Alaska Airlines unveiled a restyled cabin for its Airbus
fleet, as the carrier aligns the inflight experience across its legacy fleet of
Boeing aircraft and Virgin America's Airbus planes.
Alaska acquired Virgin America in 2016 and went on to phase out that brand.
"After extensive feedback from our guests and in
collaboration with our partners, we've infused the Alaska Airlines cabin with
key brand elements from Virgin America -- the result is a premium experience at
an affordable price," Alaska president Ben Minicucci said Wednesday.
Redesigned first-class seats will come with a drink holder and footrest.
By early next year, Alaska said, 36% of its mainline fleet
will have the new cabin interior, including all 71 of the Airbus A320 aircraft
that made up the Virgin America fleet, as well as 14 Boeing 737-700 planes and
three Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft it has on order.
The cabins will feature Alaska's riff on the Virgin America
mood lights, described as "calming blue hues," replacing Virgin
America's red. Carpets and bulkheads will have a color refresh that also features
Alaska's signature light blue.
The seats are being changed throughout the aircraft, as
well. In all ticket classes, seatbacks will come equipped with a tablet/cellphone
holder, which are replacing the inflight entertainment systems Virgin America
offered. Alaska's coach and premium passengers will get seats burnished by
memory foam. Redesigned first-class seats will also come with a drink holder
and footrest.
Blue mood lighting will replace Virgin America's red.
First-class rows will be spaced 40 inches apart, which is
one inch tighter than the first-class configurations Alaska inherited from
Virgin America, according to the website Seat Guru. Premium-class rows will be
spaced 35 inches apart compared to the 37 and 38 inches flown during the Virgin
America days. Alaska's economy seats will offer 32 inches of pitch, in line
with the Virgin America configuration and above average in the U.S. airline industry.