What you’re about to read is an extremely detailed review of Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 economy class. As you’ll see, if you’re willing to pre-purchase food (I recommend the fruit and cheese platter), it’s a fairly pleasant experience.
Leg room is pretty good, and the streaming in-flight entertainment offers an excellent selection of the latest movies and TV shows.
The best part? I only had to use profanity twice in this entire 2264 word (52-picture) report. A new low for me!
AS354
San Diego, CA (SAN) – Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Aircraft: 737 MAX 9
Registration: N960AK
Duration: 4 hours 4 minutes
Seat: 21E (economy)
Alaska Airlines 737 9 MAX (N960AK) side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.Our route from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale today as AS354.
My full review of Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 economy from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale
As a San Diego based traveler, it’s becoming really hard for me to avoid the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 (or, as they would prefer to call it, the 737-9 MAX). This is the aircraft that tends to show up the most whenever I’m booking flights with Alaska Airlines, and there was no way of avoiding it for this nonstop flight to Fort Lauderdale.
Arrival at the San Diego International Airport
I decided to try something new for this trip. Instead of showing up to the airport ridiculously early (like I always do), I took a gamble and timed my arrival at exactly 1 hour and 30 minutes before departure. That’s crazy close for your boy SANspotter – especially considering that I had luggage to check. Long story short: I darn near missed my flight (and reaffirmed my obsession to always arrive early).
Good morning from the San Diego International Airport! I’ve arrived exactly an hour and a half before departure time on one of the busiest travel days so the entire year. What could possibly go wrong?“Please check in for your flight and try again.” Wut? My apologies to the sweet old lady standing next to me (the one who had to listen to my cussing as I realized that I had to check in – either online or in person – before I could use this kiosk to check in my luggage). This was inconvenient.Uh oh. My flight departs in exactly 49 minutes, and this baggage drop line isn’t moving quickly enough to help me meet that deadline. It was basically the closest I’ve ever been to ditching a suitcase in my entire life. Screw the clean underwear!I guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t ditch my underwear, because by the time I made it through the security checkpoint (by the skin of my teeth), the flight had been delayed by an hour and 45 minutes. *sigh*Gate 45? Really? Since when did Alaska Airlines start using Delta’s gates here in San Diego? You’d think that a guy who calls himself ‘SANspotter’ would know these things, wouldn’t you?Regardless of whether or not this technically qualifies as squatting, this Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 is my ride to Fort Lauderdale this morning.
The boarding process for flight number 354 to Fort Lauderdale
In Alaska’s defense, (according to the Flighty app) this flight to Fort Lauderdale departs San Diego early 42% of the time. On-time departures are at 34%. 45+ minute delays are only 4%. So yeah – there was less than a 5% chance of being an hour and 45 minutes late today. I almost feel as if I deserve an award of some kind for showing up on the one-in-a-million day that happens.
Nope, there ain’t many people left in the gate area when they get down to boarding group E. Bringing up the rear is what I do best!All I could think as I was walking down the jet bridge was how annoyed I would be if my luggage clean underwear didn’t make the flight. Even if they took the long way (via Tijuana), they no excuses not to get the luggage cart to this airplane on time!I do believe that this is about as close as you can get to being on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 without actually being on a Boeing 737 MAX 9. (The things you think about as the queue slowly inches forward).BTW, watching people recoil in fear as I walk down the aisle of an aircraft is as fun as it is insulting.
The seats
The thought of spending nearly 5 hours in Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 economy class was admittedly not that pleasant. After all, these are very basic economy seats. They’re very thin, quite narrow, and they lack video screens. I find them to be quite attractive though. I like the contrast of the dark blue and light gray materials.
