(Image via hanchicago)
When Alaska Airlines first launched its takeover of Hawaiian Airlines the carrier was clear that long-haul service from Seattle was part of the plan. Now we know how that will evolve, with Tokyo-Narita (May 2025) and Seoul-Incheon (October 2025) announced as the first destinations.
These are two of a dozen markets the carrier expects to serve from Seattle by the end of the decade, and the first major steps announced as the now combined carrier reallocates aircraft and markets served. Notably, the new service to Narita comes at the expense of the Honolulu-Narita route; it will be terminated as the Seattle market launches.
Seattle provides a shorter route to Asia than hubs in San Francisco or Los Angeles. It also can serve most of the Pacific markets without overflying Russia, a key consideration for airlines today. The airline also has a strong cargo operation, one it hopes will continue to grow with the new wide-body service crossing the Pacific.
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Widebody service will also extend to one of the daily trips between Seattle and Anchorage for the peak summer season, taking advantage of its increased passenger and cargo capacity. The carrier operated the route approximately 20x daily in June 2024. It says service levels will remain at 18x daily or more for the upcoming year, even with the larger plane in the mix.
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The carrier will also boost utilization of the Hawaiian Airlines fleet, particularly the 787s and A321LRs. This is part of a strategy to offset 737 MAX delivery delays from Boeing. Much of this will come in the form of increased frequencies between the islands and the mainland, including redeye flights to enable onward connections. That strategy may sound familiar; it is very similar to how Southwest Airlines is tweaking its Hawai’i operating strategy.
Pushing the Premium Passenger Experience
Beyond the route shuffling, Alaska Airlines also promises continued improvements to the passenger experience. This includes new lounges coming in San Diego and Honolulu, modeled after the recently opened San Francisco facility. A new flagship international lounge is also planned for Seattle by 2027.
The company will also launch an upscale co-brand credit card as part of its efforts to capture the premium market. Details are scarce, but it will include a Global Companion Award Certificate, 3x earning on dining and foreign transactions, and waiver of same-day change fees and award issuance fees. The card advertising also promises “Alaska Lounge passes, Wi-Fi vouchers, accelerated paths to elite status, and an innovative travel disruption program.”
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And even without much in the way of firm details, Mileage Plan members can snag 500 free miles simply for signing up to receive emails about the card when it does become available. Enrolling with the eventually provided link will net an extra 5,000 over the regular sign-up bonus.
Can all these changes add up to an incremental billion dollars in annual profit? That’s the target being set out at the carrier’s investor day even in New York City on Tuesday afternoon. Further details to come.
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