Alaska Airlines Details New Aurora Lounge for Long-Haul Business Class
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Alaska Airlines will open a new 200-seat Aurora Lounge in Seattle in late 2027, giving long-haul Business-Class passengers a dedicated space with made-to-order dining, tableside service, private shower suites, wellness spaces, and a premium bar. During Alaska Air Group’s 2026 Investor Day in Seattle, the airline shared new details about the lounge, including plans to let passengers order meals from anywhere in the space and have them delivered directly to their seats. The Aurora Lounge will sit above a new 500-seat Alaska Lounge as part of a nearly 41,000-square-foot complex designed to add lounge capacity as Alaska grows its long-haul international network.
Alaska Designs Aurora Lounge Around Long-Haul Travel
Alaska designed the Aurora Lounge around what passengers may want before a long-haul flight. Private shower suites and wellness areas will give travelers a place to refresh, while private phone rooms and different seating areas will provide space to work or relax.
Alaska Airlines Vice President of Brand and Marketing Eric Edge, said the airline designed the space to give passengers time to settle in before departure. “Our vision, as we created this, was to develop a more elevated space so that you could really settle in before boarding,” Edge said.
For now, Alaska plans to limit Aurora Lounge access to passengers traveling in Aurora Suites on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on long-haul international flights, the airline explained during a guided product showcase following its Investor Day presentation. Alaska has not yet decided whether passengers traveling in Aurora Suites on its future premium transcontinental Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft will receive access. Passengers with Aurora Lounge access can also use the Alaska Lounge downstairs, giving them the option to move between both floors before departure.
Dining will play a major role in the Aurora Lounge, but Alaska does not plan to create a dedicated dining area. Instead, passengers can scan a QR code from anywhere in the lounge, order an à la carte meal from their phone, and have it delivered directly to their seat. That setup will allow passengers to eat where they already sit rather than move to a separate dining room.
Alaska plans to support the service with dedicated culinary teams and a full commercial kitchen. The airline continues to develop the final menu, with plans for made-to-order dishes alongside a staffed buffet, chef action station, handcrafted espresso drinks, and a full bar.
Wine flights will connect the lounge and inflight experience by allowing international Business Class passengers to sample wines before boarding. The tastings will give passengers a preview of some of the wines they can expect during their flight.
The lounge will form part of the larger Aurora experience, which stretches from the airport to the aircraft. Edge said Alaska created Aurora to bring those parts of the passenger journey together.
“Aurora really brings our most premium airport, lounge, onboard experience, all under one unique identity,” Edge said. “Aurora, if you think about it, is really this end-to-end experience that’s built around what we do best, and that’s delivering thoughtful and remarkable moments at every single touchpoint of a guest journey.”
New Complex Gives Alaska More Lounge Capacity in Seattle
The new complex will significantly expand Alaska’s lounge capacity at its hometown hub. Alaska currently operates three lounges in Seattle, located in the C Concourse, D Concourse, and North Satellite. The new complex will add 700 seats across two floors, with 500 seats in the Alaska Lounge downstairs and another 200 in the Aurora Lounge above.
The two spaces will focus on different passengers. The larger Alaska Lounge will follow Alaska’s broader access policies, while the Aurora Lounge will initially focus on passengers traveling in Aurora long-haul international Business Class. Aurora passengers can use both spaces before departure.
Alaska’s growing international network from Seattle helped shape the size of the new complex. Edge said the airline wanted its lounge experience to grow alongside that network. “Seattle is now a true global gateway that’s connecting people from all over the West Coast to the world,” Edge said. “We felt pretty strongly that our lounge experience needed to match that global ambition that we have.”
At nearly 41,000 square feet, the complex will rank as the largest lounge in Seattle and one of the largest airline lounges in the country when it opens in late 2027. The project will give Alaska significantly more lounge space in Seattle while creating a separate experience for its long-haul international Business-Class passengers.
Alaska Expands Lounge Investment Beyond Seattle
The Alaska Lounge downstairs will serve a broader group of eligible passengers with its own set of amenities. The 500-seat space will feature an outdoor patio with a fireplace, private work pods, a pizza oven, a coffee lab, and fresh pastries. Three bar areas across the larger lounge complex will serve cocktails, wine, and beer from select local breweries.
Alaska Air Group will extend its lounge investment beyond Seattle with new spaces in Honolulu and San Diego. Hawaiian Airlines plans to open a nearly 13,000-square-foot lounge at Honolulu’s Mauka Concourse in early 2028 with seating for approximately 200 passengers. The lounge will feature locally inspired food and beverages, local coffee, a full-service bar, private workspaces, and artwork and installations from local artists.
Access will follow a model similar to Hawaiian’s existing Plumeria Lounge and include passengers traveling in Leihōkū Suites. Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow said maintaining Hawaiian’s connection to Hawaii will remain important as the airline invests in its passenger experience.
“One of the things I think that keeps both of our brands distinct and unique is this rootedness in a sense of place, and for the Hawaiian Airlines brand, being rooted in Hawaii and in Hawaii culture and tradition is something that’s really important,” Birkett Rakow said. “What’s exciting is really being able to invest more deeply in the Hawaiian Airlines experience and expand it and elevate it across the entire country, bringing it to life in new ways.”
Alaska will expand its lounge presence in Southern California with a new 14,000-square-foot Alaska Lounge in San Diego in 2028. The project will give Alaska another lounge in a major West Coast market as the airline continues to invest in its airport experience.