Alaska plans “next-level” 787-10 business class

Alaska Airlines will roll out a new-look business class on its Boeing 787-10 jets, along with forthcoming 787-9 deliveries, as the Seattle-based carrier expands its international network.

“We’ll (soon) be announcing changes and tweaks that we’re going to make for future aircraft,” says Alex Judson, who heads Partnerships & International for Alaska Airlines.

As part of a US$1.9bn acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines inherited Hawaiian’s order of a dozen Boeing 787-9s.

Speaking with Executive Traveller on the sidelines of a media event in Honolulu marking Hawaiian Airlines’ entry into the Oneworld alliance, Judson promises the changes to Hawaiian’s original 787 business class will “take it to the next level.”

Five of those Dreamliners have already found a home in the hangars at Seattle, “and number six comes in the fall,” Judson says, adding that these will all have Starlink Wi-Fi by year’s end.

Alaska's new-look Boeing 787s.

From Hawaiian inspiration to a Pacific West Coast vibe

Hawaiian’s 787 cabin design, which debuted in 2024, drew its inspiration from the rich nature of the island-state.

Deep browns called to mind Hawaii’s volcanic soils, turquoise represented the tropical Pacific waters, and wood accents provided a connection with the archipelago’s hardwood forests.

Hawaiian Airlines' original 787 business class.

Overhead, a smattering of soft LEDs represent the constellations which once guided sea-faring Polynesians at night.

It was a beautifully-crafted Hawaiian-inspired aesthetic “and we were really lucky that the colour palette they used was similar to the Alaska colour palette,” Judson enthuses, “so all of it combines in a really lovely way.”

“It’s already a really phenomenal product that the Hawaiian Airlines team poured a lot of effort and energy into creating.”

Alaska Airlines will make some changes to Hawaiian's Dreamliner business class.

To date, Alaska has relied on ‘soft product’ touches – such as bedding, food and drinks – to give Hawaiian’s business class Leihoku Suites a gentle Pacific Northwest nudge.

“Our products team has done a really fantastic job of making it kind of an Alaska product,” Judson says.

The hard product tweaks will complement “the beautiful Pacific Northwest touches that we’ve already been able to make.”

Alaska's 'soft product' touches have already given Hawaiian's 787 business class a gentle Pacific Northwest nudge.

The next wave of Boeing 787s will also arrive with Alaska’s all-new premium economy recliners, which the airline aims to launch in 2028.

Alaska plans to bring 17 Boeing 787s into its fleet, creating a network of “12 long-haul destinations from Seattle by 2030,” Judson says – with non-stop flights to London, Rome, Tokyo and Seoul already on the network map.

Could Sydney or Melbourne join them?

“We’re constantly looking at opportunities to expand,” Judson offers in guarded reply.

“We’re looking at where our guests want to fly from Seattle, so it’s something that we’re continuously evaluating.”

“What I will say is that we have a lot of great places on our shortlist.”

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