Well, there you have it. These economy seats look exactly the same as the seats you saw in my Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 Premium Class review. My only hope is that the little twerp who sat behind me on that flight will not be sitting behind me on this one.Good news! Not only is the legroom fairly decent here in these economy seats, the person sitting behind me appears to be a well behaved gentlemen who knows to keep his feet out of the ass of the person sitting in front of him. Score!Yup. I’ve got the middle seat today. I mean, if I have to fly economy, I might as well go for the full experience.It’s a little cozy here in seat 21E. Looks like I’ll be sucking it in (while sucking it up) for the next 4 1/2 hours.It’s nice to see USB-A power outlets in the seat back head rests! given the sketchy beginnings of the 737 MAX, I didn’t care much to see the safety card so prominently displayed in the handy pocket though. Even more scary is the fact that this flight was exactly one week before an emergency exit door plug blew out on another Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9. Yikes.Hey now. It really *is* a handy pocket. And don’t you dare put anything in there other than literature!Yes, there are full-size electrical outlets too. See? Alaska Airlines doesn’t hate their economy class passengers that much.What do they call this? The ‘convenient’ pocket? Not only is this my demonstration of it, I’m also (very subtly) revealing my displeasure about the 1 hour and 45 minute delay. I love multitasking!Still boarding. At the very least, the people watching is pretty good from way back here in the bowels of the MAX 9.FYI, the salad exits are located up ahead on the left (just beyond that generously-sized overhead bin).This isn’t so bad actually. I know it’s still early in the review, and we haven’t even pushed off the gate yet, but…I think I’m going to survive this.
Our departure out of San Diego
It’s been a while since I’ve been stuck in the middle economy seat on a flight departing out of San Diego. The last time was in Delta A321 economy, and this felt a lot like that. Minus the horrific delay of course.
Finally pushing off the gate (while trying not to think about the fact that I’d probably be finished with my Alaska Airlines Signature Fruit and Cheese Platter by now if it weren’t for the delay).Is it me, or is it just a little warm in here? #middleseatlifeDid I mention that we’re an hour and 45 minutes late? We’re an hour and 45 minutes late.“I recommend flap setting 2.” Shockingly, the pilots didn’t request any of my help this morning. Their loss.Flap setting 2 confirmed. Fort Lauderdale here we come!
In-flight entertainment
Nope, there are no video screens in these seats. Watching video content will require connecting your personal device to the in-flight Wi-Fi – which, I’m happy to report is fast and stable. This was a completely full flight (with a majority of the other passengers streaming content as well), and I never once experienced a dropped connection (or annoying buffering).
If it’s in-flight entertainment you seek, connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi and let ‘er rip. This is the (quite festive) main menu.I ain’t got no beef with the Alaska Airlines streaming in-flight entertainment system. It’s easily good enough to make you forget about the fact that you’re sitting in a middle economy seat on a 4 1/2 hour flight.I appreciate the in-seat personal device holder! Size matters though, and I actually felt my manhood being threatened for showing up with such a tiny unit.Probably the main benefit of streaming in-flight entertainment is the fact that you will be forced to use your own headphones (which are likely to be much higher quality than what they would provide). AirPods Pro on an airplane FTW!
As it is with most other US airlines, messaging is free. You’ll still have extra for Wi-Fi that will allow you to browse the internet though (something that other airlines are providing for free nowadays).
Here’s a look at the in-flight streaming and Wi-Fi plans. Text messaging is free, but live streaming your Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX economy experience to the world is going to cost you.
Food and snacks
Light snacks and nonalcoholic drinks are complementary in Alaska Airlines economy class. Food is available for purchase as well. It’s important the note that the most substantial food items (such as that freaking awesome fruit and cheese platter) can only be purchased ahead of time via the Alaska Airlines mobile app or website.
Of course I pre-ordered the fruit and cheese platter! Every other item on this menu is inconsequential to me.Not only is the Alaska Airlines Signature Fruit and Cheese Platter some of the best food you’ll get on any airline in the US at the moment, pre-ordering it ahead of time means that you will be served first. They haven’t even started the snack service yet, and My Precious has been obtained.For maximum effect, play your favorite PornHub video in the background (at high volume) as you view this picture. I’m telling you – the fruit and cheese platter is that good.Caveat: the PornHub analogy works best with mainstream smut. Those of you into really kinky s**t probably won’t get the effect I intended.Don’t worry – paying for food is not required. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are still free (for now).
