Two big lounges that Alaska Air Group announced last month have moved from renderings to job sites. Hawaiian Airlines started building its new Honolulu lounge this month, and work is underway on Alaska Airlines' lounge complex in Seattle, the company said on Oct. 26 in its announcement.
Neither space opens soon. Alaska still targets late 2027 for Seattle. Honolulu is now set for the first half of 2028. But the update adds a few details travelers did not have before, including a hint about who can use Alaska's new Aurora Lounge.
Honolulu: a blessing, then the build
Hawaiian marked the start of work with a traditional Hawaiian blessing at the site. The lounge sits at the entrance to the Mauka Concourse at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). Alaska puts it at nearly 13,000 square feet, with room for about 200 guests.
Alaska says the lounge will have local food and drinks, a signature local coffee service and a full-service bar with handcrafted cocktails. It also lists private workspaces, places to sit in groups, and art by Hawaiʻi artists. "Every detail will evoke the islands," said Alisa Onishi, who runs Hawaiʻi marketing for both airlines.
Architects Hawaii is the architect of record. Gensler is doing the design, and Nordic PCL Construction is building it.
The new room will join The Plumeria Lounge and Hawaiian's six Premier Clubs across the islands, Alaska says. That matters, because Plumeria is a modest space today. Our listing shows a beer-and-wine bar, no showers and a reader score of 3 out of 5. The Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club in Honolulu scores lower still.
Alaska has not given access rules for the new Honolulu lounge in this release. In September it said entry would be similar to Plumeria and would include guests in Hawaiian's new Leihōkū Suites. Our Plumeria record lists Hawaiian international premium passengers, Atmos Gold, Platinum and Titanium members flying internationally, and Alaska Lounge members.
The lounge is part of what Alaska calls its Kahuʻewai Hawaiʻi Investment Plan. The company says it is spending more than $600 million on airport lobbies and gates, technology and new interiors for Hawaiian's Airbus A330s.
Seattle: the biggest lounge at SEA
In Seattle, crews held a beam signing before starting on the nearly 41,000-square-foot complex on the expanded C Concourse. Alaska says it will be the largest lounge at Seattle-Tacoma and one of the biggest in the country.
The space splits in two. A 500-seat Alaska Lounge takes most of it. A separate 200-seat Aurora Lounge serves Alaska's new long-haul product.
Here is the useful new line. In September, Alaska described the Aurora Lounge as a space for Aurora Suites guests. This release adds eligible long-haul international travelers to that list. Alaska still has not said who counts as eligible. It could mean partner premium passengers, top Atmos Rewards members, or something else. We will update this when Alaska spells it out.
Planned features include an outdoor patio with a fireplace, private work pods, wellness spaces, several bars, a coffee lab, fresh pastries and a pizza oven. The Aurora side adds premium shower suites and more formal dining. Gensler designed it, and PCL Construction is building it. The two firms have worked together on four earlier Alaska Lounge projects in Seattle.
Where to wait until then
Nothing changes for travelers yet. In Seattle, Alaska runs three lounges today: on the C Concourse, the D Concourse and the N Concourse. Alaska says the new complex will add to these. It has not said whether the current C Concourse lounge will close.
In Honolulu, eligible Hawaiian and oneworld travelers can use Plumeria for now. If you hold other cards or status, the United Club and Delta Sky Club are the top-rated lounges at HNL in our data.
Alaska also pointed to its Portland lounge, which it says recently opened at 14,000 square feet, and a San Diego lounge planned for 2028.
What we still don't know
The key gaps are the same as last month. Alaska has not named exact opening dates, guest rules or fees for either new lounge. It has not defined who beyond suite guests gets into the Aurora Lounge. For the full plan, including the new suites and Premium Reserve cabin, see our earlier story on Aurora and Leihōkū. Our Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines pages list every lounge both airlines run today.
