Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX Premium Class Review [LAX to BZE]

Airline: Alaska Airlines (AS)
Aircraft: Boeing 737-9 MAX
Flight #: AS1460
Route: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Belize City’s Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE)
Date: July 31, 2024
Duration: 4 hours, 45 minutes
Cabin and Layout: Premium class; 24 seats in a 3-3 configuration
Seats: 8D and 8F
Cost: $381.10 each after using a Companion Fare

My wife wanted to go to Belize for her birthday this year, which sounded like a great idea to me. However, given that this was the peak summer travel period, options for using miles to get from California to Belize were limited.

We could’ve taken an overnight layover en route (no thanks) or 2 connections (pass). But since I had an Alaska Airlines Companion Fare that would be applicable on the airline’s nonstop route between Los Angeles and Belize City, that seemed like a winner. As the flight was nearly 5 hours, we paid roughly $50 extra per person to sit in premium seats, rather than the main cabin, gaining some extra comfort we thought was worth it.

The flight didn’t have extreme highs or lows. Here’s how it went.

Booking Alaska Airlines Premium Class

Earlier this year, I applied and was approved for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card. A key feature of this card is its annual Companion Fare, which lets you bring another person with you on an Alaska Airlines flight for just $99 plus taxes and fees (which start at $23). You can earn this benefit annually on the card by spending $6,000. When I opened my account earlier this year, an additional Companion Fare was part of the welcome offer.

We used this Companion Fare to book these flights.

For the flights, we paid $762.20 round-trip for 2 passengers in premium class (extra-legroom economy). Considering the price for the first passenger was $617.10, the Companion Fare helped us save $472 by paying just $145.10 for the second passenger.

$762.20 was our total cost for flights from Los Angeles to Belize City and back, meaning we paid $381.10 per passenger round-trip or $190.55 per person each way. We were happy with that to head to Belize during peak travel season, even though we could’ve paid less for routes with a long connection somewhere en route to Belize.

As paid flights, we also earned Alaska Airlines miles — 2,177 miles in each direction as we earned 100% of miles flown based on the flight distance.

Hot Tip:

You also can earn an Alaska Airlines Companion Fare with the Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business credit card. Several other airlines also have companion fares and companion passes that can help you save money when traveling with a friend.

At Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Checking In

Alaska Airlines uses Terminal 6 in Los Angeles (LAX). Though we had checked in online, we didn’t have our boarding passes yet, as the website said an employee would need to verify our passports. We headed to the check-in kiosks with our luggage and were helped by a friendly employee who checked everything and then printed our boarding passes. He also confirmed that our TSA PreCheck numbers were listed on the ticket.

From here, we were directed to the bag drop line. Despite it looking long, the line moved faster than we’d expected. In just a few minutes, we were chatting with another friendly employee who checked our IDs and gave us bag claim tickets before directing us to security.

That “extra time” we’d allotted for document checks and waiting in line? We didn’t need as much of it as we’d thought. From arrival to walking away from the check-in area, we completed everything within 15 minutes.

No Lounge Access

There was an Alaska Lounge in Terminal 6 (near gate 64), but we didn’t have access. That’s because my wife and I don’t hold elite status with Alaska Airlines or a Oneworld partner and weren’t flying in first class. We could’ve paid for a day pass to the lounge but chose not to.

The only Priority Pass offering in Terminal 6 was Gameway, a gaming lounge near gate 65A. Instead of going here, we grabbed breakfast and then hung out near the gate.

Boarding

We departed from gate 65A in Terminal 6. Boarding started on time and was mostly organized, though we did see some people shouldering in front of others.

Gate agents made friendly, clear announcements about boarding groups, including how the boarding process would work — and how to stay out of the way until it was your turn. They also provided information about carry-on limits and informed people that they needed to have their passports ready for inspection, as this would help the line move efficiently.

Inside the plane … that was another story.

Smiling flight attendants greeted us at the plane’s door, but the line crawled in an agonizingly slow manner. Flight attendants in the economy cabin weren’t reminding people to move out of the aisle quickly and didn’t help passengers stow items in the bins. Thus, people held up the line by not being ready upon reaching their seats or passing their row unintentionally. A more hands-on approach would’ve done wonders here.

