What the Alaska Airlines Board Room at ANC was like in 2014

The following is a detailed review of my Alaska Airlines Board Room experience at the Anchorage Airport (ANC) in June 2014.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this overview is that not much has changed since then. It’s still as cramped and crowded as it ever was, and the layout hasn’t changed. At all. At least they’ve had the courtesy to keep the furniture (and carpet) updated.

A nostalgic look back at the ANC Alaska Airlines Board Room (June 2014)

Wait! Despite this being a vintage review, it still has relevance. This Board Room still exists. Not only that, it still looks mostly similar to what you’ll see in the following pictures.

Ain’t no mistaking this for a lowly Priority Pass lounge (at least from the outside). The old “scribbly” mid-2010s Alaska Airlines logo was the best.

Location

This particular lounge was (and still is) located in the C Concourse. You’ll find it upstairs (one flight) from the main level, so it requires taking the stairs or the elevator to reach the reception desk.

Exterior of the Alaska airlines board room Anchorage airport in 2014 — The main entrance (revealing how comically puny the Board Room logo actually was – despite it looking gargantuan in the first pic). It’s almost as if they were low key ashamed about what was inside.

Stairs leading up to the Alaska airlines board room lounge at the Anchorage airport in 2014 — The staircase leading up to the lounge. Not gonna lie, I ran up the stairs as fast as I could to avoid the possibility of being shot in the butt by a poisonous dart from that menacing looking statue. One of the many consequences of watching Indiana Jones too many times as a kid I think.

How to get in

Once inside, I was cheerfully greeted by an agent who informed me that access was complementary to those (like me) on a paid first class fare. Being the novice flyer I was at the time, I was fully expecting to have to shell out the $45 for a one-day pass. Woo hoo!

Today, the most common ways to get access include:

Being a Alaska Lounge and Lounge+ Member
Flying first class on Alaska Airlines (paid for with money or points)
Flying first / business class on Oneworld member airlines (paid for with money or points)
Having the following status: Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire, including Alaska MVP Gold, Gold 75K, and Gold 100K

There are a number of other ways as well, which you can learn more about on the Alaska Airlines website.

Layout

Honestly? Even way back then, I was shocked to see how small it was. This lounge is basically one long rectangular room, with a sectioned-off area for the business center. There is also a dedicated conference room located near the entrance, which is a nice touch.

Conference room inside of the Alaska airlines board room lounge Anchorage airport 2014 — Seeing this conference room immediately upon being granted access made all the sense in the world. Not including such a thing would’ve been criminal for an airport lounge named “Board Room” methinks.

The place was fairly empty when I arrived at shortly after 5am. By the time I left it was much busier – almost to the point that I was feeling that I probably would have felt more comfortable out in the main terminal instead. This was a cozy lounge back then, and it still is today.

Seating inside of the Alaska airlines board room Anchorage airport 2014 — Yes, those chairs were as uncomfortable as they look.

Alaska airlines board room furniture and decor Anchorage airport 2014 — Looking the other direction (towards the main entrance). I’m happy to report that they have come to their senses and these tables and chairs have been replaced with much squishier items.

Business center in the Alaska airlines board room Anchorage airport in 2014 — The business center – complete with a Desktop PC probably running Windows 7 and connected to a dot matrix printer. Even back then, the slightly dreary decor of this lounge made it easy to make condescending assumptions.

Food and drinks

The food consisted of light items such as bagels, cereal, yogurt, and fruit. There was also an assortment of coffees and juices available, along with a staffed bar (which was not open that early in the morning). I found it to be slightly underwhelming compared to most domestic lounges in the US at the time.

Self serve food bar in the Alaska airlines board room Anchorage airport in 2014 — The self-service food area. Milquetoast by even 2014 standards if I’m being honest.

Pancake machine in the Alaska airlines board room Anchorage airport in 2014 — The only saving grace was the pancake machine. I’m still kicking myself for not giving it a go. What was I thinking?!

Drinks in the Alaska airlines board room Anchorage airport in 2014 — Coffee, tea, yogurt, juice, a few prepackaged salads, and a sh*tload of Coffee Mate.

Bar (and alcohol) in the Alaska airlines board room Anchorage airport in 2014 — Those of you requiring a shot of something stiffer than Coffee Mate will be happy to know that this lounge features a fully staffed bar. But not at 5 AM.

The bathroom

Showers in domestic US lounges were pretty much unheard of back in 2014. That’s probably why I excitedly took so many pictures of the men’s room during my visit. I had no idea what I was missing.

Urinal in the Alaska airlines board room Anchorage airport in 2014 — A picture of the freakin’ urinal? Hey now. I aim to create thorough reviews.

Pros and cons

This ANC Board Room (Concourse C) was a fairly decent domestic lounge for the time. It was crowded though, which made it uncomfortable. In retrospect, I should’ve just grabbed a snack and headed back out into the main terminal to find a quiet place to sit instead.

Pros

The huge windows provide a lot of natural light.
Food options are limited, but everything (including alcohol) is free.
The actual board room (for impromptu meetings) is a nice touch.

Cons

The food wasn’t all that great. You’ll find much tastier (and substantial) options out in the main terminal.
It can get really crowded at times. Consider yourself lucky if you ever find it empty.
Despite the large windows, I found it to be a bit dark and dreary.

What the Alaska Airlines Board Room at ANC was like in 2014