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How Alaska Airlines Boarding Groups Work

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Table of Contents

The Alaska Airlines boarding groups

How alaska's boarding groups are assigned, how to get alaska airlines priority boarding, does the alaska airlines visa signature® credit card offer priority boarding perks, final thoughts on alaska airlines boarding groups.

Alaska Airlines has a straightforward boarding process. If you have an upcoming flight, knowing the Alaska boarding groups in advance can help to make your flying experience less stressful.

Find out more about the airline's boarding process, so you're prepared for your trip and know when it's time to get on the plane.

How many boarding groups does Alaska have? Alaska Airlines has six boarding groups, making their boarding process relatively simple. These six groups will be able to get on the plane following those eligible for preboarding.

First-class ticketed passengers.

Travelers who can preboard include guests with disabilities or who need extra time to board, families with children under 2, and active-duty military members.

After preboarding is complete, first-class ticketed passengers are the first boarding group. Then the process continues, in alphabetical order, beginning with Group A and ending with Group E.

» Learn more: How to get cheap flights on Alaska Airlines

Your ticket type and your Mileage Plan membership level will determine your assigned boarding group. If you have elite status, you may be able to board sooner, no matter where you're seated on the plane.

You'll see your group assignment on your boarding pass. Alaska has display screens at the gate to help travelers know when it's their turn to board. The groups with a green check board, while groups in red will board soon.

Here is a detailed looked at Alaska's boarding groups and the eligibility for each.

I love Alaska Airlines and wish I could fly it more often. When I've been upgraded to first class, the seats haven't been amazing and the cabins tend to be on the older side, but the cabin crew are reliably friendly and attentive. The food options also tend to be a bit better quality than other domestic airlines.

I love finding an Alaska route where the Companion Fare saves me hundreds. Many people use them for flights to Hawaii, but I've had excellent experiences using them to fly to Alaska and around the Pacific Northwest. I always get priority boarding with Alaska, either from having the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card , a first-class ticket or elite status. Alaska tends to be very generous with upgrades, especially on shorter routes, in my experience.

Alaska Airlines is the most underrated airline in the U.S. The seats are comfortable, the service is good, and they offer tons of low-cost redemptions internationally, too. I have AAdvantage Gold status, which means I also get Oneworld Ruby status, which helps me get priority boarding (and the occasional complimentary upgrade) on Alaska Airlines flights.

Alaska Airlines has the best food and beverage selection out of all U.S.-based airlines. The service is usually very good, and miles redemptions with the Alaska Mileage Plan can provide a ton of value for international travel. I just redeemed Alaska miles for a flight on Finnair from Helsinki to JFK for only 27.5k miles! That's almost 4 cents per point in value! The Companion Fare that comes with my Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is very easy to use and has saved me thousands of dollars over the years on Alaska Airlines flights.

There are a few ways to get priority boarding privileges, like purchasing a premium-class ticket or having elite status with the airline. But those aren't the only options. Here are several ways to get on the plane sooner:

Qualify for preboarding

Fliers who qualify for preboarding get on the plane before all other travelers, including first-class passengers. So, if you are eligible, you can get settled in your seat before the regular boarding process begins.

Fly in a premium cabin

When purchasing a first- or premium-class ticket, you'll get priority boarding privileges, getting to board the plane before travelers with main cabin or saver seat tickets.

Not all Alaska Airlines aircraft have first-class or premium-class seating, so these classes of tickets may not be available for all routes.

Achieve elite status

Being a frequent Alaska flier has benefits — including the chance to achieve elite status through their Mileage Plan loyalty program.

If you have Mileage Plan Million Miler, MVP Gold 75K or MVP Gold status, you can board when Group A is called — right after first-class passengers.

Mileage Plan MVP members can board in the same group as premium class passengers during Group B boarding.

Flying with Alaska Airlines or its partners often could help you achieve elite status sooner.

Upgrade your ticket

Another way to get priority boarding is to upgrade your ticket before departure. Depending on your ticket type, you may be able to pay with cash or redeem miles. Upgrades start at as little as $5 for premium class and $23 for first class.

» Learn more: Is there a right way to exit an airplane?

Participate in an priority boarding promotion

Alaska Airlines has a reputation for throwing holiday-themed priority boarding promotions. These promotions encourage travelers to dress up by theme to earn priority boarding privileges.

In the past, the airline has celebrated May the Fourth along with Star Wars fans and has gotten into the holiday spirit by celebrating National Ugly Sweater Day. Keep an eye out for these promotions — you may be able to board sooner if you decide to participate.

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card didn't used to include priority boarding perks, unlike many other airline credit cards , but as of Jan. 18, 2023, you can get priority boarding for you and up to six guests on the same reservation along with free checked bags for you and each of those guests.

» Learn more: Is the Alaska Airlines credit card right for me?

