I’d love to tell you that my recent 4.5 hour flight in Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 Premium Class was one of the most underrated air travel experiences I’ve had in a while, but I don’t think I could do that with a straight face. It was just OK.
Sure, the leg room was excellent. I appreciated the free alcohol (even though I didn’t take them up on it). Being in the first economy class group to board the plane was pretty sweet as well.
Honestly? Considering that I still had to pay for food in what was essentially a tiny (and notably firm) economy class seat, it left me feeling that I could’ve saved a few bucks and sat in regular economy instead. I’m basically too short (and sober) to fully appreciate the benefits of Premium Class.
AS777
San Diego, CA (SAN) – Washington DC (IAD)
Monday, August 28, 2023
Aircraft: 737 MAX 9
Registration: N936AK
Duration: 4 hours 34 minutes
Seat: 9A (Premium Class)
Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 (San Francisco Giants livery) side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.Our route from San Diego to Washington Dulles today as AS777.
My full review of Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 Premium Class from San Diego to Washington DC (IAD)
Those of you with eagle eyes (and a crap ton of ‘AvGeek’ in your soul) no doubt raised an eyebrow upon reading the flight number of this flight up above in the description. ‘777’ didn’t happen by accident. Here’s how it all went down:
In early 2023, Alaska Airlines announced new service from SAN to IAD.
United (the dominant – and only – airline on that route) was none too pleased to hear the news. In retaliation, they immediately announced that they would be upgauging one of their daily IAD flights to a Boeing 777-200 (with lie flat first class seats).
Alaska Airlines essentially said “bring it mofos!” while simultaneously announcing ‘777’ as the flight number for their new SAN-IAD service. Hilarity ensued, and the battle for IAD was on.
Arrival at the airport
I arrived at the San Diego International Airport exactly 2 hours before what would be my 3rd ever Alaska Airlines Premium Class experience. I didn’t need to arrive that early considering that I had checked in online (and I already had my boarding pass), but I’m of the opinion that it never hurts to be punctual.
Besides – had I waited, I’d just be sitting at home wishing that I was at the the airport instead. The grass is always greener, right?
Would it be a proper start to a San Diego based airline review without the morning sun burning my retinas? They don’t call it “Sun” Diego for nothin’.Shoutout to the San Diego Airport Authority for shielding us from those deadly UV rays here at the entrance to Terminal 2 East.Seems as if not everyone is a fan of all the sunshine though. “F**k this s**t! Pacific Northwest here I come!”This is the Alaska Airlines check-in area here in Terminal 2 East (I’ve already checked in online, so there’s no need for me to get any closer). Premium Class passengers don’t get their own dedicated check in line by the way.The worst part about flying Alaska Airlines in or out of San Diego? You’ll have to put up with the dated (and smelly) innards of Terminal 2 East.You’ll also run the risk of having your retinas scorched (again) when the window shades aren’t fully closed (which is often).Woohoo! The 737 MAX 9 taking me to Washington Dulles today is wearing the San Francisco Giants livery. Not that I’m a huge fan of the Giants or anything, but it’s never not fun to fly on airplane with colorful stickers plastered all over it.
The boarding process for AS777 to Washington Dulles
Alaska Airlines Premium Class passengers board with Group B. Not only does that require waiting until Group A (first class) boards, it requires additional patience for letting active duty military, families traveling with small children, and Alaska Airlines Plutonium-Crusted Elite passengers to go first.
Things are starting to happen here at Gate 24! They aren’t very exciting things, but they are things nonetheless.
Looking around the gate area led me to believe that it was going to be a fairly full flight. Perhaps Alaska Airlines has been holding their own against United? Well, read on. What you’re about to see might be cause for some concern…
Other than the gate agents announcing an aircraft swap from a 737 to an A380, is there anything more thrilling to a frequent flyer (or AvGeek) than hearing your group being called for boarding?Given the fact that I just watched half of the plane board before me just now, I should probably figure out how to become active duty military before my next flight. Pumping out a few kids might not be a bad idea either.A quick check of my flight log reveals that this is going to be my 4h Boeing 737-9 MAX experience since last year. These things are popping up everywhere!What the hell is that thing anyway? The “ta-daaa” pose (combined with how suspiciously overconfident he is about his lack of pants) is giving me the willies. No pun intended.Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 first class is good – but deadly. Let’s see if I can make it through the first class cabin without getting decapitated by these overhead bins…Premium Class (with slightly less deadly overhead bins).
