Alaska Airlines Lounge at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

I usually take persistent signs as a marker for my path forward, so when Onnik - my introverted, “simple things” partner - asked for the fourth time if we were visiting the lounge at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, I took it as a sign. While I originally planned for a final breakfast at Crimson at The Wildbirch Hotel, I felt it was time to move on.

In this case, since it was the fourth time he’d asked about us visiting a lounge while at theTed Stevens Anchorage International Airport, I gave in. Originally, I thought we’d pack, head down to the Crimson for a final breakfast. But, I felt like we were done with our stay at the Wildbirch Hotel. It had been everything I’d wanted in our weekend stay in Anchorage. So, it was time to move on.

The airport’s accessibility is a major perk, located less than 20 minutes from downtown. Soon, we were settled into the Alaska Airlines Lounge in Terminal C.

Aesthetically, the space is lovely, though it isn’t the destination for gourmet dining. Instead, you pay the $65 entry fee for the comfort of a reliable “plane overlook,” watching international aircraft taxi across the snowy tarmac while silently wondering if your own flight will depart on time.

Given the previous day’s snowstorm, the lounge was filled with hushed conversations about cancellations and de-icing delays. I shared those concerns, particularly regarding our connection in Portland. However, the lounge provided the perfect vantage point to weather the uncertainty with light bites and a well-made cocktails – something Alaskans do exceptionally well.

Honestly, I just viewed it as an elevated plane overlook with cocktails and light bites. Because that’s one thing that people in cold weather know how to do: make great drinks.

While it may not reach the five-star heights of The Emirates Lounge at LAX & Emirates Business Class Lounge at DXB or the Air France Lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, it is leagues ahead of any standard Priority Pass offering and provided the elevated reset we needed before takeoff.