I paid $162 to upgrade to 'Premium Class' on Alaska Airlines. I regretted nearly doubling the cost of my trip.

I flew from New York to Oregon on Alaska Airlines in 'Premium Class' for the first time.
I paid $162 to upgrade my main cabin seat when the booking site dangled it in front of me.
I didn't feel the perks were worth the cost, and regretted nearly doubling the cost of my flight.

I was, as they say, influenced.

When I first booked a flight from New York City to Portland, Oregon, on Alaska Airlines for a friend's wedding, I went for the cheapest fare in coach — no changes, no seat selection, and last to board.

Then, I started writing about Alaska Airlines' — and the broader airline industry's — push to attract more premium customers.

Curious about this trend — and tempted by a $162 upgrade offered at check-in for my flight — I decided to test Alaska's current "Premium Class" product. You know, for science.

Plus, I had already been assigned a middle seat in the back of the plane and didn't relish the thought of spending six hours crammed in regular coach.

The upgrade from Main Cabin cost nearly as much as the flight itself. It came with some perks, including early boarding and extra legroom, but I quickly realized Alaska's "Premium Class" still felt like an extra-legroom economy seat — not the elevated cabin the name had led me to picture.

Here's why it wasn't worth the upgrade for me.

Upgrading from main cabin to premium class on my Alaska Airlines flight cost an extra $162.

My October flight from New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport to Portland, Oregon, originally cost $218.40 for a seat in coach. I decided to spend the extra $162 to upgrade to Alaska Airlines' premium class, bringing the total cost of my trip to $380.40.

The upgrade cost only $56.40 less than the original booking, nearly matching the original price I paid for the flight.

The only premium-class seats left were in the middle. Since I was going to end up in a middle seat either way, I hoped that the premium-class configuration would be more comfortable.

The first difference I noticed was that I got early boarding, and I was greeted by name at the gate.

My plane after it landed in Portland, Oregon.

Perhaps the gate agent on duty was just particularly friendly, but that's never happened to me while traveling in coach.

The premium-class seats looked pretty much identical to those in the main cabin, but they were located toward the front of the plane.

A row of premium-class seats on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 Max.

On the Boeing 737-9 Max I boarded, the first five rows were reserved for first class. The 3×3 Premium Class spanned rows six to 10.

Sitting at the front meant that I could exit the plane faster once we landed.

Alaska Airlines' premium class offers four more inches of legroom than main-cabin seats — a difference that didn't feel palpable to me.

Four more inches might make a difference for taller travelers, but at my 5'3" height, the extra legroom didn't feel worth the extra $162, despite other perks like faster boarding and deplaning.

The best perk of traveling in premium class was the reserved overhead bin space for carry-on luggage.

I never check a bag if I can help it — I prefer to pack light and not spend time waiting at baggage claim once I arrive at my destination.

When I travel in coach, though, I usually have to gate-check my carry-on since the overhead bins often fill up.

Traveling in premium class meant that I was in boarding group B and had plenty of space to stow my suitcase in reserved bins. This was my favorite part of the experience.

Premium-class travelers can enjoy complimentary alcohol, but since my flight was at 10 a.m., I didn't take advantage of this service.

Alcoholic beverages, including cocktails, beer, and wine, on the menu would normally range in price from $5.99 to $12.99.

I'd hoped that a middle seat in premium class would feel a bit more spacious and luxurious, but I found it wasn't much different from coach.

The seat was comfortable enough, but I didn't feel that it was anything special compared to other coach seats I've traveled in.

For me, even in premium class, a middle seat is still a middle seat.

In the future, I'll likely save my money and fly in the main cabin.

A full view of the Alaska Airlines cabin.

On my way back up from the bathroom at the back of the plane, I took a closer look at the main cabin seats. It was hard to tell where premium class began.

My spouse, who also upgraded to premium class on the flight for the sake of the experiment, agreed that the seats felt indistinguishable from the main cabin.

"If you'd told me I was in regular economy, I wouldn't have known the difference," they said as we walked up the jetbridge after the flight.

For those who want extra legroom, prefer to board early, are strongly opposed to gate-checking their luggage, and enjoy flying with an alcoholic beverage in hand, a premium-class upgrade may be worth it.

However, those perks didn't seem worth the extra $162 to me, and I regretted nearly doubling my trip's cost. To me, "Premium Class" suggested something closer to a proper premium-economy cabin, but the experience felt more akin to an "economy plus" tier.

With Alaska planning to launch a premium-economy cabin called Premium Reserve on long-haul flights and select domestic aircraft in 2028, I wonder whether the airline will further clarify the distinction between its two products.

When reached for comment, an Alaska Airlines representative shared the benefits of flying in premium class on the airline, including the additional legroom, free alcohol on flights over 350 miles, early boarding, access to reserved bin space, and being among the first to deplane, and added, "I'm sorry to hear the experience didn't live up to what you had hoped."

I do see why these extra legroom seats can be a moneymaker for airlines. When you've been assigned a less-than-ideal seat in the back of the plane or separate from your travel companions, it's tempting to pay for an upgrade when the online booking system dangles it in front of you.

Next time, I'll probably resist the urge to splurge and stick to the main cabin.

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