Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-700 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
✈️ Quick Verdict
Alaska's Boeing 737-700 is the smallest and oldest mainline 737 it flies: 124 seats — 12 First (rows 1–3), 18 Premium Class (rows 6–8) and 94 standard Main Cabin seats. One configuration across the sub-fleet, so no version lottery.
Best seats: 2A/2F in First, 7A/7F in Premium, 22A/22F and 24A/24F in Main Cabin, and 16C/16D for free legroom. The seats to know about: 8A and 8F have no window at all, and they are sold as Premium Class window seats.
The headline: two Premium seats with no window
Row 8 sits over the forward edge of the wing box, and the fuselage window spacing does not line up. 8A and 8F have zero windows — not a partial view, not a misaligned one. A blank wall.
🚫 Avoid: 8A and 8F. You can pay a Premium Class upgrade fee, choose what the booking map shows as a window seat, and board to find a blank panel. There is no warning at the point of sale.
If you want a window in Premium Class on this aircraft, 7A and 7F are the only genuinely good ones. Row 6 is a cramped bulkhead, and row 8's windows do not exist.
No version lottery — but there is a fleet lottery
Alaska operates a single 737-700 configuration, so once you know you are on the -700 you know exactly what you are getting. The risk is different: the -700 is the aircraft you get swapped onto, and it is the weakest 737 in the fleet.
| 737-700 | 737-800 | 737-900ER | MAX 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Class seats | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Total seats | 124 | 161 | 178 | 178 |
| WiFi | Gogo ATG-4 | Intelsat 2Ku | Gogo 2Ku | Gogo 2Ku |
| Fleet size | ~12 | 23 | 79 | 56 |
Three things follow. Upgrades are harder — 12 First seats is the smallest premium cabin on any Alaska mainline 737. WiFi drops a tier — every other Alaska 737 runs satellite; the -700 still runs Gogo ATG-4, an air-to-ground network with no coverage over water, which matters on the Alaska and Hawaii routes these jets fly. And seat count drops by 37–54, so a swap means reassignment, usually not in your favour.
How to tell before you fly: check the seat map. If the last row is 28 and First Class stops at row 3, you are on a -700. Every other Alaska 737 has 16 First seats across four rows. Compare with the Alaska 737-800 guide and the 737-900ER guide.
First Class — rows 1 to 3
12 seats · 2-2 · A, C | D, F. Recaro CL4710 recliners at 41" pitch and 21.3" width, 5" of recline, footrest, cup holder, tablet holder and four-way headrest. 110V AC and USB-A at every seat.
✅ Best: 2A and 2F — mid-cabin windows with two properly aligned windows each, full underseat storage and none of row 1's or row 3's compromises. 2C and 2D are the best aisles for the same reasons.
Row 1 has the most legroom but no underseat storage — everything goes overhead for taxi, takeoff and landing. 1C gets a small bonus: the bulkhead only covers about 90% of the seat width, leaving extra stretch room. Row 3 is the last First row, directly ahead of the Main Cabin divider, so expect boarding traffic past your shoulder. There is no bad seat in this cabin — only degrees of good.
Premium Class — rows 6 to 8
18 seats · 3-3. Same Recaro BL3530 slimline shell as Main Cabin, but at 35" pitch against 31" behind. Width is 17" and recline is 3" — identical to standard economy. Premium Class buys you legroom, priority boarding and complimentary drinks. It does not buy you a better seat.
✅ Best: 7A and 7F — full 35" pitch, two aligned windows, normal storage and tray table. 7C, 7D, 8C, 8D are the best aisles.
🚫 Avoid: 8A and 8F (no window). Row 6, all six seats — the wall sits roughly 14 inches ahead, there is no underseat storage, and the tray table folds out of the armrest, permanently narrowing the seat. You pay a Premium fee for a seat narrower than the one behind it. And every middle seat: extra legroom does not fix 6B, 6E, 7B, 7E, 8B or 8E.