The Alaska Airlines boarding process is simple and easy to follow. If you qualify for preboarding or have a first-class ticket, you'll be able to get seated early. Otherwise, you'll need to review your boarding pass to see which of the Alaska boarding groups you're part of to determine when you can board the plane.

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UponArriving

Alaska Airlines Boarding Groups Guide: Don’t Get Left Behind! [2023 Updates!]

In 2018, Alaska Airlines decided to change its boarding policy in favor of something more simplistic. The new policy changed the labels for boarding groups and made a few other tweaks. Then, in 2023 Alaska Airlines made more changes to the boarding policy allowing credit card holders to get priority boarding!

In this article, I will tell you everything that you need to know about Alaska Airlines boarding groups and exactly what to expect with the current boarding policy.

Table of Contents

Full list of Alaska Airlines boarding groups

The Alaska Airlines boarding groups include:

• Pre-boarding (Military, disabilities, unaccompanied minors, etc.)
• Priority Boarding (First Class, MVP Gold 100K)
• Group A (Million Milers, MVP Gold , and MVP Gold 75K)
• Group B (MVP members and guests in Premium Class seats )
• Group C (Alaska credit card holders)

Group D (Main cabin in the back)

Group e (main cabin in the front), group f (saver).

I will go into more detail about each of these groups below.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

How does Alaska Airlines boarding work?

The boarding process for Alaska Airlines is very similar to most other airlines, and I will break it all down below.

First, let’s start with choosing your seat.

After you input your personal details and making a booking, you should be prompted to select your seat. (In some cases the seat map may not be available.) The seat that you choose to select could end up affecting your boarding group and I will talk more about that below.

The next step is checking in at the airport.

Generally, for domestic flights, you want to arrive at least an hour before your flight’s boarding time if you’re not checking in bags and at least 90 minutes prior to your flight’s boarding time if you are checking bags (for inexperienced travelers, arriving two hours before departure is the standard). 

If you are an experienced traveler or are familiar with the airport and wait times of course you can arrive even later than the recommended times especially if you have  TSA Pre-Check  and/or  CLEAR .  

Personally, I like to arrive at the airport extra early to give me the least stressful experiences as possible. It also makes it easier to enjoy airport lounges such as Alaska Lounges .

After you check in, you will have a paper boarding pass or you may have pulled up your boarding pass on the Alaska Airlines mobile app.

Personally, I like to have both a paper and a digital boarding pass. That way, if I lose the paper pass I have a digital copy of it and if my phone malfunctions or freezes up, I have a paper pass I can pull out.

If you have an issue with your boarding pass at the time of boarding, you will have to be pulled aside and you could lose your overhead storage bin space so it’s a good idea to have a back up plan.

Here’s what the boarding pass will look like compared to how the old boarding passes looked.

Alaska Airlines states that they want you to arrive at the gate 40 minutes prior to departure so that should be your goal at a minimum.

If you want to know your estimated boarding time, you should be able to find this on your boarding pass as shown above.

Just be aware that the departure time is subject to change, so make sure that you always verify the departure time with what is displayed on the flight monitors.

Boarding times may change depending on the route and aircraft and other factors at play but generally you can expect the boarding process to be announced around 30 to 40 minutes prior to departure.

This is not officially when boarding begins but this would be a good time to get ready to head over to the gate if you were not already there. As Alaska states, “This is your cue to gather your things and be ready, but you don’t need to move to line up.”

At about 30 minutes prior to departure, that’s when you can expect the pre-boarding to begin. And then, each group will be called up successively, possibly in five minute increments although it depends on how quickly or slowly passengers are processed.

Once you arrive at the gate and it is time for boarding, simply pay attention to the signs and they will guide you through the boarding process.

First, make sure that the sign contains your exact flight information such as your flight number and route.

Then just take a look at the left side of the screen. This will tell you the group that is now boarding. On the right side of that, you will see checkmarks for other groups that have boarded and that are currently boarding. If you belong to one of those groups that have already boarded, you should be allowed to board at that time.

Some signs may not show the now boarding group on the left and in those cases just look for the green checkmarks to see what groups are currently boarding or that have boarded.

Boarding groups explained

Alaska Airlines has a reputation for not strictly enforcing boarding groups. This has allowed people to board ahead of their designated boarding groups which sounds great except that it can lead to a disorderly process.

Therefore, I would advise our passengers to try to follow the published boarding group guidelines as much as you can simply to avoid confusion.

Pre-boarding

Unaccompanied minors.

Unaccompanied minors are children who are 5 to12 years old and traveling without a parent, legal guardian or someone who is at least 18 years old. There are special rules regarding traveling as an unaccompanied minor and you can read more about those here. 

Related: Ultimate Preboarding Guide: Who Qualifies & What the Law States

Customers with disabilities

If you have a visible disability (such as being in a wheel chair, on crutches, etc.), you will be able to board without questions. However, if your disability is not readily apparent it may be a good idea to notify the gate agent that you want pre-boarding.

