Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have revealed the premium cabins that will shape the next stage of their combined operation, including new lie-flat suites, a proper Premium Economy product and significantly upgraded airport lounges.

The announcement represents one of Alaska Air Group’s largest investments in the passenger experience since its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. Rather than introducing an identical premium product across both carriers, the group has created two separate flagship concepts intended to reflect the heritage of each airline.

Alaska’s premium experience will be known as Aurora, while Hawaiian’s will retain the Leihōkū name already associated with its newest Business Class suites.

A new Premium Reserve cabin will then sit between the suites and the existing Premium Class product on selected long-haul aircraft.

Aurora will become Alaska Airlines’ flagship premium experience as the carrier expands further into long-haul international flying.

Every Alaska Boeing 787 Dreamliner will receive the new Aurora Suites, with 34 installed on the Boeing 787-9 and 40 planned for the larger Boeing 787-10.

The suites will provide fully lie-flat beds, direct aisle access and privacy doors aboard the Dreamliner. Each passenger will also receive a 19-inch 4K entertainment screen, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless charging, USB-C ports and access to an AC power socket.

Alaska is also promising improved bedding, greater storage and an upgraded restaurant-style dining service. Menus will be developed with chefs from the Pacific Northwest, helping the airline connect the onboard experience with its Seattle roots.

The redesigned Boeing 787-9 will dedicate approximately 46 per cent of its seats to premium cabins, compared with 38 per cent today. It is a clear indication that Alaska expects premium passengers to play an increasingly important role in its international expansion.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the announcement is the decision to install Aurora Suites aboard selected Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft.

At least 25 of Alaska’s MAX 10s will feature 12 lie-flat suites, allowing the airline to offer a genuine premium product on selected transcontinental flights. These aircraft will also receive Alaska’s special Aurora livery, inspired by the northern lights.

Lie-flat seats on a narrow-body aircraft are becoming more common, but they remain unusual within the US domestic market. The configuration could give Alaska a significantly stronger product on longer routes from Seattle and the West Coast.

It will also make the airline less dependent on wide-body aircraft when introducing premium-heavy services. However, the MAX 10 programme continues to face certification delays, meaning the timing of these aircraft remains dependent upon Boeing and the relevant regulators.

Hawaiian Airlines will retain its separate Leihōkū premium identity, with all 24 of its Airbus A330 aircraft scheduled to receive entirely new interiors beginning in 2028.

Each refurbished A330 will have 22 Leihōkū Suites offering direct aisle access, fully lie-flat beds and privacy doors. The cabins will also include 19-inch 4K entertainment screens, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless and USB-C charging, AC power and upgraded bedding.

The improvements will extend beyond the front of the aircraft. Alaska Air Group says the A330s will receive completely new interiors from the first row to the last, including upgraded entertainment systems throughout the cabin.

Around 40 per cent of the seats on the refurbished A330 will be within one of Hawaiian’s premium cabins, an increase from approximately 30 per cent today.

This is particularly important because the Airbus A330 remains central to Hawaiian’s services between Honolulu, North America, Asia and Oceania. Although the airline’s Boeing 787-9 already offers a much newer onboard experience, the A330 refurbishment should deliver greater consistency across the long-haul fleet.

The most significant development for many passengers may not be the new Business Class suites at all.

Premium Reserve will become a dedicated Premium Economy cabin available across Alaska and Hawaiian’s long-haul fleets. Seats will become available to purchase during summer 2027, before the first cabins begin entering service in 2028.

The Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 will each offer 35 Premium Reserve seats, while Hawaiian’s Airbus A330 will have 28. Selected Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft will receive a smaller cabin containing 12 seats.

Passengers can expect a seat pitch of 38 inches, increased width and recline, a leg and calf rest, larger tray tables and additional storage. Every seat will also include a 16-inch 4K OLED entertainment screen with Bluetooth, alongside USB-C and AC charging.