A closer look at the Alaska 737 MAX 9 Premium Class seats
The simplest way to describe Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 Premium Class is to say that it’s essentially what you saw in my review of economy class on this very same aircraft (with extra legroom). Go ahead – call it premium economy if you want (especially since it comes with other perks such as free alcohol and priority boarding). Be warned though. The aviation community on social media is quick to correct annihilate anyone who refers to these seats as such. Tread carefully.
Row 9 is the last row of Premium Class here on the MAX 9 (I’ve got the window seat). Shoutout to the toddler sitting behind me who kicked my *** all the way the Dulles.Now that’s some serious leg room (even more than what you’ll get in Delta 757-200 Comfort Plus). It felt great, but I’m not gonna lie – as awesome as I thought this was, trading seats with the little monster sitting behind me did cross my mind. It’s basically identical to United Airlines 737 MAX 9 Economy Plus. Minus the scent of Stroopwafels of course.Looks like we’ve got a USB power outlet, a personal device holder, a safety card (much appreciated on the MAX 9), and one heck of a tempting Alaska Airlines credit card offer. It’s basically everything one would need for a comfortable and safe flight across the country.There’s even a full-size electrical outlet. Between this and the USB port that I just showed you, walking off this plane at IAD 5 hours from now with a nearly dead iPhone would be completely irresponsible of me.“This is nuts!” probably wasn’t the best thing to say out loud as I was taking this pic of the generous leg room (and apparently my junk).Pro tip: avoid the last row in Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX Premium Class. They haven’t even finished the welcome announcement yet, and the kick I just felt from behind knocked a kidney loose I think.Boarding complete! The load factor in today’s flight looks to be around 60%, so I can either move away from the kicking or shut the hell up about it (and take it like a man).Considering how much I’ve been looking forward to reviewing Alaska Airlines Premium Class, I guess I’ve got no choice but to be a man today (which may or may not involve kicking back).
The departure
Call me lucky (and maybe a little weird while you’re at it), but I’ve never once had a horribly delayed flight with Alaska Airlines. Today was no exception considering that we pushed off the gate several minutes early – which I can only assume was because of the light load factor. This flight was maybe 60% full (or 40% empty depending on how pessimistic you are).
Can you believe that we pushed off the gate 7 minutes early?I ask again: CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT WE PUSHED OFF THE GATE 7 MINUTES EARLY?! Apparently I’m the only one on this airplane who cares about Alaska Airlines on-time performance metrics.Oh well. It looks to be a beautiful morning for a flying, so I can’t be too upset about being the biggest dork onboard today.Here we go!I know it’s a little difficult to see because that big Leap-1B engine getting in the way, but the San Diego International Airport is looking as rad as ever.And yes, I do realize that you came here for a detailed review of the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 Premium Class experience, so please have patience as I post another pic of the scenery. Is it wrong to be so proud of my hometown?Last one I promise!
In-flight entertainment
Let’s start with the bad news first (since there’s not much of it). Basically, there are no video screens in these seats. With that out of the way, I’m happy to report that Alaska Airlines offers an extremely robust streaming in-flight entertainment service. Not only does it contain over 800 individual movies, TV shows, and audio tracks (music and podcasts), it’s freaking fast. No buffering!
This is the main menu for the free (streaming) entertainment and Wi-Fi options on this flight. They claim to have over 800 movies and TV shows on tap, but I’m lacking the motivation to verify the accuracy of that statement. There are limits to my nerdiness!
Like most US airlines these days, text messaging is free. You’re going to have to pay extra to access the Internet via Wi-Fi though.
Here’s a sampling of that vast catalog of content.It’s a surprisingly fast streaming service. Everything loaded instantly (with no buffering), to the point where I was almost tempted to see if they were bulls*****g about how much content they have. Almost.Because I know there’s at least one of you who is just dying to know what’s the weather is forecasted to be upon arrival at IAD.That same (oddly curious) person is also likely wondering why I was holding my phone instead of using this handy flip down device holder instead. This one’s for you!