Remember, you are able to self-identify that you need preboarding.

Related:   Guide to Visiting Airports & Flying with Vision Impairments .

Active members of the military

Alaska Airlines will allow active members of the military to board during pre-boarding.

On occasion priority boarding has also been offered to retired military members although that is a special scenario that may be tied to special occasions such as Veterans Day.

Related:  Check out all of the  benefits military members can take advantage of when flying .  

Priority Boarding

If you are flying first class on Alaska Airlines then you can expect to be the first to board right after pre-boarding.

Don’t forget, first class passengers get other perks like free checked baggage .

Also, if you hold elite status as an MVP Gold 100K member you can board with Priority Boarding.

If an aircraft does not have a first class cabin then group boarding for those flights will just begin with Group A.

Group A (Million Milers, MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K, 100K)

Group A will consist of the two top levels of elite status which include Million Milers, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold.

If you are wondering about the requirements for obtaining elite status with Alaska Airlines here are the requirements:

If you are boarding with a partner or spouse who does not have elite status and therefore has a lower boarding group, many times they can board with you.

It’s not an official policy but there are many reports of elite members pulling their partners along to board with them even when their partners have a lower boarding group.

Just try to do this within reason.

If you have an entire group of people with you then you are much more likely to cause an issue. This is even true if everybody is on the same itinerary.

By the way if you’ve earned a lot of Alaska miles and need some ideas on how to best redeem them be sure to check out our best uses of Alaska Airline miles.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Group B (MVP members and guests in Premium Class seats)

If you are on the lowest level of elite status known as MVP , you will board with Group B.

Also, those individuals in Premium Class seats get to board with Group B.

Group C is where you will board if you hold an Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card (personal or business). Just remember, you need to use your Alaska credit card to purchase your ticket!

If you are flying economy and your seat is towards the back of the plane then you will board in Group D.

Where exactly the “cut off” is for seats in the back depends on the type of aircraft you are flying on since some aircraft will have many more rows of seats.

But if you are trying to get into Group D, I would recommend choosing a seat beyond the emergency exit rows, beginning around row 20. If you really want to be on the safe side, you could go even further with a seat around row 25.

If you are flying economy and your seat is towards the front of the plane then you will board in Group E.

Don’t despair if you find yourself in this group because you still have a chance to secure overhead storage bin space .

We recently had Group E boarding and were pretty worried about having space for our luggage but it turns out we were perfectly fine.

With that said, I would try to get ahead of the line because by the time they got to Group D, Groups E&F were practically merging together and boarding so it helps if you can try to get ahead of that.

Otherwise, you may get left behind!

The final passengers to board the plane will always be those who have purchased saver fares. These are the cheapest type of tickets available on Alaska Airlines.

Keep in mind that if you purchase a saver fare, you may not be able to select your seat. So if you are flying with other individuals and you want to sit together, this is not a great ticket good.

When boarding groups don’t matter

Your Alaska Airlines boarding group may not matter at small airports which can be common in places like Southeast Alaska.

For example, we flew first class out of Gustavus airport which is a tiny little single building terminal.

They did not have the room for a traditional boarding process and so it was more of a first come, first serve boarding process. So don’t expect to take advantage of your boarding perks at smaller airports.

Related: How to Get to Gustavus, Alaska (Glacier Bay)

Alaska Airlines boarding groups FAQ

Alaska Airlines will board in the following order: Pre-boarding (Military, disabilities, unaccompanied minors, etc.) Priority Boarding (First Class, MVP Gold 100K) Group A (Million Milers, MVP Gold , and MVP Gold 75K) Group B (MVP members and guests in Premium Class seats ) Group C (Alaska credit card holders) Group D (Main cabin in the back) Group E (Main cabin in the front) Group F (Saver)

There are a total of eight boarding groups if you include preboarding and priority boarding.

You can easily locate your boarding group on your boarding pass. See the image above for details.

Different groups may qualify for pre-boarding including active military members, those with disabilities, and unaccompanied minors.

There have been reports of apparent glitches in the boarding group issuance process. If you are given a boarding group that does not correspond to your elite level status simply call Alaska Airlines or meet with an agent at one of the counters to fix the issue.

Alaska Airlines will play music during the boarding process but the tunes are always changing. You can find their latest playlists here.

Yes, the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card allows you to board with Group C if you use the card to pay for your flight.

If you are flying on regional flights (such as with Horizon Air) then your flight may be boarded from doors located at the front and back of the plane. This typically will not be used for 737s.

Portland Timbers fans can still get priority boarding but only at Portland International Airport (PDX) when wearing Timbers jerseys or gear. Some have even commented that a simple scarf can work. Read more here.

Alaska Airlines states: “To better allow for personal distancing, boarding procedures have been updated so guests board by row numbers in smaller groups from the back to the front.” Since Alaska already boarded from the back this is not a huge change but they will be segmenting groups into smaller groups now. If you have priority boarding and would like to board first, speak with an agent about doing so since some agents may not call priority boarding first.

