Summary

  • Alaska Airlines will start flights from Seattle to Liberia, Costa Rica, in December.
  • The route will be the carrier’s second-longest by distance.
  • However, it will be number one based on time, with a maximum block of 8h 15m.

You will probably know by now that Alaska Airlines will introduce many additional routes this winter. Some are particularly notable, such as St Louis and Kansas City to Puerto Vallarta, especially given the carrier’s lack of presence in the Midwest. The services are partly operated on behalf of Apple Vacations. But that’s not what this article is about.

The airline’s new longest route by time

On December 21, just before Christmas Day, Alaska Airlines will begin flights between Seattle and the increasingly popular leisure destination of Liberia in Costa Rica.

Alaska Airlines Honoring Those Who Serve Boeing 737 MAX 8

Photo: Alaska Airlines

The route will operate on Saturdays from the State of Washington on the 159-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8, with the inbound flight on Sundays. The same crew and aircraft will operate the return leg. It appears to be the first time the airport pair has had non-stop flights.

It will cover 2,885 nautical miles (5,343 km) each way, which is in long-haul territory. It will be Alaska Airlines’ second-longest route by distance, behind only Anchorage to New York JFK, which was introduced in June 2024. On the Great Circle basis, Anchorage-JFK covers 57 extra nautical miles (106 km) each way, but real-world operations might change this.

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What’s the schedule?

Block time makes Seattle-Liberia stand out. As the following schedule shows, with all times local, it is blocked back to Seattle at 8h 15m. It is 30 minutes longer than JFK back to Anchorage, which was number one.

As the aircraft will operate to/from Costa Rica during the day in both directions, it will use up nearly two days’ worth of flying. Will the demand and fares make it worthwhile, particularly outside the Christmas and New Year peak? Yes, it is winter, with less flying overall, but still.

  • Seattle to Liberia: AS126, 08:15-17:15 (7h block); Saturdays
  • Liberia to Seattle: AS127, 10:00-16:15 (8h 15m); Sundays

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Other airlines have longer 737 flights

Despite its considerable 8h 15m, it is not quite the longest non-stop 737 route worldwide by block time. To start with, it is tied with Gol from Fortaleza to Orlando, which runs weekly – the same frequency as Alaska Airlines from Seattle to Liberia. More importantly, the following routes are all longer. The stated direction relates to the maximum block time.

  • 8h 30m: Copa, Brasilia-Orlando (some are 8h 20m); daily year-round
  • 8h 30m: Helsinki-Boa Vista, TUI Fly Nordic; very time-limited flights; winter seasonal
  • 8h 20m: Helsinki-Sal, TUI Fly Nordic; very time-limited flights; winter seasonal
  • 8h 20m: Icelandair, Keflavik-Orlando (some are 8h); the route resumes on September 5, growing to daily from October (the 737 MAX 8 and 757-200ER will operate)

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