The food situation
The main perk of Premium Class on Alaska Airlines is the free alcohol. Free non-alcoholic drinks and small snacks are also included, but you still have to pay extra for something off the menu. I recommend pre-paying for your selection several days before your flight via the Alaska Airlines app or website (just to be sure that you’ll get exactly what you want).
Although free alcohol is one of the perks of Premium Class on Alaska Airlines, food (anything more substantial than a snack) is going to cost extra. Like “let’s test the limits of my credit line” kind of extra.The free snack on today’s flight is Biscoff cookies (which I saved to potentially bribe the toddler behind me). “You take your foot out of my a**, and I’ll give you these cookies. Deal?”I chose a cup of water over the free alcoholic drink. In other words, the kicking wasn’t totally intolerable at this point.Behold the $7.50 Mediterranean Tapas Picnic Pack. FYI, I only chose this because they were sold out of the fruit and cheese plate (which is always awesome on Alaska Airlines).“I guess if the cookies don’t work, the sharp corners on this box might send the right message.”The contents of this snack pack reveals that maybe $7.50 was a fair price to pay for it. It’s not often that I don’t feel like I got ripped off after paying for airline food!Who at Alaska Airlines thought that a stinky bag of olives was a good idea? Apparently that person has never sat next to someone eating a stinky bag of olives on a flight before.Then again, with an open seat to my right and no desire to impress the person sitting behind me, avoiding the olives was (maybe) the wrong decision.The drink holder built into the tray table was very much appreciated by the way.
Seat (and cabin) comfort
As someone of average height (5’-10”), I found the extra legroom to be pretty nice – but not a total game changer. I could cross my legs with ease, and it wasn’t all that difficult to stretch my legs out straight in order to keep the blood flowing. But since it was just a basic economy seat anyway, I can’t classify it as a totally luxurious experience.
There is plenty of room to cross your legs in these seats if you’re under 6′ tall. And I wasn’t kidding about keeping the Biscoff cookies at the ready.Seat recline isn’t all that great though. On the other hand, it’s pretty awesome if you’re on the receiving end of it.A brief moment of peaceful solitude when mom took the little ones to the lavatory (to presumably let them kick the **** out of the toilet).The light load factor on today’s flight meant that I could’ve easily moved to a different seat if I wasn’t so hell-bent on doing a Premium Class review. These regular economy seats don’t look half bad actually.Suck in that gut! The aft lavatories here on the Alaska 737 MAX 9 don’t allow much room for maneuvering (or kicking).
The descent (and landing) at IAD
Did I miss an important press release or something? Since when did Washington DC change its name to “Gloom City”? It was basically clouds and fog all the way in, which was admittedly slightly better than what the captain had predicted 4 hours prior. He made it sound like we were headed straight into a hurricane or something. Anyway, despite the early departure out of San Diego, we arrived in Washington DC 4 minutes late.
The pre-landing snack. The only other time that I’ve been served braided pretzels on a flight was during my Sun Country 737-800 Best Seat experience, and let me tell ya – those pretzels kicked the **** out of these.The scenery was also much better on that Sun Country flight, so (for the moment) SY>AS.Technically, it wouldn’t be wrong of me to welcome you to Washington DC at this very moment. Realistically, we’re still a good 26 miles away from the city, so it’s a bit premature for the cheery greetings.I don’t believe I’ve ever taken a more “IAD” picture in my entire life.Here’s a nice view of the international lineup at Concourse B as we mosey on up to the gate. Nice!That moment at the end of the flight when you accidentally make eye contact with mom (in the row behind you) and can’t help but to say something stupid like “oh it was no problem at all – I barely felt anything!” I’ve told some lies to avoid awkward situations in my life, but that may be the biggest one yet.One last look at the generous leg room here in Premium Class as I make my escape from her demon spawn.No! Despite what this looks like, the guys in the orange vests standing at the door are not there to take your bags.And that’s a wrap! Thanks for coming along with me on Alaska Airlines flight number 777 from San Diego to Washington Dulles. Yes, a full review of United’s retaliation is coming next…
Pros and cons of the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 Premium Class experience
If I’m being honest, I would have to think really hard about choosing Premium Class over regular economy on my next Alaska Airlines flight. I rarely drink, so the free alcohol doesn’t really matter. I’m also not tall enough to fully appreciate the extra legroom. It was nice though. Hopefully the following pros and cons can help you decide if it’s right for you or not:
Pros
The extra legroom is something that most people are likely to appreciate (especially the ones over 6 feet tall).
