At the end of September I went on a business trip to San Diego. Since my company gives me some leeway to plan the trip in whatever way I want, I decided to take the touristic route so I could visit the Alaska Lounge Portland PDX en route to San Diego. This is Alaska’s newest lounge as of right now, so I was excited to experience Alaska’s new lounge design and food and drink selection.

Separately I will also review my Alaska Airlines flight in first class from San Diego SAN to San Francisco SFO (I got a complimentary upgrade) and the new Alaska Lounge at San Francisco SFO Terminal 1.

Briefly, this is a lovely lounge. The design is elegant and features a lot of wood mixed with darker colors. The food is tasty though options were a bit limited, but the bar is well-stocked, and I appreciated the focus on local brands and flavors. If anything, the lounge felt high-quality to me, from the materials chosen, to the design and detailing, to the food and drinks. I had a lovely time relaxing here during my layover.

The Alaska Lounge Portland PDX is a great reflection of what Alaska is looking to become: a more premium-heavy airline that aims to provide a quality experience from beginning to end. Alaska’s recent announcements to that end are of course evidence of that, but I think that formula is already being put in practice in this beautiful lounge here at PDX.

Location and Hours

The Alaska Lounge Portland PDX is open daily from 4:30am to 10:30pm according to the Alaska website. These hours cover pretty much all of Alaska’s departures from the airport.

I arrived at Portland PDX on an Alaska flight from New York-JFK, arriving at gate C8. This is one of the western concourses, the southern one of the two, extending directly from the newly renovated (and very beautiful) main hall. As I exited the gate I turned left, passed through a food court, and continued towards the main hall.

PDX’s main hall was recently renovated, and now has a beautiful, wide-open feel with a monumental wooden structure. As you enter this area, the Alaska lounge is just to the right, on the southern side of the main hall and appears as an in-terminal, standalone structure. You’ll first recognize it by the Alaska logo.

You’ll find the entrance to the Alaska Lounge Portland a bit further down, on the front of the in-terminal structure. It’s not the most obvious entrance, since the dark colors fade into the general aesthetic of the terminal building. That said, I had little trouble locating the entrance.

Inside you’ll be met by a cool artwork on the left, decorating the base of the stairs leading up to the second floor, where the lounge proper is located. Opposite the stairs are the elevators. I decided to take the stairs for a more dramatic reveal…

…which takes you into the reception area, which connects seamlessly with the rest of the lounge. I approached the kind staff at the desk, who scanned my boarding pass and activated one of my Alaska Summit credit card lounge day passes, so I could enter.

Access Requirements

Alaska publishes an extensive list of guidelines to determine eligibility for access. I summarized the bottom line below for those who can receive access:

• Alaska Lounge+ Members: Members of Alaska’s Lounge+ membership get unlimited access to Alaska Lounges upon presentation of a same-day boarding pass of a qualifying carrier (Alaska, Hawaiian, a oneworld airline or one of Alaska’s global partners). They can also bring in family or up to 2 friends.
• American Admirals Club Members: American Admirals Club members (full only, not single memberships) can access Alaska lounges upon presentation of their membership card and a same-day Alaska, Hawaiian or American boarding pass.
• Alaska/Hawaiian First Class Ticket (cash or award): Complimentary access on a First Class Ticket on Alaska or Hawaiian is only provided if at least one of the flights on the itinerary is 2,100 miles or more (e.g. a transcontinental flight). Upgrades are not eligible for access.
• American Airlines First Class Ticket: Complimentary access on a First Class Ticket on American Airlines is only provided on select transcontinental flights: JFK–SFO, SFO–JFK, JFK–LAX, and LAX–JFK.
• Other oneworld member First/Business Class Ticket (cash or award): If flying on a same-day ticket on a oneworld member airline in either First or Business class, you can get Alaska Lounge access if the First/Business class leg is at least on the international segment.
• oneworld Sapphire/Emerald members: As a Sapphire/Emerald member through either Alaska’s Atmos or American AAdvantage, you can enter Alaska Lounges if flying from the US to an international destination. If you received your status through another oneworld member airline, you don’t need an international itinerary. Note: You must have the oneworld program of your status on your itinerary before checkin to be eligible for access.
• Alaska Summit Card Day Passes: Valid for same-day access to any Alaska Lounge (but not the Hawaiian Plumeria Lounge) when traveling on Alaska, Hawaiian, or a oneworld member airline. This is how I entered the lounge.
• Paid Single-Entry Lounge Passes: Anybody else can buy a single-entry lounge pass for $65, but a discounted single-entry pass is available for certain people.

Seating and Design

After being checked in at the reception desk, you’ll enter the Alaska Lounge Portland proper with a choice of turning left or right. Either way you’ll be met with floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing for a great view of the apron, with gates just below you. Turning right there is a variety of loosely arranged seating consisting of various comfy swiveling chairs surrounding low coffee tables.

Along this corridor are also restrooms, set up as all-gender single stalls. Larger restrooms with a more traditional multi-stall setup are on the other side of the lounge, past the buffet. Otherwise, there is a short communal table with seating for about 8 people.

