Alaska Airlines Will Put Lie-Flat Suites on the 737 MAX 10 as Hawaiian Rebuilds Its A330 Cabins

On September 29, 2026, Alaska Air Group unveiled Aurora and Leihōkū, two new premium brands for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. The headline change is that Alaska will fit lie-flat suites to 737s for the first time in its history, for select transcontinental flights starting in 2028.

Hawaiian’s 24 Airbus A330s will get all-new interiors from 2028, including 22 Leihōkū Suites with privacy doors. Both airlines are also adding a premium economy cabin called Premium Reserve, and the group is building new lounges in Seattle, Honolulu and San Diego.

What changes on Alaska’s 787s and 737s

Aurora Suites will be Alaska’s top cabin on every 787-9 flight, with 34 suites per aircraft, and on its future 787-10s, which will carry 40. Alaska said the updated 787-9 will be about 46% premium seating, up from 38% today.

Each suite gets a 19-inch 4K screen, Bluetooth audio, wireless and USB-C charging, and new Ultraleather upholstery. Today’s 787-9 suites have an 18-inch screen, according to a June review of the cabin by Upgraded Points.

The bigger change is on the Boeing 737 MAX 10. At least 25 of Alaska’s 737-10s will carry 12 Aurora Suites each and wear the northern-lights Aurora livery now on its 787s.

Alaska’s release promises privacy doors on the 787 suites but does not mention them for the 737. One Mile at a Time reports the 12 suites will sit in six rows of two, one on each side of the aisle, each with direct aisle access.

Aurora passengers will also get a dedicated check-in and concierge service at Seattle. Starlink Wi-Fi is free for Atmos Rewards members through a T-Mobile deal.

Hawaiian’s A330s get a new cabin from front to back

Hawaiian flies its 24 A330s to Asia, Oceania and some North American cities. From 2028, each will get 22 Leihōkū Suites for international business class and domestic First Class, with lie-flat beds, privacy doors and direct aisle access.

Today’s A330 front cabin has 18 lie-flat seats in pairs, in a 2-2-2 layout, according to Simple Flying. The airlines said premium seats will make up about 40% of the refitted cabin, up from 30% now.

The rest of the A330 cabin is being replaced too, with an upgraded entertainment system that has 4K screens and Bluetooth.

“We take deep pride in welcoming our guests with genuine hospitality and an authentically Hawaiian experience,” said Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow. She tied the spending to the airline’s Kahu‘ewai Hawai‘i Investment Plan.

Premium Reserve and three new lounges

Premium Reserve goes on sale next summer and starts flying in 2028. It will have 35 seats on the 787-9 and 787-10, 28 on the A330 and 12 on the 737-10.

The seat offers 38 inches of pitch, more width than economy, a leg and calf rest and a 16-inch 4K OLED screen. It gives both airlines four cabins: the Aurora or Leihōkū Suites, Premium Reserve, Premium Class and Main Cabin.

On the ground, Alaska is building a nearly 41,000-square-foot lounge on Seattle’s newly expanded C Concourse, due to open in late 2027. It pairs a 500-seat Alaska Lounge with a 200-seat Aurora Lounge that has shower suites and made-to-order dining for intercontinental suite passengers.

Hawaiian will open a lounge of nearly 13,000 square feet with about 200 seats in Honolulu’s Terminal 1 in early 2028. A 14,000-square-foot Alaska Lounge will follow in San Diego the same year.

Alaska has also partnered with Seattle chefs Renee Erickson and Brady Ishiwata Williams on its long-haul menus. Erickson’s menus will cover Europe, including the new Athens and Paris routes that start in spring 2027.

Why the 737 plan depends on the MAX 10

The 737-10 does not have FAA certification yet. On September 28, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency would hold off approving it over a flight management computer software problem “until we’re satisfied that we don’t have an issue,” Flying reported.

Aurora on the 737 is not due until 2028, which leaves room for delay. But the plan rests on an airplane that is still waiting for its certificate.

What makes the 737 suite notable is the route it targets. Alaska’s rivals already fly lie-flat seats coast to coast, and One Mile at a Time compares the Aurora layout with the herringbone seats on American’s and United’s premium narrowbodies.

Alaska says this is the first time in its history that it will put its suites on 737 transcontinental flights. A 12-suite cabin would give its West Coast passengers a flat bed across the country without switching airlines.

Premium Reserve follows the same logic lower down the cabin. A true premium economy seat gives travelers a new step between Premium Class and a lie-flat suite on longer flights.

Alaska is not the only US airline adding premium seats this month. On September 1, JetBlue unveiled BlueFirst, its first domestic first class cabin.