As you can tell, the boarding policy is very simple and straightforward for Alaska Airlines. It seems like Alaska is pretty lax when it comes to allowing others to board with you when you have a higher boarding pass so that is something to keep in mind. And while gate agents me be lax on the order of the boarding groups, it’s a good idea to follow the boarding procedures as closely as possible.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo . He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio .

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Alaska Airlines partners with Expedia Group to launch Stays by Alaska Vacations, offering exclusive deals on over 900,000 properties, with the ability to earn and redeem miles.

Alaska Mileage Plan members earn 1 mile per dollar on bookings, with Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® cardholders earning an extra 3 miles per dollar spent on eligible stays.

Enjoy preferred redemption rates, generous loyalty benefits, and seamless travel planning with access to flights, hotels, and vacation rentals through this partnership.

Alaska Airlines is teaming up with Expedia Group to introduce Stays by Alaska Vacations , a platform where guests can explore exclusive deals on more than 900,000 unique hotel and vacation rental properties, all while earning and redeeming miles through Alaska’s industry-leading loyalty program. 

Starting today, our guests can begin to take advantage of top deals on accommodations around the world through Stays by Alaska Vacations . For our most loyal customers, we’re rewarding them for every dollar they spend: Alaska Mileage Plan members will earn one mile per dollar on all Stays by Alaska Vacations bookings. Plus, Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® cardholders will earn an additional three miles per dollar spent on eligible pre-paid stays. 

“ Stays by Alaska Vacations combines convenience and affordability, by giving our guests access to Expedia Group’s vast inventory and unlocking special savings while earning status on an award-winning airline. Through this partnership with Expedia Group, we’re empowering our guests with choices for every part of their trip — from flights to where they’re staying. It’s a testament to our shared commitment to enhancing the travel experience.”  

Managing Director of Business Development and Products at Alaska Airlines

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Alaska Airlines, underscoring our commitment to seamless, end-to-end traveler experiences backed by proven, reliable tech. Powered by our White Label Template solution, Stays by Alaska Vacations unlocks our robust lodging supply and offers incredible value for Alaska Mileage Plan members to earn and redeem miles across various trip elements,” said Stephen Cheng, vice president of strategic partnerships at Expedia Group.

We’re making it a breeze for our guests to plan their next trip through our partnership with Expedia Group. Earlier this year, we announced the launch of Packages by Alaska Vacations , where guests can take advantage of package-only discounts on airfare, hotel rates, car rentals and activities. The travel portal, which is powered by the travel tech leader, allows our guests to easily customize and bundle their vacation packages, all while saving money and earning miles every step of the way.

The benefits of group travel are enormous, regardless of whether you're planning a group holiday, a corporate retreat, or a family reunion. Because of this, a lot of people rely on Alaska Airlines for their group travel needs. Alaska Airlines is the best option for your group travel because it offers a variety of special advantages and discounts designed for parties of 10 or more. Let's explore the many Alaska group travel choices and how to get the most out of them.

Does Alaska Airlines Offer Group Travel?

Of course! Alaska Airlines takes pleasure in offering choices for group travel to parties consisting of 10 or more people. Booking an Alaska Airlines group travel ticket guarantees that everyone in your group may travel together, improving the overall trip experience while keeping expenses under control. Additional benefits of these group tickets include priority boarding and check-in, discounts, and access to special reward programs.

Advantages of Group Ticket Booking with Alaska Airlines

Alaska group booking offers the following special advantages:

• Take advantage of discounted ticket prices to further reduce the cost of your group travel.
• Take advantage of priority boarding and check-in, guaranteeing your group's quick and easy travel.
• Be eligible for rewards programs offered by Alaska Airlines, which allow you to accrue points that may be exchanged for future travel.

By completing the Alaska group reservation you not only save time and money but also provide your group with the advantage of rewards programs for future travel.

How To Schedule Non-Stop Alaska Airlines Group Travel?

Alaska Airlines provides a special non-stop group travel option for groups of 10 or more. This service makes it easier to plan group activities by enabling groups to reserve a single flight and travel together to their destination. Furthermore, Alaska Airlines offers appealing group airfare savings, which makes it an affordable way to guarantee that everyone gets to their destination on time.

Flight Schedules and Options

For group travel, Alaska Airlines offers a wide variety of flight schedules and alternatives. Select from a range of departure times and locations to ensure that your group arrives at the same time. Additionally, the airline makes it easy to connect from various airports, which allows your party to travel together and save money and time.

Different Group Options with Alaska Airlines

Whether you're planning a group vacation for your friends, family, or company, Alaska Airlines has a variety of group travel alternatives to meet your needs. Together, we can investigate these choices to determine which one best suits your group.

