Summary
- Alaska Airlines gears up for busiest summer ever, with nearly a million more seats and expanded routes.
- Innovation in bag drop stations and focus on safe, premium guest experience.
- New international services and an increase in flights to popular hubs and National Parks.
Alaska Airlines is gearing up for the busiest summer in the airline’s history, offering nearly a million more seats than it had available in the summer of 2023. The extra capacity will be spread across the network, including to new international destinations, adding more nonstop routes and increasing flight frequencies from its primary hubs across the country.
Busiest summer ever
During the peak summer months of June, July and August, Alaska Airlines (Alaska) offers the most extensive summer schedule in the company’s history, adding almost one million more seats than last year. Some of those seats will be on routes it has never previously flown on during these busiest months of the year, as well as expanding the number of daily flights in its network.
Apart from adding capacity, the airline said it has listened to customer feedback by scheduling more flights to popular destinations, unveiling innovative bag drop stations in some hubs and continuing to operate an industry-leading safe operation.
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On June 6, Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Harrison said Alaska had been hard at work on elevating all aspects of the travel journey for guests from start to finish, adding:
“As best-in-class operators, our top priority is consistently delivering on our promise to guests to take them where they’re going safely and on time – all while showing them the care for which we’re known. This summer, we’re prepared to do more flying and welcome more guests to experience not only a safe operation but also a premium experience.”
Alaska said its busiest days would be before and after Independence Day, when it expects to carry almost 160,000 passengers daily. Pointing to the growing demand, the airline said it carried more than 500,000 guests over the Memorial Day weekend, a 6% increase compared to 2023.
Where are the changes?
Alaska is launching new international services in Guatemala City, the Bahamas, and Toronto this summer. It will also offer more flights to Mexico from the West Coast than any other US airline, with services to Cancun, Guadalajara, Los Cabos, Loreto, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo.
Photo: Alaska Airlines
It is also expanding its services eastwards, with new nonstop flights connecting Anchorage and New York, Portland and Nashville, and San Diego with Atlanta and Anchorage. Over the summer, there will be more flights from popular hubs, with 16% more flights in Portland, 10% more in Seattle, 23% more in San Diego and 13% more in Anchorage, with 33% more departures from Los Angeles (LAX).
National Parks are another popular destination, so Alaska has added 16% more flights to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the gateway to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. The new nonstop services from New York (JFK) and San Diego to Anchorage will make it easier for visitors to explore all the “grandeur of the 49th state.”
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Away from schedules, Alaska is moving to San Francisco International Airport Harvey Milk Terminal 1 in June, providing a seamless travel experience for its guests. In July, it will open its new 11,000-square-foot lounge in T1 with 55% more seating. The new facility will have an expanded menu made with fresh ingredients, a barista-staffed coffee bar and complimentary West Coast wine, spirits and craft brews.
Alaska is also renovating and upgrading its Lounge in Anchorage and, in August, is moving into a brand new lobby at Portland International Airport. At Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 6, where Alaska is the primary airline, a complete overhaul of the gates, including new carpet, lighting, seating with power outlets, and signage, will be complete by the end of July, just in time for the busy summer.
Are you traveling with Alaska Airlines over the summer? Let us know in the comments.