This summer is estimated to be the busiest on records. To show its guests its appreciation for their business this summer travel season Alaska Air will offer surprise upgrades to random passengers seated in Main Cabin. For those of you that often travel with a companion, don’t worry – they got you covered, too.
Alaska Airlines reports that this Memorial Day weekend saw 6% more travelers than last year, breaking yet another record. Moreover, the TSA reports that on Friday, May 24, they screened 2,951,163 passengers, which is the all-time single-day high. The previous record was around 2.8 million passengers in 2023. That’s insane! I guess revenge travel remains in full-force! As a token of gratitude, and to give some relief to the crushing crowds we’ll experience this summer, Alaska Air will offer surprise upgrades to a lucky few.
Alaska Air Will Offer Surprise Upgrades
From June 1 to September 2, 2024, Alaska Air will offer surprise upgrades to at least one lucky guest per day. That’s a pretty vague metric, but I’m guessing they’re only going to do this on a space-available basis and won’t be blocking seats for this promotion. At the low end, that means your odds of snagging one of these free upgrades is pretty slim, as Alaska Air operates an average of about 1,100 flights per day, and each mainline aircraft seats between 124 and 178 passengers.
Anyway, if you’re the luck chosen one, you’ll receive a notification via the Alaska Airlines app or via email. Better yet, if you’ve been chosen, you’re allowed to upgrade up to one travel companion, too.
So, what kind of upgrade do you get, anyway? Sorry, even though Alaska Air will offer surprise upgrades, they aren’t going to be crazy upgrades, like to first class. Rather, Main Cabin (and even Saver) passengers that luck out will receive an upgrade to Premium Class.
Alaska Air Premium Class
If you’ve never flown Alaska Air Premium Class before, it’s a great experience. No, it’s nothing like First Class, but it’s a big step up from Main Cabin, at least in my opinion. But, anyway, here’s the basics:
- 35″ of pitch versus the 31″ to 32″ you get in Main Cabin
- Complimentary drinks, including alcohol
- A/C power and USB power at every seat
- Priority Group B Boarding (with MVP)
- Reserved overhead bin space (not really enforced)
The cost of the upgrade varies, though I’ve typically paid $100 for it from Honolulu to Seattle/Portland/San Jose.
Whether all that is worth paying to you really depends on how much you value the benefits it comes with. For me, I value Premium Class for the early boarding and extra space. I sometimes take advantage of the free booze, but that’s rare, as I’m a lightweight.
Alaska Air Will Offer Surprise Upgrades, Final Thoughts
Honestly, Alaska Air’s whole Upgrade Unlocked promotions, which is when Alaska Air will offer surprise upgrades, seems like either a brilliant marketing move, or a futile attempt to gain additional business. The main problem, to me, is the ambiguity as to how many people can get the upgrades per day. “At least one guest” per day across Alaska’s entire system is an exceedingly small amount of upgrades, and no one is going to fly them just for that.
However, this whole venture could earn Alaska Air some brownie points. Passengers that receive the free upgrades could become free marketers for the airline, and could even convert some people into paid Premium Class customers. At any rate, we’ll see what happens.