Travel Together

For passengers arranging group travel, Alaska Airlines offers a Group Travel Programme. This program offers attractive savings and exclusive deals together with the convenience of booking up to 10 tickets in one transaction. A minimum of 10 passengers must travel on the same itinerary to be eligible for this program. After confirmation, call Alaska Airlines group travel phone number, to finalize your travel plans.

Travel Separately

If your group would rather book individual tickets, Alaska Airlines can accept groups of 20 or more people traveling in various directions but arriving at the same place. Take advantage of the advantages of group pricing, which include attractive savings of up to 25% on some flights for parties of six or more people, and up to 20% for groups of four or more.

Charter Flights

Alaska Airlines provides charter flights for larger parties looking for a cohesive travel experience. Choosing this option guarantees that all members of your group will travel together and is a more economical option than purchasing several separate tickets. A minimum of 15 people are needed for charter flights, and you can select from a range of itineraries and destinations to fit your interests.

How to Reserve Group Travel with Alaska Airlines?

Find out all the details on how to make an Alaska Airlines group booking. Then, follow these steps to book flights for 10 or more people with ease.

• Start by opening any web browser and going to Group Travel Alaska Airlines official website.
• Go ahead and choose "Book" and provide the required information.
• Select "Find Flights" to view the available flight schedule.
• Select the flight that you want and add extra choices like upgrade to Alaska Business Class seats, add luggage, if you like. 
• Pay the remaining balance on the group travel reservation.
• Wait for Alaska Airlines to send you a confirmation email once you've paid.

If you run into any problems when purchasing group tickets for Alaska Airlines, give the customer support hotline a call to speak with an agent. Alaska Airlines offers accessible and reasonably priced group travel for discovering new places. Consider all of your alternatives and make sure they meet the demands of your group while organizing your vacation.

Planning a team tour journey with Alaska Group Travel is a beneficial experience, supplying convenience, savings, and the pleasure of shared moments. By following this complete guide, you are well-equipped to navigate the reserving process, manipulate your group journey needs, and create cherished recollections that will last a lifetime.

Get equipped to take a flight with Alaska Airlines and embark on a first-rate experience together.

Can you Get Group Discount on Flights?

What is the best way to fly with a large group, how do i contact alaska airlines group travel, what is the phone number for alaska airlines group reservations, leave your review.

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Alaska Airlines

Partnering for the greater good. The UW's partnership with Alaska Airlines strengthens our vision to serve Washington and the world. By combining our energy, passion, and shared values, we are building stronger communities together. 

To view more information related to Alaska Airlines and the UW, visit  this page!  

Discount Offers:

Uw's alaska airlines corporate discount, washington state's alaska airlines contracted fares, alaska fast track program.

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• Registration extended through 12/31/2024.
• Click the link above for access

UW-Alaska Airlines Corporate Discount

The UW has an  Alaska corporate discount  which can be utilized by booking with a UW-contracted travel agency. For more information regarding UW travel agencies and how to register, please visit our  how to book page . 

Preferred Seat Selection  — 

When your travelers book a Main Cabin ticket, they will now have access to reserve a Preferred seat.  While these preferred seat rows vary by aircraft, they are the seats towards the front of the Main Cabin, behind our Premium Class.  To reserve one of these seats, Go to Manage Trip on www.alaskaair.com OR Alaska app and select your seat.

Priority Boarding — 

Your travelers will be able to board early, in Boarding Group B, which means earlier access to overhead bins for their carry-on bags.  

Priority during Irregular Operations  —

Things like weather just happen and when it does, we need to make last minute changes to our scheduled flights. On flight disruptions that occur days and up to 1 hour of departure time, our system will automatically give corporate travelers a higher priority in being re-accommodated on another flight. 

These benefits will be available on all Alaska Airlines flights, including those flights operated by Horizon Air and SkyWest.

To view a larger image, please click photo. 

Washington State-Alaska Airlines Contracted Fares

The UW also has access to Alaska Washington State contracted fares. These fares may be booked through a UW-contracted travel agency or Alaska's EasyBiz Program. For more information and how to book, please visit  this page . 

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Alaska Airlines Review – Seats, Amenities, Customer Service, Baggage Fees & More

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Table of Contents

Key takeaways, ticketing options, alaska airlines frequent flyer program, alaska airlines baggage fees and other fees/add-ons, how to avoid paying excess fees and travel expenses, alaska seat specs and inflight amenities, alaska airlines customer satisfaction, charity partnership, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

• Alaska Airlines is known for excellent customer service and a generous loyalty program that offers substantial value, especially for partner airline redemptions.
• The airline offers First, Premium, and Main Cabin seats. Seats located in Main Cabin and Premium Class recline 3 inches on all aircraft.
• Saver tickets are of great value as they include a personal item and a carry-on, but they do not allow changes.

Frequently named “Best U.S. Airline” by many awards that passengers vote on themselves (including Condé Nast Traveller, Kayak, etc.), Alaska Airlines provides great service and has a very loyal customer base.

