Alaska Airlines LAX–SFO First Class Review: AS 3067, E175
Alaska AS 3067 LAX–SFO first class review — 2 hours late, a $20 app upgrade, 5 of 12 seats occupied, and a foggy 1am arrival into SFO. West Coast Loop leg 2.
A $20 app upgrade on a 56-minute flight that left two hours late. Five passengers in first class, a good-humored crew, and a foggy 1am arrival into SFO. The second leg of the West Coast Loop.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Flight | Alaska Airlines AS 3067 |
| Route | Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO) |
| Scheduled Departure | 10:27 PM |
| Actual Departure | 12:32 AM |
| Scheduled Arrival | 11:57 PM |
| Actual Arrival | 1:53 AM |
| Aircraft | Embraer 175 (N192SY) — 9 years old |
| Operated by | SkyWest Airlines |
| Cabin | First Class |
| Upgrade | ~$20 fare difference via Alaska app |
Getting from TBIT to Terminal 6
After the DCA–LAX transcon, getting to Alaska's Terminal 6 departure meant navigating LAX in full construction mode. After weaving through a busy TBIT, we finally made it to the inter-terminal buses — a first for me.
The bus means no security recheck, which is the saving grace — but the trek between terminals at midnight through a construction zone is its own kind of adventure. After a 20 minute bus wait we finally made it to Terminal 6.
The Delay
A late inbound aircraft set things back. Then came questions around crew legality — whether our SFO-based SkyWest crew had enough hours remaining to operate the flight. They did, but the uncertainty added to an already-late night.
By the time we pushed back, AS 3067 was among Alaska's final LAX departures of the evening, alongside their Liberia, Costa Rica service in the gate beside us.
The crew handled it with good humor. Nobody was happy about 12:30am but everyone made the best of it.
The $20 Upgrade
The fare difference between economy and first class on this departure was roughly $20. I upgraded through the Alaska app before the flight. Knowing we'd have such a late arrival, locking in a larger seat felt like the right call.
At the end of the day it wasn't needed. Only 5 of 12 first class seats were occupied. My guess is that a complimentary upgrade would have cleared easily.
Pre-Departure
The door closed at 12:21 AM. Boxed water was offered pre-departure — while I like the eco-friendliness, I certainly understand the nickname "cardboard water" as I've heard other frequent fliers joke.
After pushback we had a 17-minute taxi to Runway 25R.
The Flight
It was a short one — only fifty-six minutes gate to gate. The 1-2 first class configuration on the E175 means a proper window and aisle throughout, no middle seat drama even on a full flight.
Service was appropriately paced for the short flight, with a beverage choice after takeoff and multiple passes of the snack basket.
One exciting part of this flight is that the E175 is among the first aircraft in Alaska's fleet that have had Starlink equipped. Accessing free internet was easy and download speeds were exceptional. In the air I had download speeds of 154mbps — 10x faster than the internet speed at my recent Marriott Alma stay on the ground ;)
The routing tracked the California coast northbound, beginning the descent south of Big Sur and continuing over Salinas and Santa Cruz before the final approach into SFO. We had a foggy final approach and landing on Runway 28R, with SFO appearing out of the fog close to the ground.
Arrival at SFO
Ultimately we touched down at 1:45 AM. This meant a near-empty airport and a quick taxi to the gate. We pulled into Harvey Milk Terminal 1, one of the newest areas of SFO.
Final Thoughts
A 56-minute flight arriving nearly two hours late at 1:45am was rough, but wasn't terrible. An almost-empty first class cabin and a crew that kept things light made for a better-than-expected experience considering the circumstances.
Alaska's short-hop E175 product is straightforward — a snack basket, drinks, and a bigger seat than economy. What can really set it apart is a great crew. We lucked out in that respect.
On to San Francisco.
Part of the West Coast Loop Series
| Installment | Status |
|---|---|
| AA DCA–LAX First Class (AA 3283) | ✓ Published |
| Alaska LAX–SFO First Class (AS 3067) | You are here |
| Alaska SFO–LAS | Coming soon |
| AA LAS–DCA | Coming soon |
Related: Alaska Airlines IAD–SAN First Class Review: AS 201 · Alaska Airlines SAN–ORD First Class Review: AS 1478