As an international airport, Portland's (PDX) is among my favorites. After all it is my home airport, but I also enjoy the simplicity, the lack of traffic (and thus stress), and the great selection of local dining and beer options. However, in comparison to other larger and busier airports in the US, it does lack a good selection of lounges, especially high-end options.
During my last time through PDX I decided to stop in at the Alaska Airlines Board Room before my departure. To enter I used the free Lounge Club access offered through my Ritz-Carlton credit card, and I was also able to bring in a free guest. The lounge is located in concourse C (across from gate C5) and can be easily accessed from anywhere within the airport by a short walk.
Upon entering the lounge the first thing I noticed was that it is actually quite small, and even with the number of people using it felt slightly cramped and cluttered.
The food options were on par with a United Club lounge, which means a paltry selection real food. Don't enter the lounge expecting to find anything more than light snack food. However, you can eat dry carrot sticks and pretzel snack mix until the heart is content.
At least there was a decent selection of beer including several local microbrew options from the Pacific Northwest. I decided to enjoy a few glasses of Alaskan Amber, but if you don't enjoy beer the wine and spirits on the other hand were rather dismal.
The lounge is a narrow strip that runs along the terminal and has full glass windows on one side. Towards the back of the lounge there is a business section and additional seating areas where you can catch up on some last minute work.
Several TVs are located at the front of the lounge just as you walk in and there are a handful of comfortable chairs to lounge on. The food is found on a small island in the center of the lounge and beverages are off to the side.
The Bottom Line for the Alaska Airlines Board Room
Overall the lounge is nothing to write home about, but can easily be used for a quick refreshment or snack. I wouldn’t want to kill hours in the lounge, nor be determined to get a lot of work done here. From what it seemed, it was more of a place where people quickly checked-in, grabbed a bite to eat, and went onward to their destination.
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