If you’re looking to fly Alaska for a future trip, then continue reading to find out all you need to know about baggage allowances, its frequent flyer program (Mileage Plan), fees and extras, cabin amenities, and more.

Airline: Alaska Airlines Alliance: Oneworld Category:  Major U.S. carrier Frequent Flyer Program: Mileage Plan Tag Line:  “Creating an airline people love” About/Mission Statement: “Our goal is to always provide safe, reliable transportation for a reasonable price, along with the caring, friendly and professional service that we are known for.” ¹ Daily Flights: 1,200 Fleet:  289 Main Hub:  Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Destinations:  115

Alaska Airlines has clear-cut ticketing options with 3 fare types available to book.

If you’re flexible on dates, then Alaska’s handy low-fare calendar view will display the cheapest fares 3 days before and 3 days after your search date — or you can view a full month of the lowest fares.

Saver (Most Restrictive Fare): 

• No seat selection
• 1 personal item and 1 piece of carry-on
• Last boarding status
• No changes permitted
• Mileage Plan elite status members receive bonus miles, priority boarding, check-in benefits, and baggage allowance, but do not receive preferred seating, or upgrade benefits with Saver fares

Main (Standard Economy): 

• Seat selection free of charge (unless upgrading to Premium Class)
• Changes permitted for no additional fee
• All Mileage Plan elite benefits apply

First Class:

• Seat selection free of charge
• On select itineraries of 2,100 miles or more, access to the Alaska Lounge
• Priority boarding status
• All Mileage Plan Elite benefits apply

Mileage Plan is the loyalty program for Alaska Airlines. As part of the Oneworld alliance, you can earn valuable miles flying with airlines such as British Airways and Cathay Pacific.

When earning miles flying Alaska, it is among the most generous frequent flyer programs, awarding a mile for a mile . There are also many other ways of earning miles  from everyday activities like shopping , dining,  or staying in a hotel.

Hot Tip: To find out more about how to earn elite status with Alaska , check out our in-depth article.

Baggage Fees

Carry-on allowance.

All passengers can bring 1 personal item and 1 standard carry-on bag for free.

Size Restrictions: Alaska does not disclose size restrictions for a personal item. Standard carry-on should not exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches.

Lap Infant Carry-on Policy: A diaper bag (or similar) will count toward the ticketed adult passenger’s carry-on allowance. Lap infants receive no carry-on allowance.

Stroller Gate Check Policy:  Alaska transports strollers or infant car seats free of charge as checked baggage, either at point of check-in or at the gate.

Checked Baggage Allowance

Max Weight of Each Piece: 50 pounds (23 kg)

Max Linear Dimensions: 62 inches (158 cm)

Alaska applies seasonal baggage limits on the number of checked bags a passenger can bring.

Additional/Excess Baggage Fees

Additional Luggage (3+ bags): $100 per bag Overweight Fee: $100 for bags 51 to 100 pounds (23 to 45 kilograms) Oversized Fee: $150 for bags 63 to 115 inches (158 to 292 centimeters)

If a bag is both overweight and oversized, the fee is charged only once.

View Alaska’s policy on special luggage such as sports equipment and musical instruments.

Hot Tip: Check out our post on Alaska Airlines baggage fees and how to avoid paying for them, which details credit cards that reimburse you for checked baggage fees and waivers/exclusions for frequent flyers.

Other Fees and Add-Ons

Reservation and service fees.

By Phone: $15 (free for MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold 100K members)

Paper Itinerary Charge: $5

Ticket Receipt Request Research Time: $20

Partner Award Booking: $12.50

Change Fee:  $0 + fare difference. If the new ticket is cheaper, you may be eligible for credit or a refund depending on your ticket terms and conditions. Saver fares are not eligible for changes.

Same-day Change: $50; $25 if traveling within California, or shuttle flights between Portland and Seattle, Anchorage and Fairbanks, or Spokane and Seattle (free for MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold 100K members)

Cancellation : $0 (except for Saver fares, which cannot be canceled)

Exclusions/Waivers:

• Free same-day changes and ticket changes for MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold 100K members.
• The same-day change fee is waived for customers booked in refundable coach (F, D) or refundable first (Y, Z) fare classes.
• Passengers traveling as part of a vacation package are not eligible for same-day confirmed changes. Any changes must be made by calling 844-762-0087.

Seat Selection Fees

You do not have the option to select a seat if you purchase a Saver fare. Otherwise, there is no charge for seat selection with Alaska (unless you opt to upgrade to Premium Class).

Premium Class Upgrade

Once you’ve selected your Main Cabin fare, you can choose to upgrade to Premium Class seating from $15 (depending on flight route, with the exception of the Saver fare, as mentioned).

Wi-Fi : $8, no matter the flight length

Onboard Refreshments

Inflight Meals and Snack Boxes: $7.50 to $10.50

Beer, Wine, and Cocktails: $8 to $12

You can reserve your food in the Main Cabin before your flight using the Alaska Airlines app .

