Inside the New Portland Alaska Lounge

Portland International Airport’s tree- and light-filled terminal already feels like an oasis, but the new Alaska Airlines lounge there takes it a step above.

The new lounge is perched on the second floor, like a loft with glass walls on one side overlooking the concourse and giant windows on the other side overlooking the runway. Above, the open ceiling gives the lounge height and lets guests admire the architecture of the airport’s striking timber roof.

The new Alaska lounge at Portland International Airport (PDX) opens June 4. I visited on a press tour before the opening. Here’s what it’s like inside.

This Alaska lounge at PDX is located just past security for Concourse B and C.

Make a left after passing the Powell’s Books and Columbia Sportswear stores, and you’ll see the entrance on the first floor. You can either take the elevators or the stairs up to the lounge.

The operating hours are 4:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. each day.

At 14,000 square feet, this rectangular-shaped lounge is almost double the size of the old Alaska lounge at PDX. It has room for more than 230 guests across the lounge’s three areas: a quiet, lounging zone at the far end, a wraparound buffet in the middle and a chic bar at the end.

If you’re looking for the fan-favorite “Signature Loungers,” there’s an entire row of those on the terminal side of the lounge.

There’s also a cozy fireplace at the back of the lounge, perfect for chilly or rainy Pacific Northwest days.

If I had my pick of spots, I’d whip out a book (purchased from the indie bookstore Powell’s Books’ airport outpost just outside the lounge) and curl up in the cocoon-like mini couches near the fire.

Plane spotters will enjoy the armchairs close to the windows, where you can watch Alaska planes take off and taxi. The airline operates the most flights of any airline out of the Portland airport.

If you need to do work, there are three phone booths, including one that’s ADA accessible.

The lounge also has its own restrooms, stocked with Salt & Stone soap and lotion.

Alaska Airlines is rolling out an elevated menu of food and beverages at this lounge location, as it invests in a more premium experience for customers. The updated menu is coming to Alaska’s Seattle lounge later this summer, too, according to spokespeople for the airline.

For lunch, I tried dishes like rosemary cherry glazed chicken, roasted carrots with orange blossom and cracked pepper, and tortellini and spring peas in a lemon herb cream sauce. It was tasty, and the extra ingredients like cherries in the chicken made this stand out from mass produced, run-of-the-mill lounge food.

The lounge also has not one, but two of Alaska’s famous pancake printers, machines that turn out freshly cooked pancakes on-demand. All you have to do is push a button, and watch two pancakes get poured, pressed and ejected. The bar nearby had a variety of toppings. I liked that the pancakes weren’t too big. They were surprisingly tasty, considering they were made in two minutes.

Another big draw is going to be the coffee bar. The lounge will have two baristas in the morning and one in the afternoon whipping up espresso drinks and chai lattes.

The bar is tucked behind the elevators, and that will make it feel a little less chaotic during busy times when everyone is loading up on food. The bar offers several beers on tap, as well as wine and specialty cocktails. I tried a seasonal summer cocktail with tequila with edible sparkles in it for Pride Month in June. It was fruity and refreshing on a hot day.

There are also day passes for $65 when there’s space available at the lounge.

About the author

Meghan Coyle is an editor on the Travel Rewards team and the co-host of the Smart Travel podcast. She covers travel credit cards, airline and hotel loyalty programs, and how to travel on points. Meghan is based in Los Angeles and has a love-hate relationship with LAX.