As you continue and round the corner you’ll find the lounge’s bar, located at the furthest end of the lounge. The bar has a beautiful setup, and I really like the dark grey stone and wooden counter, set up with a large display containing all the liquor bottles on offer and interesting lighting fixtures overhead.

Opposite of the bar proper is a long counter with further high-top seating, providing a view of the terminal below and into concourse C. It’s not as nice as looking at the aircraft, but given the beauty of the terminal it’s certainly not an ugly view either. Then to the left side of the bar are tall swiveling chairs, comfortable and with wings by the headrest to add a bit of privacy. I also like the color, which fits the overall wooden (foresty?) vibe.

The only thing I found surprising about this bar was its location, given that it feels hidden away. I went to this side of the lounge by luck, because I had asked where the closest restroom was and was directed to the single stall by the communal table. However, the reception desk provides a clear view of the buffet so that’s where most guests will likely go to first – which is the opposite end from the bar.

Going round the corner on the other end of the bar you go down another corridor with seating along one edge. This is a banquette with little armrest separations, low, circular tables and chairs, with a nice design.

That corridor then brings you to the buffet, which is a large, square structure in the center of the lounge – a real focal point in the space and immediately recognizable as the buffet when you enter the lounge from the reception. With a large central pillar and a counter that wraps around on all sides, there’s a nice selection of foods here. More about that later.

On three sides of the buffet you’ll find restaurant-style seating: dining tables set up for two or four people, or high-top communal tables with seating for up to 6 people. Most people were indeed eating at these tables, and some had their laptops out while having a snack.

That dining-style seating was present on all sides, except for the side with the floor-to-ceiling windows. Here Alaska designed a lovely enclosed space, separated from the busy buffet area with a lattice structure that feels solid when glancing along it, but actually has gaps to let natural light through to the buffet area. It’s a smart design choice that allows for separation between spaces without blocking the light. And I like the choice for wood, which provides for an elegant but airy feel.

These enclosed areas had comfortable chairs, complete with side tables that feature several plugs (electricity, USB-A and USB-C), their own mood/reading light, and of course fantastic views.

This is ultimately where I found myself a spot. I managed to grab one of the chairs on the southern end of the space, so I could sit by myself without any neighbors.

If you don’t go into that enclosed space but continue down the corridor, you’ll enter a large space with various kinds of seating. The centerpiece here is a rather beautiful fireplace, and I wish it was a more prominent focal point in the room. Instead, the various kinds of seating (particularly the single-seater booths), and thin beams that hold up an array of lights, kind of hide the fireplace, taking away from the grand effect it might otherwise have had more fully.

The actual seating in this space is of a few different kinds. There’s the single-seater ‘booths’, with high walls for a good bit of sideways privacy, and there are also the comfy brown armchairs. Otherwise there are larger swivel chairs set up in pairs, and there are reclining chairs, fixed in a half-reclined position. I found those supremely comfortable, as they feel solid without any unsupported body parts, with good padding. No wonder these were some of the most popular seats in the lounge, and there weren’t that many of them.

Those half-way recliners are on the opposite side of the enclosed spaces with the tarmac view, and look out over the main hall. Again, this is not the most interesting view, but it’s a very pretty structure overall so it’s also not too bad of a view. Then if you’d turn left there’s another corridor that links back to the buffet, and at the very end of it: the bar.

Along this corridor are a few booths for phone calls or video conferencing by isolating sounds, though the glass sliding doors don’t provide any ‘visual’ privacy as such. Otherwise, there are dining tables here, as spillover from the buffet that’s just around the corner.

Overall, the Alaska Lounge Portland is a beautiful lounge with ample seating of various kinds. I really like the frequent use of wood, mixed in with dark materials in the walls and seating. I feel it provides for an elegant but modern atmosphere that suits the stereotypical ‘feel’ of Portland as an outdoorsy destination. While it got busy while I was there, seats were always available, especially in the back of the lounge, by the fireplace. Most popular were the enclosed seats with the armchairs and the tarmac view.

Food and Drinks

As mentioned, the Alaska Lounge Portland PDX has a centrally located buffet, which is the place where you can get all the food available at the lounge. As you walk around it, you’ll encounter different selections for salads, snacks, mains and desserts, as well as a barista station. All alcoholic drinks can be found over at the bar, which I described above.

Starting at the corner closest by, here you’ll find most utensils and a selection of breads, as well as toasters. The bread selection wasn’t particularly inspiring and consisted of slices of breads and some buns.

Moving on there is a large display with various desserts. These included muffins, (vegan) chocolate mousse, strawberry shortcake, and various kinds of cookies and scones. The chocolate mousse was delicious, and I also liked the chocolate cookie that was on offer.

Right beside the desserts there is a barista, who can brew whatever hot drink you want. That includes a variety of coffees from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, as well as hot chocolate and tea.

