Not resting on their huge expansion plans to purchase Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines announced new routes starting next week to both domestic and international leisure destinations.
Just as the holiday travel season gets into full swing, Alaska Airlines is celebrating the start of nine new nonstop routes to a mix of popular leisure destinations, including their first-ever flights to the Bahamas and Guatemala; new service between Las Vegas and two cities in Mexico; and a much-desired seasonal flight connecting Palm Springs and New York City.
Travel demand remains strong for flyers who want to recharge and relax, maybe even try someplace new – whether it’s a short flight along the West Coast or heading to an incredible international getaway that’s not too far from home.
“There’s something for everyone in our roster of new flights – from amazing beaches to snowy mountains, big city buzz to tranquil deserts. We’re also now flying our guests to countries we’ve never served before as we increase our international service. The Bahamas off the coast of South Florida offer pristine islands and turquoise waters, and Guatemala in Central America excites with adventure, history and culture.”
– Kirsten Amrine, vice president of revenue management and network planning for Alaska Airlines.
Bahamas Bound From Los Angeles And Seattle
Alaska’s new flights to the Bahamas are a first for us to the Caribbean nation. From two of their West Coast gateways – Los Angeles and Seattle – they now fly nonstop to Nassau, the heart of the Bahamas. From there, its of our global partners Bahamasair can whisk our guests to the country’s idyllic outer islands and beyond on flights purchased directly at alaskaair.com. Alaska’s convenient morning departures from both Los Angeles and Seattle arrive in Nassau in the late afternoon. The new service to Nassau is their 101st nonstop destination from its hometown airport in Seattle.
Growing in Latin America with new service to Guatemala
They’re expanding where we fly in Latin America with the addition of daily, year-round service between Los Angeles and Guatemala City, Guatemala – another all-new international destination for Alaska. From their hub in Los Angeles, they have the most flights to the most destinations across Latin America of any carrier, which includes up to 18 daily flights this winter to 12 cities throughout the region.
New Las Vegas flights to Mexico and San Luis Obispo
Las Vegas becomes a new Alaska gateway to two of Mexico’s most popular destinations from the West Coast: Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta. Both flights depart Las Vegas late in the morning for midday arrival.
A new daily seasonal flight between San Luis Obispo and Las Vegas allows for connectivity with additional routes in our network and now offers an easy connection to Mexico for their guests along California’s Central Coast.
A convenient nonstop between Palm Springs and New York JFK
Alaska’s guests in Southern California are eager for more nonstops to the East Coast and they’re ready to take them there. This seasonal flight connects the Big Apple with sunny deserts. Our convenient morning departure from New York allows flyers to arrive around lunchtime in Palm Springs – refreshed and ready to get out and soak in the sun. Alaska has more flights to Palm Springs than any other airline.
New flights in Orange County
Alaska is now flying new daily seasonal routes between Orange County in Southern California to both Bozeman and Tucson. Bozeman offers access to wintertime adventures in Montana, and Tucson offers plenty of desert sunshine and warmth in Arizona.
New Aircraft on Ordcr
Alaska Airlines is poised to expand the coverage for their current map. The airline is currently waiting for delivery of 143 jets of the following aircraft types:
- 15 737 MAX 8,
- 17 737 MAX 9,
- 102 737 MAX 10 and
- 9 E-175 regional jets.
The Boeing 737 MAX 10 is expected to receive FAA certification in late 2024.
Low-Risk Expansion
Anytime an airline expands into new territory, the airline realizes certain financial risks especially if the new route is not successful. This is the interesting part of the Airline’s expansion goals. They can fly the E-175 on new routes to test the waters. At a capacity of 76 passengers, the break-even point is much lower than using mainline aircraft. Regional aircraft usually flew routes of around 500 miles or less. Seldom are regional jets flying routes approaching 1000 miles. Here is where Alaska is really smart. They can fly new routes at longer distances without the financial risks of using mainline aircraft. The new Las Vegas to Puerto Vallarta route is 1,200 miles. The E-175 regional jet is the perfect aircraft to test the waters for this route. If it proves to be successful, they can transition the route to mainline aircraft.
Final Thoughts
Alaska Airlines has always been a fiscally sound operation. It is one of a few major airlines to never have filed for bankruptcy protection.
The airline has 143 aircraft remaining on order. Many of these aircraft will replace older jets. The rest will be used to continue route expansion through its network.
With one of the best frequent flyer programs, Mileage Plan members will have more destinations to both earn and burn miles.