Free beer! And wine, and whiskey, and gin, and scotch…(I think you get the idea).
The Boeing 737 MAX 9 is a long aircraft, so being able to sit near the front (thus allowing you to be one of the first off upon arrival at your destination) it’s a pretty nice perk.
Cons
Bring a credit card, because the food (other than a small snack) ain’t free.
The seats are exactly the same as the regular economy seats (firm, narrow, and uncomfortable on longer flights). Then again, maybe much of this discomfort can be offset by the free alcohol? Just thinkin’ out loud…
going a little nerdy here, but these economy seats seem to be the same type used by Virgin Australia and Bonza on their maxes down here. maybe it’s boeing’s standard seat for the max or something
No worries Luca – this is a nerd safe environment. 🙂 But yeah, I’m starting to see these seats all of the place as well. It’s all becoming a blur at this point…
Such a pleasure reading your reviews Scott. Your style is informative, friendly, funny and compelling. The photos are fantastic. Looking forward to your review of UA’s B777 on IAD-SAN. Any yes, as a fellow San Diegan (well, until I ended up in the OC) your civic pride is awesome.
On a side note, will congress ever allow SAN to have a flight to DCA?
On an unrelated note, my father, who still lives in San Diego, is flying Cayman Airlines weekly N/S from LAX-GCM today. One of the more random flights out there.
Thanks so much! Although it seems like these reviews take forever to put together, I really enjoy doing them. I’ll be starting the United 777–200 IAD-SAN review tomorrow! And yes, of course it’ll contain enough pics of San Diego to make it seem like I’m sponsored by the San Diego Chamber of Commerce or something.
I’d love to be able to take a nonstop flight from San Diego to DCA! I’ve only been there once, and that was long before I started doing airline reviews. I need to go back.
And I hope your father had a great flight! Cayman Airlines sounds like a neat little operation.
Thanks Scott,
That was fun! I love your wit! Have you ever done a Qantas review? I’m Australian and use to fly Qantas airlines all the time. I flew with them recently and was sort of disappointed. From the cramped seats (admittedly economy) to the ridiculous wooden cutlery and woke policies,(you probably don’t want to go into the latter) I had the feeling they were going down hill. Just my impression and maybe I’m just jaded as I sort of ‘grew up’ with this airline (showing my age lol). Anyhow, I really appreciated the trouble you go to. You do make it look fun though! Thank you Scott. Ronnie
You’re very welcome Ronnie! I’ve actually done two Qantas reviews (787-9 premium economy and 737-800 business class), but that was back in 2019. I definitely need to fly them again to see what has changed. Maybe next year!
I was confused by the term “premium class”. In fact, after reading the review, I was just about to say that this wins the award for single worst first class product…and then I went back and realized, “Oh, this is premium economy!”. Couldn’t they have at least provided a business class meal for the extra money? Oh well, at least the snack boxes are free.
I totally agree! A lot of other airlines use the word “premium” (or some form of it) as the name for their first class product, so it appears as if Alaska Airlines thanks a little too highly of their enhanced economy product. I guess we can’t blame them for being proud of it lol.
And just to be clear, no – the snack boxes are not free! I paid $7.50 for the one you see in this review.
This review kind of reminded me of my first (and so far, only) Alaska Airlines flight, MSY-SFO on an A320 back in 2019. Your caption about the regular Economy seats not looking half bad is correct. I remember not having any issues with seat comfort, and the seats themselves had all the useful & necessary features for a flight of that length (minus IFE screens).
As for Premium Class, well, it looks comfortable, but I’d only fly it if I can find a good deal, because I find AS’s standard Economy to be perfectly tolerable.
Also, I can’t be the only one who loves the look of the 737 MAX’s wing and engine!
You’re definitely not the only one Peter! I’m embarrassed to admit how many pictures I took of that dang winglet while in flight.
Anyway, yeah, there’s really no reason four people of average height to choose Premium Class on shorter flights IMHO. Free drinks are nice and all, but they aren’t exactly ‘free’ when you have to pay extra to sit in a marginally better seat.
Haha, glad to hear that I’m not alone! I really like the look of the large, flat-bottomed CFM Leap engine, and I think it goes very well with the winglet.
Luca
going a little nerdy here, but these economy seats seem to be the same type used by Virgin Australia and Bonza on their maxes down here. maybe it’s boeing’s standard seat for the max or something
Scott (SANspotter)
No worries Luca – this is a nerd safe environment. 🙂 But yeah, I’m starting to see these seats all of the place as well. It’s all becoming a blur at this point…
JNSD
Such a pleasure reading your reviews Scott. Your style is informative, friendly, funny and compelling. The photos are fantastic. Looking forward to your review of UA’s B777 on IAD-SAN. Any yes, as a fellow San Diegan (well, until I ended up in the OC) your civic pride is awesome.
On a side note, will congress ever allow SAN to have a flight to DCA?
On an unrelated note, my father, who still lives in San Diego, is flying Cayman Airlines weekly N/S from LAX-GCM today. One of the more random flights out there.
Scott (SANspotter)
Thanks so much! Although it seems like these reviews take forever to put together, I really enjoy doing them. I’ll be starting the United 777–200 IAD-SAN review tomorrow! And yes, of course it’ll contain enough pics of San Diego to make it seem like I’m sponsored by the San Diego Chamber of Commerce or something.
I’d love to be able to take a nonstop flight from San Diego to DCA! I’ve only been there once, and that was long before I started doing airline reviews. I need to go back.
And I hope your father had a great flight! Cayman Airlines sounds like a neat little operation.
William
It’s always a good day when sanspotter posts a new review! Nice flight btw. The fruit and cheese platter must have been good if it was sold out lol.
Scott (SANspotter)
Thanks William! Yes, the Alaska Airlines fruit and cheese platter is basically the GOAT. I’ve yet to see a better one on any airline!
Ronnie
Thanks Scott,
That was fun! I love your wit! Have you ever done a Qantas review? I’m Australian and use to fly Qantas airlines all the time. I flew with them recently and was sort of disappointed. From the cramped seats (admittedly economy) to the ridiculous wooden cutlery and woke policies,(you probably don’t want to go into the latter) I had the feeling they were going down hill. Just my impression and maybe I’m just jaded as I sort of ‘grew up’ with this airline (showing my age lol). Anyhow, I really appreciated the trouble you go to. You do make it look fun though! Thank you Scott. Ronnie
Scott (SANspotter)
You’re very welcome Ronnie! I’ve actually done two Qantas reviews (787-9 premium economy and 737-800 business class), but that was back in 2019. I definitely need to fly them again to see what has changed. Maybe next year!
JCC
I was confused by the term “premium class”. In fact, after reading the review, I was just about to say that this wins the award for single worst first class product…and then I went back and realized, “Oh, this is premium economy!”. Couldn’t they have at least provided a business class meal for the extra money? Oh well, at least the snack boxes are free.
Scott (SANspotter)
I totally agree! A lot of other airlines use the word “premium” (or some form of it) as the name for their first class product, so it appears as if Alaska Airlines thanks a little too highly of their enhanced economy product. I guess we can’t blame them for being proud of it lol.
And just to be clear, no – the snack boxes are not free! I paid $7.50 for the one you see in this review.
JCC
$7.50!! That’s messed up.
Peter
This review kind of reminded me of my first (and so far, only) Alaska Airlines flight, MSY-SFO on an A320 back in 2019. Your caption about the regular Economy seats not looking half bad is correct. I remember not having any issues with seat comfort, and the seats themselves had all the useful & necessary features for a flight of that length (minus IFE screens).
As for Premium Class, well, it looks comfortable, but I’d only fly it if I can find a good deal, because I find AS’s standard Economy to be perfectly tolerable.
Also, I can’t be the only one who loves the look of the 737 MAX’s wing and engine!
Scott (SANspotter)
You’re definitely not the only one Peter! I’m embarrassed to admit how many pictures I took of that dang winglet while in flight.
Anyway, yeah, there’s really no reason four people of average height to choose Premium Class on shorter flights IMHO. Free drinks are nice and all, but they aren’t exactly ‘free’ when you have to pay extra to sit in a marginally better seat.
Peter
Haha, glad to hear that I’m not alone! I really like the look of the large, flat-bottomed CFM Leap engine, and I think it goes very well with the winglet.