Seeking a greater slice of the lucrative premium market, Alaska Airlines plans to add more than 1,000 first and premium-economy seats across about 220 aircraft in its fleet. Seattle-headquartered Alaska Air Group disclosed on 17 July that it plans to expand the front cabins of 59 Boeing 737-900ERs, 79 737-800s and 80 737 Max 9s. Conversions are set to begin in September and continue into the summer of 2026, part of a strategy to capitalise on a “premium-leaning environment” in which most US discounters are struggling to turn profits. “We’re stepping up our premium exposure given the strength of demand and shift in guest preference toward this segment,” CE Ben Minicucci said during the company’s 18 July earnings call. “We’ll be adding six premium-class seats to our 737-900ER and Max 9 fleets, and four first-class seats to our 737-800 fleet, driving our total premium seat mix up three points to 20% when completed,” he adds. The changes will let Alaska sell 1.3m more premium seats annually. Revenue from Alaska’s premium segment increased 6% year on year and nearly reached $1b in the second quarter, a period that saw the carrier post a $220m profit. Doubling down on the segment will diversify Alaska’s revenue base, Minicucci says. “This is a dynamic industry that requires constant adaptation and course corrections.”<br/>