As part of its ongoing evolution, 
Alaska Airlines
is expanding its premium offering with three new lounges over the next few years. The new lounges will open at San Diego International Airport and Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, followed by a new flagship international lounge in Seattle by 2027.
Setting up in San Diego
The new lounges will be based on the Alaska Lounge location in San Francisco International Airport
(SFO) Harvey Milk Terminal 1. The space features bold blue tones, expansive windows, soundproof pods, and the famous pancake machines. When reached for comment for this piece by Simple Flying, an airline spokesperson confirmed more details will be revealed in 2025:
“We’ll have more to share on this next year, as plans are underway at the moment.”
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In Photos: Alaska Airlines Unveils Elegant New Lounge At San Francisco International Airport
The spacious lounge opens as Alaska Airlines completes its move to the refurbished Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at SFO.
The airline is increasing connectivity in San Diego International Airport
(SAN), which it views as a growing West Coast gateway to Hawaiʻi. The group is adding mid-morning and late afternoon departures to Maui instead of just morning departures, with the return mid-afternoon and redeye departures from Maui timed to improve connectivity.
Photo: Tony Andrews Photography | Shutterstock
Passengers flying with Alaska in San Diego are presently able to access the Aspire Lounge (formerly known as the Airspace Lounge) in Terminal 2, which is located between Terminal 2 East security and the bridge to Terminal 2 West. It has been suggested that this space could undergo an overhaul to become the new Alaska Lounge, but the airport is also expected to open a New Terminal 1 by the end of next year.
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Construction started in November 2021, and various stages of completion are expected by 2028.
In related news, San Diego International Airport welcomed a new lounge last week when the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club opened on the third floor of Terminal 2.
Home in Honolulu
The other airport receiving a new Alaska lounge in the coming years is Honolulu International Airport
(HNL) in Hawai’i. Given the carrier’s merger with home carrier Hawaiian Airlines, the announcement of a new lounge in the hub was widely expected. In its recent investors call, the airline outlined its network from Honolulu as it repositions several of the widebody aircraft to Seattle to begin new routes to Tokyo and Seoul next year.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
While the airline appears to be positioning Seattle-Tacoma as its core Transpacific gateway, it is not neglecting its Honolulu connection opportunities. The airline’s new streamlined network will allow even more passengers from the Pacific Northwest to fly to Sydney and Auckland, with a layover in Honolulu. Hawaiian has served Sydney since 2004 and Auckland since 2013.
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The Alaska Airlines Group today revealed that it will reposition the first of the Airbus A330 widebody aircraft it acquired in the Hawaiian Airlines merger earlier this year as it positions Seattle as a global hub. The first long-haul routes to be revealed are services from Seattle-Tacoma to Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon.
While Alaska is moving several of the planes to the Pacific Northwest, it will continue to operate long-haul destinations from Honolulu, including flights to Japan. Do you think Alaska Airlines will continue to expand in Hawai’i and create a transpacific hub connecting its passengers from across the US to Asia and Australia? Let us know some of the most ideal routes for the new combined fleet in the comments below.
To accommodate additional guests and increase connectivity, the group will fly Hawaiian’s larger A330 aircraft on three of its six daily flights between Honolulu and Seattle (resulting in 20% more seats) and add three more overnight flights from Hawaiʻi to the West Coast: Honolulu and Maui to Portland, and Honolulu to San Francisco.
Photo: Theodore Trimmer | Shutterstock
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Home Of The Pancake Machine: A Brief Guide To Alaska Airlines’ Lounges
Alaska Airlines lounges allow some first class and pass-paying passengers a calming place to relax and work with quality food and beverages.
In the meantime, passengers have multiple lounge options in Honolulu, including Hawaiian’s Plumeria Lounge, an American Airlines Admirals Club, and a Qantas Club.
Sleepless in Seattle
The combined Hawaiian-Alaska group has outlined several significant changes for its operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
(SEA), including a new “Flagship” location that will open in 2027. The airport is set to receive its first Alaska Airlines flights to Asia with the launch of widebody services to Japan and South Korea.
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Alaska Air Group Adds Seattle To Global Route Map With New Service To Tokyo And Seoul
The group will reposition Airbus A330 widebodies from the Hawaiian Airlines fleet to Seattle for the new flights next year.
Accordingly, the airline is upgrading its lounges in advance of a surge in long-haul passengers. The group already operates three lounges at the airport: C Concourse, D Concorse, and the North Satellite. Speaking exclusively to Simple Flying earlier this year, Seattle-Tacoma Airport Managing Director Lance Lyttle suggested the new flagship lounge will be located in the C Concourse and hinted a oneworld Alliance-branded lounge could be in the works as well:
“Chances are it’s going to be an Alaska longe [in C Concourse] but we may have Alaska and another lounge as well. We are trying to see how the alliances are going to operate, whether you’re gonna have an Alaska lounge or you’re gonna have a oneworld lounge.
“We’re not 100% sure yet, but the space is there and Alaska has, of course, expressed interest in occupying that space.”
Photo: Port of Seattle
The 
oneworld
Alliance has been gradually expanding its lounge presence, opening branded locations in Amsterdam and Seoul. In addition to Alaska Airlines, oneworld stalwarts American Airlines have a significant presence at the airport. International oneworld Alliance carriers flying into the airport next year include British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines (JAL), and Qatar Airways.
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