Originally Posted by 9mikemike

Yes. If your business model supports it. Ours does not. We do not haul high value passengers. Period. We are an upscale tourist airline. We do not provide value to business customers. We are very much a regional airline....As in the Pacific Northwest Region. The Max is purpose built for cheap, tourist class travel. It can never have a real first class or business class. It provides a cramped, noisy uncomfortable travel experience for 45 minutes longer than an NG.
Going all Max9 will drive profitability much higher. Allows Alaska to have all the messy short haul and mid con in the 76-130 seat market handled by very inexpensive lift providers.
Alaska is brilliant in that they provide the illusion of an experience so well that passengers are willing to pay a little more for it.