The Premium verdict: row 7 is worth the money, row 8's aisles are fine, row 6 and the row 8 windows are not.
Main Cabin — rows 9 to 28
94 standard seats · 3-3. Recaro BL3530 at 31" pitch and 17" width, 3" recline, four-way headrest, tablet holder, 110V AC and USB-A. Note the numbering: the cabin runs 9, 10, then jumps to 15. Rows 11, 12, 13 and 14 do not exist.
✅ Best: 22A/22F and 24A/24F — textbook window alignment, clear of the rear lavatories. 9A, 9C, 9D, 9F for the front row of standard economy and quick deplaning. 16C or 16D if legroom matters and you will not pay for Premium.
Exit rows — real legroom, with caveats
- Row 16 has only four seats: B, C, D and E. There is no 16A or 16F — the overwing exit doors take those positions, which makes 16B and 16E wall seats with no window. All four get meaningful extra legroom.
- 17A and 17F also get exit-row legroom, but both have poor window alignment — a single misaligned window rather than two. Legroom yes, view no.
- 15B and 15E may not fully recline, sitting directly ahead of the exit row. 15A and 15F also have poor window alignment.
🚫 Avoid: Rows 27 and 28, every seat — both sit immediately against the rear lavatories, and row 28 does not recline at all, with 28B–28E also backing onto the galley. Row 26 is still inside the lavatory queue zone. And 10A, 10F, 18A, 18F, 20A, 20F have only one window each rather than two.
Cabin features at a glance
| First Class | Premium Class | Main Cabin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rows | 1–3 | 6–8 | 9–28 |
| Seats | 12 | 18 | 94 |
| Pitch | 41" | 35" | 31" |
| Width | 21.3" | 17" | 17" |
| Seat model | Recaro CL4710 | Recaro BL3530 | Recaro BL3530 |
| Power | 110V AC + USB-A | 110V AC + USB-A | 110V AC + USB-A |
| Seatback screen | No | No | No |
Bring your own device and a USB-A cable. There are no seatback screens anywhere on this aircraft and no USB-C ports.
Quick-pick summary
| Travelling as | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo, best seat overall | 2A or 2F | Mid-cabin First window, no bulkhead or divider compromise |
| Solo, paying for Premium | 7A or 7F | The only Premium windows with a real window and full pitch |
| Budget, want legroom | 16C or 16D | Exit row aisle, real extra space, no upgrade fee |
| Budget, want a view | 22A, 22F, 24A, 24F | Best window alignment in the Main Cabin |
| A couple | 2A+2C or 2D+2F | 2-2 First means no stranger in your pair |
| Family of three | 19A–C or 21A–C | Full row on one side, mid-cabin, away from lav traffic |
| Tall traveller | 16C, 16D, 17C, 17D | Exit-row legroom without row 15's recline restriction |
| Nervous flyer | Rows 15–17 | Over the wing — the most stable part of the aircraft |
FAQ
Which seats should I avoid on the Alaska 737-700?
8A and 8F have no window despite being sold as Premium Class window seats. Rows 27 and 28 sit against the rear lavatories, and row 28 does not recline at all. Row 26 is inside the lavatory queue zone.
Is Alaska's Premium Class worth it on the 737-700?
In row 7, yes — 35" against 31" behind is a real difference, plus priority boarding and complimentary alcohol. In row 6 the case is much weaker: the bulkhead is unusually close, there is no underseat storage, and the tray table lives in the armrest, narrowing the seat.
What are the best free seats?
16C and 16D for legroom, 22A/22F and 24A/24F for the view, and row 9 if you want off the aircraft quickly.
Why does the seat map skip rows?
Rows 4 and 5 fall in the cabin divider, and rows 11 to 14 are simply not used — the numbering jumps from 10 to 15. Nothing is missing from the aircraft.
Does the 737-700 have seatback screens or good WiFi?
No screens — entertainment streams to your own device. WiFi is Gogo ATG-4, the slowest system Alaska still flies, with no coverage over water.