Alaska’s hub in Los Angeles (LAX) got half of the new routes while San Francisco (SFO) landed three. San Diego (SAN), a focus city for Alaska, landed the last of the new routes.
Also coming up big was Oregon’s Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM), which also landed three new routes. With the additions, the airport — which also serves the central Oregon city of Bend — will get nonstop service both of Alaska’s California hubs as well as to San Diego. Alaska also targeted Spokane (GEG), Washington, for expansion, adding new routes to both Los Angeles and San Francisco.
"We're excited to offer even more nonstops between vibrant Pacific Northwest communities and our growing hubs in California," Brett Catlin, Alaska’s managing director of capacity planning and alliances, said in a Wednesday statement detailing the new routes. “Whether it's travel for a weekend getaway to Missoula or a day trip to San Francisco, we're proud to offer nearly 600 daily flights between West Coast cities."
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However, Alaska’s additions are being at least partially offset by cuts elsewhere. The carrier is dropping 11 nonstop routes and will reduce another five from year-round to seasonal service. The biggest cuts were at San Diego — six permanent cuts and one seasonal downgrade — and San Francisco (two permanent cuts and four seasonal downgrades).
Many of the routes that were dropped or reduced were between between California and Alaska's destinations in the eastern and central US. Philadelphia (PHL), Raleigh/Durham (RDU), Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP), Kansas City (MCI) and Omaha (OMA) in Nebraska were among the markets seeing dropped flights or seasonal changes.
The move comes after Alaska Airlines in July announced plans to beef up service from its stronghold markets in the Pacific Northwest to warm-weather sun-focused destinations in California, Hawaii and Florida.
“We expect those leisure markets to perform better in the low season,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement to TPG when asked about the route changes announced Wednesday. “California seasonal exits are allowing us to reallocate aircraft for those added frequencies. In the spring, we’ll add flying to our California hub and focus cities, bringing them back up to or above current levels of service.”
Related: Alaska Airlines’ Newest Route From Everett’s Paine Field Is Palm Springs
A full list of Alaska Airlines adds, drops and changes are below.
NEW ROUTES
Los Angeles
Boise: Begins March 19; two daily round-trip flights on Embraer E175 aircraft
Missoula: Begins March 19; one daily round-trip flight on Embraer E175 aircraft
Redmond/Bend: Begins Jan. 7; one daily round-trip flight on Embraer E175 aircraft
Spokane: Begins Jan. 7; two daily round-trip flights on Embraer E175 aircraft
San Diego
Redmond/Bend: Begins March 19; one daily round-trip flight on Embraer E175 aircraft
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San Francisco
Anchorage: Begins April 20; one daily round-trip flight on Boeing 737 aircraft
Spokane: Begins Jan. 7; two daily round-trip flights on Embraer E175 aircraft
Redmond/Bend: Begins March 19; one daily round-trip flight on Embraer E175 aircraft
DROPPED/REDUCED ROUTES
San Francisco
Permanent exits
Albuquerque: Last flight is Nov. 4
Kansas City: Last flight is Nov. 4
Becoming seasonal
Nashville: Last flight is Nov. 4, resumes April 20
Baltimore: Last flight is Nov. 4, resumes March 18
Philadelphia: Last flight is Nov. 4, resumes April 20
Raleigh/Durham: Last flight is Nov. 4, resumes April 20
Los Angeles
Philadelphia: Last flight is Nov. 4
San Diego
Permanent exits
Albuquerque: Last flight is Nov. 4
El Paso, Texas: Last flight is Jan. 6
Kansas City: Last flight is Jan. 6
Minneapolis/St. Paul: Last flight is Jan. 6
Omaha, Nebraska: Last flight is Nov. 4
St. Louis: Last flight is Nov. 4
Becoming seasonal
Baltimore (BWI): Last flight is Sept. 29, resumes May 20
Other markets
Boise, Idaho-Reno, Nevada: Last flight is Jan. 6
San Jose, California-Burbank, California: Last flight is Nov. 4
FREQUENCY INCREASES
San Francisco
Chicago O’Hare: Beginning March 19, schedule goes to two daily round-trip flights from one
Orange County/Santa Ana, California: Beginning Jan. 7, schedule goes to seven daily round-trip flights from six
San Diego
Boise: Beginning March 19, service goes to two daily round-trip flights from one
Boston: Beginning May 21, service goes to two daily round-trip flights from one
Orlando: Starting Jan. 7, service goes to daily from five times a week
San Jose, California: Beginning March 19, service goes to six daily round-trip flights from four
Santa Rosa, California: Beginning March 19, service goes to two daily round-trip flights from one
Related: See All of TPG’s Alaska Airlines Coverage