Now turning the corner you’ll find a bowl with whole fruit, two kinds of infused water (citrus and berries), and a selection of candies and pretzels. I thought this was cute, though I personally don’t have much of a desire to try these.

The ‘actual’ food is just round the corner, on the other side of the buffet’s central column. Here you will first encounter salads, and then the mains. Both sets of dishes looked great, and I was struck first of all by the creativity of these dishes, and how hearty and healthy they seemed to be.

I particularly enjoyed the Rosemary Cherry Glazed Chicken and Roasted Carrots. Above all, I think the choices here are a nice reflection of what I’d expect to find in a city like Portland. It shows Alaska is trying to lean into the local culture, which I think is always a good thing for an airline to do, and adds personality to the experience. However, I do think that there ought to be a bit more choice in terms of the mains. It’s one meat dish and three – what I’d call – sides. An additional meat option would have been great.

Just beyond the mains were two kinds of soup and various condiments, and then around the corner were waffle makers. This is something that Alaska’s PDX Lounge seems to be somewhat famous for, but I didn’t try to make any myself, nor did I see other guests use these particularly often.

Opposite the selection of mains, across from the space with the communal tables, is a self-serve drink station. I enjoyed the way this was set up, with a shelf that held mugs and all, which I thought gave it a bit of a homey feel.

In terms of the actual drinks, on offer were espresso machines to make a variety of hot drinks, including hot water for tea. The selection of teas was right beside it, by taps providing different warm or cold water. While I don’t use it myself, I appreciated there were pumps containing different flavors of syrup to add to the hot drinks. Further to the left was also a fridge with various kinds of cold sodas and such.

As mentioned, the Alaska Lounge Portland also has a bar, a little bit hidden at the far end of the lounge.

The bartenders here were more than happy to make any kind of drink for you, but menus were also provided with the selection of complimentary drinks. Suffice it to say that the complimentary selection was extensive, with many kinds of local or more mainstream or international brands for both beer and wine. I do like that the local brands are specifically called out. Note there’s also a selection of premium alcoholic drinks, which were priced more or less what you’d expect them to be.

The service at the bar was very friendly, mind you. I couldn’t decide which cider I’d have, so I was brought a bit of each so I could taste them and pick. But, do note they will only give you one drink at a time. I returned soon after since I wanted to try the Summit Sunset – a Summit card holder ‘perk’ – but was told I’d have to finish the cider first.

Overall, the drink selection here was very good, and while the food was hearty, generally healthy and of good quality, it was perhaps a bit more limited. That’s pretty much my only criticism though, as I found the food to be high quality and tasty. I’d be happy to come back here to grab a bite!

Restrooms and Showers

There are no showers at the Alaska Lounge Portland PDX.

There are two restroom locations in the Alaska Lounge Portland. The first is close to the entrance, and is a single-stall style, all-gender restroom just around the corner from the reception.

The interior was beautiful and very nicely appointed. The dark blue tiling and faux-marble countertop made for an elegant contrast. This feels like the restroom of a high-end restaurant rather than an airport lounge. Though I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that it’s a style that has become somewhat trendy as of late. A similar style is used for the restrooms at newer Delta Sky Clubs, such as the Sky Club at JFK’s Terminal 4 near Gate A8.

There is a much larger set of restrooms on the other end of the lounge. If you go past the buffet and take either of the corridors that link to the space with the fireplace, you’ll come by a corridor that links one side of the lounge with the other. That’s where you’ll find larger restrooms, separated by gender.

The style is reminiscent of the smaller single-stalled restroom, except it uses white rather than dark blue tiles. There are three sinks and four mirrors, and opposite of that you’ll find mostly toilet stalls rather than urinals – of those there’s only one, which is a design choice I don’t quite understand.

All in all, the restrooms at the Alaska Lounge Portland are spacious and very nicely designed. The focus on wood and darker colors continues, and I like the contrast with the white tiling, though I thought the smaller all-gender restroom’s dark blue tiles were also great and made for a high-end, elegant vibe.

Summary

The Alaska Lounge Portland PDX is a great facility and a great precedent for Alaska, in terms of what we can look forward to from the airline as they expand their lounge portfolio. It’s beautiful with a great design that leans into the already beautiful design of Portland’s newly renovated main hall, with lots of wood and dark accents throughout. It makes for an elegant and luxurious feel, with quality materials. That feel is also present in the food, which I thought was tasty, somewhat imaginative, and gives a nod to Portland’s small-batch and farm-to-table dining reputation.

To me, the Alaska Lounge Portland PDX is a great reflection of what Alaska is aiming to become. While their onboard hard product sometimes feels a bit low-cost (no seat back TVs etc), Alaska is on course to turn a page and start providing a premium passenger experience that starts in the lounge and continues on board. Their recent announcements are of course evidence of that, but it shouldn’t escape you that the color palette shown on Alaska’s new seats mirrors the color scheme seen here, at Alaska’s Portland Lounge.

Here’s hoping a new Alaska Lounge may one day come back to New York-JFK that’s of a similar style and quality as the one at PDX!