Alaska Airways’ world footprint is rising once more. Final yr, Profession unveiled new companies from Seattle, his hometown hub to 3 abroad locations: Tokyo, Seoul and Rome. Now it is including two extra envious touchdown spots.
Beginning in spring 2026, Alaska will add a transatlantic route from Seattle. Day-after-day, year-round flights to London and seasonal summer time companies to Reykjavik, Iceland. That is a part of an enormous worldwide push after the airline acquired Hawaiian Airways in September 2024 (the Hawaiian A330 and Boeing Dreamliner fleet is longer than what Alaska had within the fleet earlier than the merger).
“Alaska realised that there was an actual alternative at Seattle’s house base,” journey professional Gary Leff, founding father of Wing From the Wing, informed Afar. “Prospects do not have to go away once they journey overseas, together with Delta, the key competitor in that market.”
Service to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) operates on the 787-9 Dreamliner, with 34 enclosed suites with seating totally mendacity in enterprise class, 79 premium economic system seats in 79 legroom premium economic system seats, 34 enclosed suites with 187 financial seats, and 187 financial seats (Hawaiians are promoted in 2024, however Hawaiians are the identical plain). In the meantime, the itinerary at Iceland’s Keflavik Airport (KEF) runs every day at 737 Max 8. This can be a slim physique aircraft providing 12 recryers with a top-class cabin, 30 premium class seats and 115 economic system seats.
Each flight routes will start in Could 2026, with the brand new Roman route in Alaska scheduled to debut in the identical month (beginning in Could 2025 and Seoul will start on September 12, 2025).
Alaska Airways says it plans to supply at the very least 12 intercontinental flight routes from Seattle by 2030.
“The large winners to this point in Alaska Airways’ merger with Hawaiian are neither Alaska nor Hawaiian. It is Seattle.” “Northwest Hub enjoys a brand new path to lengthy distance locations.”
Alaska has lengthy had intensive partnerships with different airways (prospects can use Alaska Miles on One World carriers resembling American Airways and British Airways, in addition to alliance carriers resembling Condor and Iceland), however now they’ve acquired Widebody Fleet via the acquisition of Hawaiian Airways.
“They’re starting to fill in route maps that serve prospects fly, however they did not use them to take them,” Lev mentioned. “London is smart because it is likely one of the most worthwhile and vital enterprise markets on the earth. Reykjavik is a vacation spot that may be reached with the smaller Boeing 737 Max. It is cheaper to fly, fewer passengers to make cash, and it is a summer time seasonal route.”
Along with the announcement of the brand new route, Alaska shared a brand new design for the colouring of the 787-9 plane. As an alternative of the Native People seen for ten years on the tail of the Alaskan fleet, the particular version of portray work, reserved for Alaskan long-distance dream liners, is a wavy band of deep blue and electrical greens, echoing the Aurora Borealis and nods to the state of the identical title within the profession.
