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Airport lounges in America are improving with each new opening. Just look at Alaska Airlines, who stepped up their game with the opening of its latest lounge in Portland, Oregon. Stretching 14,000 square feet, not only did it double the size of its previous lounge but it created a unique, comfortable pre-flight space with food and cocktail menus that rival those of lounges that find themselves atop best-of lists.
I recently traveled through Portland International Airport (PDX) and visited the new lounge (I’ll dive into just who’s eligible to visit at the bottom of this story). The first thing to catch your attention walking through the doors of the ground-floor entrance is an intricate, layered wooden mural of Mount Hood—a nice regional design tie to the airline’s Pacific Coast hub. Natural, rustic woods are used throughout the lounge and glass dividers slice the space into several sections giving a more private feel. But because it sits on a terrace-like perch, the lounge is like a nest overlooking everything from the hustle of the departures gates on one side to the runway on the other.
I arrived during breakfast and my layover lingered into lunch so I saw both dining services. Because it was early and on the slow side, I was also able to bounce across the 230-seat lounge to find the perfect seat.
I skipped the typical tables and bar stools and instead aimed my attention at the more unique areas: That meant stretching out in one of Alaska’s signature loungers, which stares out across the entire departures hall and the airport’s wavy timber roof (a signature element of the terminal’s much-lauded renovation). It’s a nice spot to disappear to and not be bothered. Behind it, there is a comfy fireplace setting and beyond that a prime place to watch planes and stare out at the runway. And for those working, there are a couple private booths to take phone calls.
With the opening, Alaska made it a priority to enhance the food and beverage program, and the chef partnerships have paid off. While breakfast offerings consist of the usual—fruit, sausages, an egg frittata and made-to-order crepes—lunch gets more interesting. The rosemary, cherry-glazed chicken sure beats the dried-out chicken breasts you sometimes find at lounges while the tortellini sports fresh spring peas swimming in a rich lemon-herb cream sauce. I went back for seconds.
Portland is also a beer town and the bar does a great job in highlighting it, serving nearly a dozen local craft IPAs, ciders and stouts—all complimentary—from breweries that include Backwoods, Hopworks and Deschutes. On the cocktail side, you can grab free margaritas, martinis and Negronis, while you have to pay for premium signature cocktails like the Straightaway nitro espresso martini featuring Stumptown cold brew.
Alaska Airlines is the largest carrier serving Portland, and the new lounge shows the company’s commitment (they spent $18 million on the space) to compete in the fierce airport lounge market.
With more than 100 daily departures, Portland is a critical hub in Alaska and subsidiary Hawaiian’s global network as it ramps up its international flight schedule. Next for Alaska? A 41,000-square-foot lounge in Seattle opening in 2027, a new lounge in San Diego and the expansion of the one in Honolulu.
The new Portland lounge comes at a time when airlines and credit card companies are building shiny new lounges from coast to coast. Companies are even getting more inventive, jamming smaller spaces with creative offerings, like the 33-seat Sidecar by the Centurion Lounge from American Express at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. And now even Southwest Airlines is drawing up plans to open its first branded airport lounges, eyeing Honolulu, Dallas, Austin, Nashville and Denver for its initial locations.
But if your plans take you through Portland, be sure to check out the Alaska Lounge. Here’s everything you need to know to get in.
Alaska Lounge Details: Location, Hours and Access
The Alaska Lounge in Portland, Oregon is located between Concourses B and C, just past the south security checkpoint. It operates daily from 4:30am to 10:30pm.
Access is available to Alaska Lounge members and Alaska Lounge+ members, eligible first-class passengers flying Alaska or select partner airlines, and qualifying Oneworld elite members and premium-cabin travelers on partner carriers. Also, travelers with an Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite credit card receive eight lounge passes a year that can be used to enter.