Because of delays with boarding and getting people seated — plus needing to gate-check bags — we left over 30 minutes late.

On Board Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737-9 MAX

Premium Class Cabin and Seat

Finding our seats was pretty easy, as we sat in row 8 — the third row after the divider from first class. Alaska’s premium class is essentially extra-legroom economy.

Controversial to some, my wife and I chose not to sit next to each other on this flight. We picked the aisle and window seats and hoped no one would show up for the middle seat. When someone arrived for the seat between us, we didn’t swap seats to sit next to each other. My wife and I chose to be comfortable instead and figured we could talk to each other again in a few hours.

Seats were rather plain with dark leather, overly firm armrests, and a standard seatbelt.

Both economy and premium class used a 3-3 cabin layout on Alaska Airlines’ B737-9 MAX airplane, and seats were 17 inches wide.

The key difference was pitch — the space between your seat and the seat in front of you. Premium passengers had 35 inches of pitch (instead of 31 to 32 inches in main cabin), and I loved not having my knees pressed into the seat in front of me for nearly 5 hours.

In front of me, I also found enough space for the mini backpack we carry our passports in while still having enough room to stretch my legs during the flight.

The seat back had a fold-down tray table, released by turning the latch.

When extended, the tray table also had a slide-out cup holder that was practical.

The tray table was large enough to easily hold my 13-inch laptop.

Above the tray table, in a small slot, was safety information, a menu, and an advertisement for Alaska Airlines’ credit cards. Next to the tray table latch was a USB-A charging port.

Each seat also had a universal outlet.

Overhead, we had individual reading lights and air nozzles.

The seats provided average comfort during the flight. Despite the premium branding, I still shifted around a few times to get comfortable in a new position over the course of nearly 5 hours.

That said, at least I had some nice views along the way.

Food and Beverage

Meals were not included on this flight, but food was available for purchase. You could preorder meals in advance or purchase what was available during the flight. Menu options included Mediterranean tapas, a cheese and meat snack box, and a kid’s box with chips and gummy bears.

Premium passengers also got complimentary drinks. Options for these included beer, wine, and cocktails, even including the nonalcoholic beer that we both chose.

Beyond this, passengers got a small bag of complimentary pretzels.

Amenities

Lavatories

Lavatories were available at the back of the plane. They were standard, including just a toilet and a sink.

Entertainment

There were no screens at our seats. Instead, there was simply a flip-out device holder that could hold your phone or tablet while you watch videos or listen to music.

You could access free movies and TV shows by connecting to the plane’s Wi-Fi network using your own device. There were dozens of movies, TV shows, and educational content, and new releases were included in several categories.

Internet

Wi-Fi was available on our flight for $8. However, as T-Mobile customers, we could use the internet for free.

Service

Service was mostly great during the flight. I’ll highlight a few key strengths and weaknesses.

As mentioned, 1 negative aspect was that the flight attendants didn’t facilitate the boarding process, which led to congestion in the aisles and contributed to our delayed departure. Additionally, the lavatories got messy during the flight and could’ve used better cleaning.

During the flight, a flight attendant went up the aisle in advance of the drink carts, looking for any stray elbows and telling people to get ready for the cart’s arrival. This was an interesting, great touch I’d never seen before: intentionally preparing people for the cart coming by.

Arrival

As we approached Belize City, the pilot and crew made announcements about customs procedures, where to collect checked bags, and where to find ground transportation, if needed. After landing, we made a short taxi to the single terminal at Belize City (BZE) and parked near the international arrivals door.

BZE doesn’t have jet bridges. Instead, we deplaned through a ramp that was rolled out once the plane stopped moving. Staff were available to help anyone who needed assistance getting out of the plane and down the ramp.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a good flight experience. It didn’t include any standout memories that I’ll keep for years to come, but it also didn’t have any severe negatives.

Flight attendants were friendly while we were in the air, though they could’ve helped the boarding process to avoid a delayed departure. The seat had modest comfort but extra space at our knees, and we got a premium drink during the flight.

Was it an impressive experience? No, but we weren’t expecting that. Was it a good enough experience for me to fly with Alaska Airlines again? For sure.