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Alaska Airlines is Launching New Flights from the West Coast to NYC

July 22, 2016
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3 min read
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Alaska Airlines is Launching New Flights from the West Coast to NYC
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Alaska Airlines has long been a great domestic option for Seattle-based travelers and those on the West Coast looking to get to Hawaii, and despite some recent devaluations its award chart still offers some great value. That said, the carrier has never been an obvious choice for flights to New York — but it looks like that could soon change.

The airline just announced that it will begin daily service to Newark from three West Coast cities: Portland, San Diego and San Jose. Service from Portland and San Diego will launch in November 2016, while flights from San Jose will commence in March 2017. Alaska will up the frequency of its existing Seattle-Newark route in May 2017, moving to a total of three daily flights. The carrier will operate all of these transcontinental routes with its 737 aircraft.

Alaska Airlines is expanding its service to the New York area. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

These new routes may seem a bit random for a predominantly West Coast airline, but they're clearly the result of the FAA's decision to ease slot restrictions at EWR. This opens the airport up to more carriers, and we've already seen an exciting new Newark-Puerto Rico flight on Southwest announced as a result.

Here are the details for the Portland-Newark flight, which will be the only daytime nonstop on this route once it launches on November 10:

  • Portland (PDX) 6:55am Departure ⇒ Newark (EWR) 2:55pm Arrival
  • Newark (EWR) 3:55pm Departure ⇒ Portland (PDX) 7:05pm Arrival

Newark will be the third East Coast destination reachable from San Diego on Alaska metal, joining Boston and Orlando. That flight will launch on November 21 with the following schedule:

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  • San Diego (SAN) 9:55am Departure ⇒ Newark (EWR) 5:55pm Arrival
  • Newark (EWR) 7:00pm Departure ⇒ San Diego (SAN) 10:00pm Arrival

Alaska's San Jose-Newark route will be the first nonstop option connecting these two destinations. Here are the details for the flight, which begins on March 12, 2017:

  • San Jose (SJC) 6:30am Departure ⇒ Newark (EWR) 2:55pm Arrival
  • Newark (EWR) 4:05pm Departure ⇒ San Jose (SJC) 7:40pm Arrival

Finally, Alaska already offers service between Seattle and Newark, but it will be adding a third daily option starting May 14, 2017 for the outbound from Seattle and May 15 for the return from Newark:

  • Seattle (SEA) 11:50pm Departure ⇒ Newark (EWR) 8:06am Arrival
  • Newark (EWR) 9:30am Departure ⇒ Seattle (SEA) 12:25pm Arrival

Tickets for these new routes will go on sale starting July 25, and there's no reason to think you won't be able to redeem Mileage Plan miles for these flights as well. Overall, more flights from the West Coast to the New York City area is good news for travelers — and they'll provide some great opportunities to use the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature companion fare.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.