Seat comfort
I’m of the opinion that there’s no better way to try out a specific airline product than to do it on one of the longest route possible. This flight from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale clocked in at 4 hours and 4 minutes (4 hours and 34 minutes gate to gate), and you know what? I found the seat to be sufficiently comfortable. It was fine.
Never mind the intensity in which the woman in front of me is grasping at her headrest. These are fairly comfortable economy class seats IMHO.Aha! It turns out that she was just adjusting her headrest (and not dying a slow painful death).Seat recline? Well…you’re probably not gonna like how limited it is. I sure didn’t.Long time readers of SANspotter.com know that the best way to gauge whether an economy class product is comfortable or not is to look for dead bodies. I see none here. Therefore, I deem this to be good.I’m happy to report that the toilet is far less comfortable than my economy class seat. Sure, it’s a little more useful (and potentially more satisfying), but nowhere near as cozy.
The arrival into Fort Lauderdale
I honestly didn’t expect the sun to still be shining by the time we arrived. Not only was the forecast for rain, but I assumed we would be too late to see it at all. Regardless of how tardy we were, Mother Nature came through with a stunningly sweet South Florida sunset.
Pre-landing snacks! I wonder if pretzels and water is a traditional Fort Lauderdale combination? I only ask because of the fact that I was served a complementary Mai Tai prior to landing in Alaska Airlines 737-800 economy on a flight from San Diego to Kona once.Basically, we’re landing now, and I can’t see s**t.The hilarity of the fact that I just flew an Alaskan airline from California to Florida is not lost on me.I am also very much aware that I make the same stupid comment (or something similar) in every Alaska Airlines review that I write. I’m sorry, but it will never not be funny.That wasn’t so bad was it? Of course I’m referring to these economy seats – not my commentary.By the way, I highly recommend checking out my Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 first class review to find out how the other half lives. It’s disgusting.Thanks for reading! More importantly, thanks to Alaska Airlines for not killing me dead today. I appreciate it.
Pros and cons of the Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX economy experience
Whether you like it or not, chances are pretty good that you’re going to end up on an Alaska 737-9 MAX in the near future. They’re everywhere (and their numbers are only increasing). Based on my economy class experience on such a long route, you’ll be happy to know that it’s not something you need to avoid. I highly recommend giving it a go. You might like it.
Pros
Overhead bin space is excellent. Fear not bringing the biggest and baddest carry-on you have.
Legroom is pretty good (as far as US airlines go). It didn’t feel cramped to me at all.
Streaming in-flight entertainment is lightning fast and dead nuts reliable.
Cons
Substantial food (the good stuff) requires pre-purchasing before the flight. RIP to your grumbling belly if you forget.
There are no video screens in these seats. If you want to watch movies and/or TV shows, it will behoove you to bring a large tablet (or at least a plus-sized phone).
Your reviews are always entertaining, even when you’re trying to “polish the turd” of having to sit in coach. When saw the title of the review, I was hoping you weren’t on that 737 Max where the panel fell off the plane mid-flight, though I’m sure that would have been a flight…and a review for the ages! I’m surprised the inflight time was only 4 hours long. I do believe I’ve been on longer flights from the east coast to Dallas or from Chicago to LA. Anyway, Happy New Year and looking forward to another year of reading about your travels around the world.
Happy new year to you as well JCC! Yeah, as much fun as it is to write about long-haul business class, I find it easier (and more entertaining) to put together economy class reviews. Maybe it’s just because I get to complain without coming off as being snobby. 🙂
But yeah, we had some very favorable tailwinds that day. I flew the return on JetBlue four days later, and that clocked in at 5 hours and 12 minutes. I’m working on that review now…
Interesting! I can understand the AS aircraft, but UA is interesting (seems like they’d prefer to have it parked at one of their hubs somewhere instead).
