Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) has announced it will be the first airline to get Boeing’s new “Space Bins”. The airline issued this statement through its Alaska Air Blog:

Aiming to improve onboard storage and make flying easier for customers, Alaska Airlines will be the first carrier to get Boeing’s innovative Space Bins. The larger overhead bins have a similar look and feel to Alaska’s current Boeing Sky Interior pivot bins yet hold more bags.

Space Bins on an Alaska Airlines 737-900 ER will hold as many as 174 standard carry-on bags, a 48 percent increase compared to current bins that hold up to 117 bags. Space Bins are deep enough to store nonstandard items, such as a guitar. Space Bins will arrive on all Next-Generation 737 and 737 MAX airplanes delivered to Alaska Airlines starting in late 2015.

Listening to customers:

“Boeing listened to Alaska when developing its innovative new 737 Space Bins,” said Mark Thompson, Boeing sales director. “Flight attendants, customer service agents and others visited Boeing’s design center, tested prototypes and gave Boeing’s designers insightful feedback. In addition, Boeing engineers who regularly fly Alaska observed first-hand how customers load bags into bins. Boeing truly appreciates its special partnership with Alaska Airlines.”

The new bins are one way that Alaska is listening to customers to improve service.

“Alaska is committed to making flying a hassle-free and comfortable experience,” said Mark Eliasen, Alaska Airlines treasurer and vice president of finance. “The additional storage space will allow our customers to keep their personal items with them in the cabin, which we think they will enjoy.”
Faster and easier boarding

When open, the bin’s bottom edge hangs about 2 inches lower, which means people don’t have to lift their bags as high to load them. The deeper bins allow more bags to be stowed, and let customers load overstuffed bags with less struggle.

That should cut boarding times, improve on-time performance and require less intervention from flight attendants.

Flight attendant representatives who tried the Space Bins preferred them over traditional Boeing Sky Interior bins.

“We are appreciative that flight attendant feedback had an impact on this decision,” said Matthew Coder, manager of inflight experience at Alaska Airlines. “The Space Bins will let customers easily toss their bags in, which means flight attendants can spend less time and effort reorganizing things, and more time engaged with our customers.”

Continuously improving the 737

Although the 737 is the world’s best-selling single-aisle airplane, Boeing is committed to continuous improvements that make it even better for Alaska Airlines employees and customers.

“We’re taking the Boeing Sky Interior, which is hugely popular with our airline customers and passengers, and building on that success by adding even more room for bags,” said Beverly Wyse, vice president and general manager of the 737 program for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “One of the reasons the 737 is the world’s best-selling airplane is because we work with our customers to continuously improve the airplane with features such as Space Bins.”

Alaska Airlines flies an all-Boeing fleet of 737 airplanes, including 20 737-900 ERs. The carrier has 66 firm orders for 737-900 ERs and 737 MAX aircraft to be delivered through 2022, including an order of four 737-900 ERs finalized this month.

Boeing also released this statement:

Boeing announced the launch of its new Space Bins today (July 10), which provide more room for carry-on bags. Space Bins are now available as an optional feature on new Next-Generation 737s and 737 MAX airplanes.

Each of the larger Space Bins will stow six bags, two more than the current pivot bins installed on Next-Generation 737s with the Boeing Sky Interior. That’s based on a standard size carry-on bag measuring 9-in x 14-in x 22-in (23 cm x 36 cm x 56 cm).

“We’re taking the Boeing Sky Interior, which is hugely popular with our airline customers and passengers, and building on that success by adding even more room for bags,” said Beverly Wyse, vice president and general manager, 737 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “One of the reasons the 737 is the world’s best selling airplane is because we work with our customers to continuously improve the airplane with features such as Space Bins.”

With a lower bin lip height, Space Bins provide increased visibility into the back of the bins and make bag loading even easier. They’re also as easy to close as the current pivot bins, but require no bin assist mechanism.

Launch customer and hometown partner Alaska Airlines will begin installing Space Bins on all new deliveries as soon as the larger bins become available in late 2015.

Boeing’s Space Bins will also be available for retrofit on in-service Next-Generation 737s.

Copyright Image: Alaska Airlines.

Alaska Airlines: