I arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport at approximately 6:20 a.m. — just a little more than an hour before my flight. As soon as I stepped into the airport, all I had to do was look to the left to see where Alaska's patrons check-in.
And I didn't need to check any bags because I only had one carry-on suitcase and one personal item. Stowing these bags in the airplane cabin is included in the price of the ticket.
The line at security wasn't too long, and before I knew it I was headed to my gate. On the way, I saw Alaska airplanes out the airport windows.
Alaska had its own cluster of gates at my terminal in Newark Airport, and in the center, there is food available for purchase.
I decided to sit across from my gate so that I could see what was going on without sacrificing my personal space.
While waiting to board, I enjoyed the morning light coming in through the windows all around the diameter of the room.
The app also showed menu items available for purchase on my flight complete with descriptions and pictures.
While scrolling through the app, it also informed me that for an additional $100, I could upgrade to premium class. For a sweet moment, I thought about this, but then I was swept back to reality when it was time to board.
I was in group E, the last group to board the plane. "E for everyone" the gate employee called out when it was my group's turn to board.
The boarding process began 30 minutes later than scheduled, so people seemed anxious about getting to their seats.
When we got to the actual plane, I noticed that there were still employees packing luggage into the plane.
My seat was at the very back of the plane, so I knew I had a long way to go as we inched deeper and deeper into the cabin.
... especially considering the amount of leg room I had directly in front of me. The seat pitch was around 32 inches, which is average for an economy seat, according to Trip Savvy — not the worst, but not the roomiest, either.
Source: Trip Savvy
By the time I was settled, a flight attendant was already demonstrating emergency safety procedures.
While she was talking, I noticed how thin the seats seemed. They weren't especially comfortable or uncomfortable.
The seats were 17 inches wide, they reclined, and their slim form allowed for more negative space between seats and rows.
They showed meals available for all flights, rather than only the meals available for the current flight.
For entertainment, Alaska Air patrons were encouraged to download the Gogo Entertainment app, which has hundreds of options for movies and shows to watch. Unfortunately, none of these options sounded good to me on my tiny phone screen. I prefer when flights have screens on the back of each seat.
I was able to charge my phone during the flight, thanks to the USB port in front of me. Alaska has USB ports for each seat on all of their planes, while many competing airlines only offer this luxury on some of their planes, according to Lifehacker.
Source: Lifehacker
