N Concourse Board Room for the Win, or no?
Part two of the Alaska Airlines lounge showdown takes us to the new Board Room at the N gates. The astute observer and former Seattle-based
United Global Services member will note that this new lounge location is where the old super secret Global Services lounge was located (now it's at the A gates not far from the regular United Club). Back then this was just a small room, but now it's much more, even though this is just a temporary location — rumor has it Alaska is building a bigger lounge at the N gates to be opened in ~2 years. Hence quirks such as a single lav for the entire lounge, but more on that later.
What's awesome:
- updated decor and lounge experience for Alaska, a major improvement
- great bar area with bar stool seating
- pancake machine (duh)
What's not:
- only a single unisex bathroom, otherwise it's the terminal — total oversight on their part
- not a very large lounge and no good work areas
Access to Alaska Airlines Board Room at the N Concourse
As with all Alaska Airlines Board Room lounges, if you're on a paid first class fare you can walk right into the lounge and start sipping cocktails. Of course if you booked an international flight on an Alaska partner in premium cabin
ticketed by Alaska you'll also get access. If you don't fall under either of those categories, your best bet is Priority Pass, which you can join directly or get it as a perk from a few different credit cards, namely Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige, and Amex Platinum (business or personal). There is always the option of joining the Alaska lounge program directly, but I tend to avoid such things because I see something like Priority Pass as more valuable/flexible because of its 900+ lounge worldwide coverage.
The Gallery
The Bottom Line:
You've got no other lounge options at the N gates, which Alaska now populates in its entirety (I think, anyway), but this modern take on Alaska's lounge experience is a nice one, so no other options are really needed. Even though the lounge lacks some features it's still a worthwhile visit for a quick snack and a coffee/cocktail before you board your flight.
What else?
What do you think of these two lounges? Let us know in your comments below!