“(…)chances are pretty good that you’re going to end up on an Alaska 737-9 MAX in the near future”
Um, Scott, I think one’s chances of ending up on an AS 737 MAX 9 are pretty low, unless they work for the NTSB or something. Haha
Anyway, other than that, this reminded me of my first and so far, only AS flight, MSY-SFO on an A320 way back in seat 29A (I think I said the same thing in your Premium Class review lol). The seats were similar and had the same decent amount of legroom and comfort, even on a 4-hour flight. My chosen form of IFE consisted of the magazine, which I liked and found to have a couple interesting articles. The streaming IFE looked pretty good too, based on what I saw from my seatmate(s)’s screens.
Also, this may sound weird, but I really liked Alaska Airlines’ branding (on their ads, magazine, etc). Something about it made the airline seem… friendly and customer-oriented. I know, it sounds weird lol.
Talk about bad timing, eh? Haha! I actually had this entire review written and ready to go the day the incident occurred. In the end, I decided that it was best to publish it as-is. Mostly because mentioning current events makes the review less relevant months down the road (when most people have forgotten about what happened).
The problem now is that there are probably not many people looking for AS 737 MAX 9 economy reviews at the moment. But I’ll be ready when they return! lol
And I totally understand what you’re saying about Alaska Airlines branding. They have an excellent marketing and branding team – everything they do feels far less stodgy and corporate than what we see American Airlines or United doing.
JCC
Scott,
Your reviews are always entertaining, even when you’re trying to “polish the turd” of having to sit in coach. When saw the title of the review, I was hoping you weren’t on that 737 Max where the panel fell off the plane mid-flight, though I’m sure that would have been a flight…and a review for the ages! I’m surprised the inflight time was only 4 hours long. I do believe I’ve been on longer flights from the east coast to Dallas or from Chicago to LA. Anyway, Happy New Year and looking forward to another year of reading about your travels around the world.
Scott (SANspotter)
Happy new year to you as well JCC! Yeah, as much fun as it is to write about long-haul business class, I find it easier (and more entertaining) to put together economy class reviews. Maybe it’s just because I get to complain without coming off as being snobby. 🙂
But yeah, we had some very favorable tailwinds that day. I flew the return on JetBlue four days later, and that clocked in at 5 hours and 12 minutes. I’m working on that review now…
Randy Preising
I would love to know if Alaska Airlines deliberately didn’t put passengers in the seats closest to the (not) plugged door.
Scott (SANspotter)
Me too! I’m no conspiracy theorist, but I also find it suspicious that there was no flight recorder data. A very odd situation indeed.
Randy Preising
The two hour overwrite is the same in Canada–ridiculous, IMO. It should be the same as European standards.
Kevin
FWIW, there were 4 of them parked at the FBO side of SAN yesterday. Plus one UA
Scott (SANspotter)
Interesting! I can understand the AS aircraft, but UA is interesting (seems like they’d prefer to have it parked at one of their hubs somewhere instead).
Peter
“(…)chances are pretty good that you’re going to end up on an Alaska 737-9 MAX in the near future”
Um, Scott, I think one’s chances of ending up on an AS 737 MAX 9 are pretty low, unless they work for the NTSB or something. Haha
Anyway, other than that, this reminded me of my first and so far, only AS flight, MSY-SFO on an A320 way back in seat 29A (I think I said the same thing in your Premium Class review lol). The seats were similar and had the same decent amount of legroom and comfort, even on a 4-hour flight. My chosen form of IFE consisted of the magazine, which I liked and found to have a couple interesting articles. The streaming IFE looked pretty good too, based on what I saw from my seatmate(s)’s screens.
Also, this may sound weird, but I really liked Alaska Airlines’ branding (on their ads, magazine, etc). Something about it made the airline seem… friendly and customer-oriented. I know, it sounds weird lol.
Scott (SANspotter)
Talk about bad timing, eh? Haha! I actually had this entire review written and ready to go the day the incident occurred. In the end, I decided that it was best to publish it as-is. Mostly because mentioning current events makes the review less relevant months down the road (when most people have forgotten about what happened).
The problem now is that there are probably not many people looking for AS 737 MAX 9 economy reviews at the moment. But I’ll be ready when they return! lol
And I totally understand what you’re saying about Alaska Airlines branding. They have an excellent marketing and branding team – everything they do feels far less stodgy and corporate than what we see American Airlines or United doing.