There are a number of credit cards that will reimburse you for excess fees and travel expenses.

A great option here is to use one of the Alaska Airlines co-branded credit cards, either the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature ® Credit Card or Alaska Airlines Visa ® Business Credit Card, as both cards offer a free checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to 6 other guests on the same reservation.

If you regularly check bags, holding an Alaska credit card can easily save you up to $60 per passenger, per trip! Plus, your Alaska credit card will give you 20% back on all inflight purchases, like Wi-Fi and beverages, on Alaska flights.

Your travel rewards card may also include an annual travel/airline credit that could help offset excess fees.

Alaska Airlines has a fairly young fleet of 289 aircraft, including its standard and colorful commemorative planes.

We’ve listed some seat specs below to give you an idea, but Alaska does not publish these on its website.

All seats within the Main Cabin and Premium Class recline 3 inches, and you can view the general aircraft configurations and seat counts on Alaska’s website .

Inflight Amenities

First Class

• Spacious Recaro leather seats with a 40-inch pitch (depending on the aicraft) and generous recline
• Power sockets
• Quilted blankets
• Freshly prepared meals (flights over 675 miles) plus premium wine, spirits, and craft beer
• Wi-Fi (fee applies) with free texting
• Dedicated flight attendant for the cabin
• Alaska Beyond Entertainment to stream to your personal device

Premium Class

• 4 extra inches of legroom than Main Cabin
• Recaro leather seats
• Early boarding (before Main Cabin)
• Power socket
• Complimentary soft drinks, cocktails, wine, beer, and snacks

Main Cabin (Economy)

• Leather seating with 6-way adjustable headrest
• 31 to 32 inches of legroom
• Most seats have a power socket
• Complimentary soft drinks and snacks

Hot Tip: View our article on  Alaska Airlines’ boarding policy so that you’ll know when it’s your turn to board the plane. 

Overall, passengers have a lot of love for Alaska Airlines. Customer service is at the heart of this, with Alaska receiving praise for its friendly, helpful flight attendants and proactive customer service team.

Alaska’s loyal customers regularly take to social media to thank the airline for its continuing service and are quick to defend their favorite carrier from comments by critical customers.

However, Alaska’s Saver fare is causing a few issues for some customers who are used to the flexibility in changing tickets. But Alaska makes it very clear when purchasing a Saver ticket that changes are not permitted , so it can’t really be held accountable here.

Actually, these tickets are some of the most generous basic fares out there, allowing both a personal item and carry-on plus the opportunity to earn miles (which isn’t the case with budget fares for other major U.S. airlines). Alaska customers will probably be raving about the savings soon enough!

Most Common Complaints

26 complaints were lodged against Alaska Airlines for March of 2023, according to the March 2023 Air Travel Consumer Report . These are the complaints broken down by category:

• Flight problems (cancellation, delay, or misconnection): 2
• Customer Service: 1
• Disability: 2
• Reservation, ticketing, boarding: 1
• Refunds: 17
• Oversales: 0
• Discrimination: 0
• Advertising: 0

Consumer Rankings, Ratings, Etc. 

There are websites out there for airline ratings based on customer reviews. Here are a few of the most popular ratings, so you can see the general consumer opinion for Alaska Airlines.

Skytrax Ranking : 3 Star Airline (out of 5)

Skytrax Customer Rating : 4/10 (average from 936 reviews)

TripAdvisor Airline Review Rating : 4/5 (average from 16,938 reviews)

Kayak Customer Rating : 7.5/10 (average from 5,196 reviews)

Safety and Performance

AirlineRatings.com Safety Rating :  7/7 (factors in whether the airline holds an IATA Operational Safety Audit Certification, in addition to utilizing government and crash records and information from the World’s Aviation Governing Body)

Recent Awards

Condé Nast Traveller : 2018 Best U.S. Airline

Newsweek: 2023 America’s Best Customer Service

Kayak : Traveler Favorite 2019 Best Airline

FlyerTalk : 2020 Best Rewards Program

Air Quality Rating : No. 1 U.S. Airline 2018

Alaska is as generous as it is friendly when it comes to philanthropic giving. In the last 5 years, it has made over $45 million in donations supporting disaster relief projects, youth/education, and community outreach.

It encourages its employees to get involved by donation matching and allowing volunteer time, and it allows its Mileage Plan members to donate miles to a choice of charities.

There’s growth on the horizon for Alaska, with an even more expanded partnership with American Airlines, new MileagePlan partnerships, and new route announcements. Given all of that, there has never been a more exciting time to be an Alaska Airlines flyer!

The information regarding the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature ® credit card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding Alaska Airlines Visa ® Business Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

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Alaska Airlines Group Booking- Get discounts

Many people love to travel in large groups. They are always in search of an airline offering the best bargain on group travel. If you are one of those who believes in group traveling, then you must book your future journey with Alaska Airlines. The airline is offering incredible group packages, helping thousands to explore the world in groups.

