Alaska Airlines announces major new lounge investment at San Diego International Airport

The planned lounge will include work areas, local refreshments, fresh food options, a full bar featuring signature cocktails, and a barista station offering handcrafted espresso drinks. Renderings of the space have not yet been released.

Kimberly Becker, president and CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, commented on Alaska Airlines’ continued expansion: She noted that together with Hawaiian Airlines, their combined network offers strong connectivity. She added that through the oneworld alliance and global partners, travelers can access over 330 destinations worldwide from San Diego International Airport. This increased connectivity has driven demand for additional premium spaces.

Currently, Terminal 2 hosts two other airline lounges—the United Club and Delta Sky Club—as well as two non-airline lounges: Aspire Lounge and Chase Sapphire Lounge.

Alaska Airlines has expanded its operations at San Diego International Airport in recent years. Six months ago, it increased flight frequencies by 30% and added three new nonstop routes. In March 2025, Alaska announced further nonstop services from San Diego aimed at improving connectivity for travelers. On August 20 this year, it launched year-round service to Phoenix (PHX) with three daily flights; upcoming launches include Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Denver (DEN), both starting October 4 with three daily flights each. Beginning October 26, service frequency will rise by more than half on several popular routes such as Las Vegas, Sacramento, San Jose (California), and Salt Lake City.

First class passengers flying over 2,000 miles receive complimentary access to all Alaska Lounges across six U.S. airports—Seattle (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Portland (PDX), and Anchorage (ANC). Lounge+ members can also use every Alaska Lounge along with nearly ninety partner facilities like American Airlines Admirals Club.

Kimberly Becker stated that growing passenger numbers make expanding premium offerings a logical step as international connections increase through alliances like oneworld.