An upgraded meal service and enhanced amenities will help distinguish Premium Reserve from the existing Premium Class product, which is essentially Economy with additional legroom and selected benefits.

The addition creates a four-cabin structure comprising Aurora or Leihōkū Suites, Premium Reserve, Premium Class and Main Cabin.

It should prove especially attractive on Hawaiian’s longest routes, where passengers may want more comfort than Economy without paying the considerably higher price required for a lie-flat suite.

The premium investment will also extend to the ground experience.

Alaska is developing a combined lounge complex at Seattle’s expanded C Concourse. The almost 41,000-square-foot facility will include a 500-seat Alaska Lounge and a separate 200-seat Aurora Lounge for eligible passengers travelling on intercontinental flights.

The Aurora Lounge will offer private showers, wellness spaces, made-to-order dining and tableside service. The overall complex is expected to open in late 2027.

Hawaiian will receive its own new lounge at Honolulu International Airport in early 2028. Located at the entrance to the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1, the almost 13,000-square-foot space will accommodate approximately 200 guests.

The Honolulu lounge will feature locally inspired food and drinks, a full-service bar, private workspaces and artwork created by local artists. Access is expected to include passengers travelling in the new Leihōkū Suites.

The most important part of the announcement may be Alaska Air Group’s decision to maintain two separate premium brands.

Aurora is explicitly connected to Alaska, Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Leihōkū, meaning “lei of stars”, draws inspiration from Polynesian navigation and Hawaiian culture.

Hawaiian’s onboard dining will continue to be developed around local ingredients and island culinary traditions. The airline is also promising dedicated Hawaiian branding within its cabins and lounges.

These are encouraging signs for passengers concerned that Hawaiian could gradually lose its identity under Alaska’s ownership.

Hawaiian Airlines has always delivered more than transportation between the islands and the mainland. The music, food, language and style of service help create a sense of place from the moment passengers board.

Removing those details and replacing them with a standardised Alaska Airlines product would risk weakening one of Hawaiian’s greatest strengths.

However, maintaining two names for broadly similar suites does not automatically preserve two genuinely different experiences. The real test will be whether Hawaiian continues to feel authentically Hawaiian once the airlines share more technology, loyalty benefits, purchasing decisions and corporate processes.

There will inevitably be efficiencies behind the scenes. Passengers will judge the merger by whether those efficiencies improve reliability and consistency without turning Hawaiian into Alaska Airlines with a flower attached.

The cabins also demonstrate how dramatically Alaska’s ambitions have changed.

The airline is no longer concentrating solely on domestic flights and services connecting the continental United States with Alaska and Hawaii. It is building a global network centred around Seattle, supported by Boeing 787 Dreamliners, international lounges and a product designed to compete for higher-spending passengers.

Alaska Air Group expects premium revenue to account for more than 40 per cent of total revenue by 2030, compared with 35 per cent today. The company is also targeting at least 15 long-haul international destinations by the end of the decade.

Hawaiian provides the group with long-haul experience, established international markets and a recognisable global brand. Alaska contributes a larger domestic network, a strong Seattle hub and the financial scale required to support further expansion.

The new cabins are therefore not simply replacements for ageing seats. They form a central part of Alaska Air Group’s attempt to become a credible international airline business.

Aurora, Leihōkū and Premium Reserve represent a substantial investment in both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

The decision to install proper Premium Economy seats is particularly welcome, while privacy doors, modern entertainment systems and improved lounges should make both airlines far more competitive on long journeys.

For Hawaiian, the new Airbus A330 interior could be transformative. It brings an older but important part of the fleet much closer to the standard established by the airline’s Boeing 787-9.

The concern is not the quality of the new seats. On paper, they look excellent. The question is whether Alaska can modernise Hawaiian without diluting the personality that makes people choose it in the first place.

Keeping the Leihōkū name, island-inspired dining and a separate Honolulu lounge is a promising start. If Alaska delivers the investment while allowing Hawaiian to remain unmistakably Hawaiian, this could become one of the most successful elements of the merger.