With Alaska Airlines Group Travel, you can fly with ten or more people on the same itinerary without worrying about the charges. Be with this helpful guide that explains the group travel guidelines in layman’s terms.

What Is The Best Way To Book A Group Ticket With Alaska Airlines?

You can book a group to travel with Alaska Airlines online or through their customer service. The airline values passenger situations and allows them to book tickets directly on the website. However, the number of passengers is limited to 7 adults, which may not be ideal for making group bookings.

People who need to travel in large groups of 10 or more need to submit the Alaska Airlines Group Booking form by communicating with a travel agent. You can get connected to the team by executing the following steps:

• Dial the Alaska Airlines Group Travel Phone Number based on your location.
• Implement the steps guided by the IVR system.
• Select the correct option to get connected with the available agent.
• Share your requirements with the team while stating the reason behind group booking.
• The agent will check available options and get you the best bargain available.
• Pay associated charges to gain a confirmation mail on your registered email ID.

Please Note

• Passengers making group bookings for special events like marriage will get more discounts. Share event details and the team will find all exclusive deals available for you.
• Alaska Airlines offers huge discounts for Corporate bookings. Notifying the airline in advance will help them make all necessary arrangements.

See Also: How to Change Flight Booking on Alaska?

What is the alaska airlines group reservations desk number.

Contacting the group booking department is the easiest way to make reservations for 10 or more people. However, if you encounter any difficulties or are looking for in-person support, speak to the team by visiting the Alaska Airlines Group Travel Helpdesk, which is present in all major airports.

Reach the dedicated desk at +1-800-445-4435 and speak to the customer service team to finalize your group bookings. The airline also asks you to submit a group travel form mentioning passenger information and contact details. Share the reason for group booking, it enhances your chance to get the best bargain.

How to make a group booking at the airport?

Executing the steps discussed here will allow you to make a group booking at the designated airport. Before initiating the process, make sure you are carrying all required documents.

• Reach the nearest airport.
• Mark your way to the Alaska Airlines counter.
• Submit the group booking form mentioning all the required information.
• Review the input and submit the form to the available agent.
• The agent will act on your request and initiate the booking process on your behalf.
• If the requested date and service are available, they will ask you to make the payment.
• Once you made the required payment, you will receive confirmation mail on the mentioned email ID.

What are the different types of group travel packages offered by Alaska Airlines?

Alaska Airlines understands passengers may need to travel in large groups due to family functions, friend reunions, corporate meetings, or for any other reasons. To help them out, the airline is offering group travel in three categories. Continue with us to discover more about it:

Travel Separately

• Alaska Airlines has a special travel package for groups of 20 or more people traveling from multiple departure points to the same destination.
• They can travel separately and also enjoy a group discount by contacting the group desk. The team will share a special discount code which helps passengers to save huge on booking charges.
• Travel separately booking gets a flexible window to make required changes via a travel agent. The airline offers an extended window to travel; passengers can travel up to 3 days before and 3 days after the final event.
• Alaska Airlines does allow the choice of preferred flight departure time on all Group Booking. They have the flexibility to choose the most appropriate timing, respecting their personal preferences.
• Travel separately booked flights give you a chance to earn tour conductor credits for a round-trip flight made under one group code. However, to earn points, at least 40 bookings need to be made with the same group code.

Travel Together

• The airline does have a travel-together package for groups of 10 or more traveling from the same departure point to the same destination point.
• Passengers traveling on the same itinerary can enjoy group discounts. To do so, they must contact the Alaska Airlines Group Travel department directly.
• The team will conduct extensive research to find you the best available deals. You will receive a pre-applied discounted rate, which eventually allows you to enjoy more savings.
• Unlike other packages, travel together bookings do not require a deposit. You do not need to make any future commitment, and the best part is that you get a free name change facility up to 3 days prior to departure.
• The name change facility is available within 3 days of scheduled departure; however, you will need to pay applicable fees and taxes.
• You will have access to the guaranteed special fare deals. During the journey, you will also earn tour conductor credits for round trips. At least 30 bookings need to be made under the same group code to qualify for tour conductor credits.

Charter Flight

• For events and large gatherings, the airline offers charter flight service. It is ideal for marriage functions, only-girl parties, or any large gatherings.
• You are free to make changes to the schedule. The service is available within the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
• The airline allows you to make decisions on the menu and departure point. For this, you must speak to the airline in advance.
• You have no complaints about space, as you own the entire aircraft. The best part is that you hold the keys, so you can fly to your event destination whenever you want.

Group bookings with Alaska Airlines allow you to save more while giving you the flexibility to choose the best. You can select the package according to your needs and make suitable changes in the schedule for a better experience. If you have any queries regarding group travel, speak to the customer service team immediately. The agent will solve your concern and help you get the best and desired result.