Luxury Travel

Alaska Airlines Family Travel Review: Spoiler — Flying Premium Class with Kids Was Better Than First Class (My Honest Experience)

By Living Golden Hour

Alaska Airlines Family Travel Review: Spoiler — Flying Premium Class with Kids Was Better Than First Class (My Honest Experience)

A couple of weeks ago we went to Disneyland as a family: dad, mom, our 4-year-old daughter, and our 6-month-old baby. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 I already told you in my previous review how it went flying from GDL to LAX on a flight of more than 3 hours in a First Class seat with my baby and how I managed to get the upgrade. Now I’m sharing my Premium Class review (Spoiler! It was better than First Class). 🌟

🎟️ Check-In:

We don’t usually check bags, so getting the electronic boarding pass a day ahead is always a must. 📱 However, when traveling with a lap infant, the app told us we had to go to the Alaska Airlines counter no matter what.

When we got to the airport 3 hours before the flight, as you’d expect, LAX has much more space designated for Alaska Airlines than Guadalajara, so the general line wasn’t long and we barely waited a couple of minutes before we had the whole family’s tickets. ⏱️

Just out of curiosity, we asked if they had any space in First Class, and the staff confirmed there wasn’t any. So we stuck with our previously purchased Premium Class tickets.

🚪 Boarding and the stroller logistics

Families with infants, just like Premium seats, board immediately after First Class, so it was our turn to board.

While we were in line they put the tag on the baby’s stroller, and when we got on we left it at the airplane door (gate check). 🏷️ Even though we weren’t in First Class like on the previous flight, the stroller was ready just as quickly once we landed.

💡 Travel tip: Remember that you can check the stroller and car seat completely free on practically any airline. Plus, the diaper bag counts as an extra personal item that doesn’t come out of your allowed carry-on. 🍼🎒

💺 During the flight: The Premium Class seat experience with family

We got to our seats in the second row of Premium Class, and my husband installed my 4-year-old daughter’s car seat. The car seat always has to go by the window. I have the Wayb Pico and ever since I bought it 3 years ago it’s been wonderful — I’ll do a review of it later. 🚗👧

Premium Class seats, just like First Class, have enough space to stretch your legs. The difference with First Class is that the configuration is 3-3 instead of 2-2. But since we’re a family of 2 adults + 1 four-year-old girl + a baby on a lap, the Premium Class configuration was perfect for us because we had the row to ourselves. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

Plus, breastfeeding was much better than in First Class, since being in the middle of the two seats (occupied by my family), it was very comfortable to nurse. 🤱

💡 Travel tip: The first row of Premium Class is in front of a bulkhead. If you don’t want to have to stow your bag / diaper bag in the overhead bins for takeoff and landing, choose the second row — that way you can put your things under the seat in front of you. 👝

🎬 Onboard entertainment (and a super Wi-Fi hack)

Unlike other airlines, these planes don’t have screens. But living in the digital era, where I can assure you everyone brings their own device, this wasn’t a problem at all. 📲 The entertainment situation is exactly the same in Premium Class as in First Class.

My 4-year-old daughter is already easily entertained with a movie or coloring in a book. 🎨 The challenge was my 6-month-old baby, with whom I did what I could to get through the 3+ hours of the flight. The good thing is that I timed her nap so that she’d fall asleep on the flight. 😴

🥪 Food and Drinks:

The service I got on Alaska Airlines is very good in both First Class and Premium Class. From the moment you get to your seat, the staff comes around offering all kinds of drinks and they keep up constant attention throughout the whole trip. The variety is excellent. ☕🥤

Unlike First Class, in Premium Class you have to buy your food. Before the flight, we went for the Snack Boxes (exclusive to Premium and Economy) from the app, and they were a BIG SURPRISE. 🎉

We ordered one of each little box: Kids for my daughter; Mediterranean for me; and Northwest for my husband. They were all DELICIOUS and the quality of the items was VERY GOOD. I’m still dreaming about the delicious hummus. I’d order them again without a doubt! 😋

💡 Travel tip: In Premium Class (and economy class) these little boxes cost extra (between $8 and $10 USD), but you can reserve them from the Alaska Airlines app starting 2 weeks before the flight and up to 20 hours before takeoff. 📲📦

💭 Final thoughts:

Having flown within just a few days both in First Class GDL to LAX and Premium Class LAX to GDL on Alaska Airlines, I can tell you without a doubt that my Premium experience was better. 💖

That’s considering I was traveling with my family and the 3 of us could be in one row. 👨‍👩‍👧

All the things I liked about the First Class flight — the unlimited internet for just $8 USD, the great legroom, the impeccable drink service, and my stroller arriving in less than 2 minutes after landing in Guadalajara — I also had on the Premium flight, plus the delicious Snack Boxes. So in my opinion, the extra $120 USD I paid on the outbound flight wasn’t worth it when I compare my experience with the return flight. 💸

In the next blog post I’ll tell you all about my complete survival guide review with kids, car seats, and money-saving hacks from LAX to Disneyland! 🏰✨