visited over a dozen times.

There were a few passengers in the lounge but it remained peaceful and quiet during my short visit.

Thanks to my American Express Platinum Card, I had a $10 voucher to use for food and drinks in the lounge. I went with the usual express breakfast sandwich with bacon.

Boarding began at 5:54AM and was hectic due to the dual boarding for flights to both San Jose and San Francisco from the same gate.

We had to wait on the tarmac since the aircraft was not yet ready for passengers.

Our E175, registration N174SY, was operated by SkyWest on behalf of Alaska Airlines. She was delivered brand new in 2015 and was one of 32 E175s operated by SkyWest for AS.

The Flight

The Alaska E175s feature 12 First Class seats arranged in a 1-2 configuration across four rows in the forward cabin. Unfortunately, all of the solo seats on the left-hand side of the aircraft had been taken.

Seatmap of the Embraer 175

I managed to get the last window seat 1D. Due to COVID-19, seat 1C was blocked for flight attendant social distancing which meant I got the whole row to myself.

Each first-class seat offered a standard 37 inches of pitch and 21 inches of width. Despite being a bulkhead seat, the legroom was still comfortable.

There was a small literature pocket in the bulkhead.

The center armrest was well padded.

Each seat featured a 110V outlet below the center console.

The tray table was stored in the right-hand armrest. There was also a recline button.

I felt the bi-fold tray table to be fairly sturdy although there was a noticeable lack of a personal device mount.

Upon taking my seat, the flight attendant came through the cabin and offered each passenger a small water bottle.

Boarding was completed at 6:23AM and seven minutes later we pushed back. There was a gorgeous sunrise view of the San Diego skyline as we taxied to runway 27.

Once in the air, I loaded the Alaska inflight entertainment system on my tablet and watched the flight map for the remainder of the flight.

There was a menu provided which included the service offerings (restricted due to COVID-19).

Despite the early hour, I had a delicious can of the Fremont IPA.

A snack bag was also offered which had granola cookie bars, popcorn, Kind bars, and Swedish Fish.

As we neared San Franciso, I used the forward lavatory. It was kept clean and had generic soap.

I had a beautiful view of the Bay Area on our approach for runway 28L.

We landed at 7:47AM and had a very short taxi to the gate. Thanks for the ride!