Summary
- Alaska Airlines is expanding its transcontinental operations by adding a new nonstop flight between Atlanta and San Diego, bringing its total destinations from San Diego to 37.
- The new route aims to cater to both leisure and business travelers, as Atlanta is a major economic center and San Diego is rising as a business hub.
- Despite existing competition from other carriers, Alaska Airlines is confident in its ability to fill seats on this route by leveraging efficient connections with its California networks.
In a move that aligns with the carrier’s continued push for expansion, Alaska Airlines has announced that it will begin flying between Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) and San Diego International Airport (SAN). This new nonstop connection will add another flight to the carrier’s rapidly growing transcontinental operations.
The new flights will commence on May 16, 2024, and tickets are already available for sale on the Alaska Airlines website. Currently, the carrier operates 36 nonstop flights from San Diego, including destinations across the continental US, Mexico, and on all four major Hawaiian Islands.
A rapidly growing hub
Throughout the summer, Alaska Airlines has continued to expand its presence at SAN, launching two new routes to Eugene (EUG) and Washington-Dulles (IAD) back in June. Currently, Alaska serves more destinations from San Diego than any other, with Atlanta joining the list as a 37th destination this upcoming Spring. In 2022, the carrier saw nearly 2.3 million passengers pass through SAN on their aircraft.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
According to airport executives, the new service will bring a variety of opportunities to travelers. San Diego Country Regional Airport Authority CEO Kimberly Becker said the following in a recent statement regarding the route’s launch,
“We appreciate Alaska Airlines’ new options to destinations across the country. This new nonstop service to Atlanta offers Southern Californians direct access to Georgia’s capital and key economic center, while providing easy access for Georgians to the warmth and beauty of San Diego.”
For Atlanta residents, more efficient access to the sunny beach destination in Southern California will likely prove a strong benefit. For San Diego’s population, this new connection could also prove valuable, with the city’s rising status as a business hub.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
Unsurprisingly, business traffic in both cities is one of the key factors that motivated Alaska to launch the route. In a statement, Alaska Airlines Vice President of Revenue Management and Network Planning Kirsten Amrine had the following words to share:
“We want to provide our guests in San Diego the most nonstop options. Not only are San Diego and Atlanta popular destinations for leisure travelers, but both are also major business hubs. We’re excited to connect the cities, especially since Atlanta is our largest unserved transcontinental market from San Diego.”
A competitive route
Three other carriers currently operate flights between San Diego and Atlanta. Unsurprisingly, as ATL is Delta’s largest hub, the carrier flies between the two cities. Southwest Airlines also operates year-round service between the two cities, and Frontier provides a seasonal connection.
Photo: Ian Dewar Photography | Shutterstock
The route is also not one of the most popular out of San Diego, not even entering the top ten busiest destinations flown to from SAN. Despite this, Alaska is confident in its ability to fill seats on this new route, likely by capitalizing on efficient connections with the remainder of the carrier’s California networks. Ultimately, we will simply have to wait and see what kind of profit Alaska can turn on these flights.