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Alaska Airlines puts Wyoming on its route map, adds 3 routes to Jackson Hole

Ben Mutzabaugh
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Ben Mutzabaugh is the senior aviation editor and heads TPG’s airline coverage. Ben joined TPG in March 2019 after nearly 19 years at USA Today, where he launched the long-running, industry-leading Today in the Sky blog in 2002.
Aug. 27, 2020
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4 min read
San Francisco International Airport scenics
Alaska Airlines puts Wyoming on its route map, adds 3 routes to Jackson Hole
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Another airline is turning to the great outdoors to flesh out its route map during the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest is Alaska Airlines, which announced on Thursday that it will launch three routes to Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC). Seasonal service from Seattle (SEA), San Diego (SAN) and San Jose, California (SJC), will begin in December and run through April.

The move by Alaska comes as airlines increasingly look to add flights to outdoor-oriented leisure destinations even amid broader schedule cuts during the pandemic. Corporate demand has all but evaporated. And leisure travelers still appear wary of traveling to big-city destinations amid the closure of many popular tourist venues and a raft of local quarantine restrictions.

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But destinations like beaches or mountains that allow visitors to be outdoors have been the lone relative bright spot amid a historic drop in travel since March.

Alaska Airlines acknowledged as much in announcing that it would add Jackson Hole as a destination.

“It has been a challenging time, and for many the great outdoors has become a safe haven,” the carrier said in a statement.

To the beach ... :United Airlines adds 17 routes to Florida, bypassing hubs in pandemic route-map shakeup

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For now, Alaska will fly to Jackson Hole – a popular mountain destination that sits next to the Grand Teton National Park – during the ski season.

"Jackson Hole and the surrounding Grand Teton mountains offer a legendary winter playground with a rich history, amazing service, and plenty of activities both on and off the mountain" Brett Catlin, Alaska's managing director of capacity planning and alliances, said in the statement. "We know our guests on the West Coast are looking for nonstop access to more outdoor locales and we're excited to expand our footprint with the addition of Jackson Hole."

The full schedule details are below.

Alaska Airlines shows three new routes it's adding to Wyoming in this image from Aug. 27, 2020. (Image courtesy of Alaska Airlines)

Seattle

  • Jackson Hole service begins Dec. 17. Alaska Airlines regional affiliate SkyWest will fly five round-trip flights a week on 76-seat Embraer E175 jets through April 11.
  • SEA to JAC: Departs 1:20 p.m., lands 4:20 p.m. (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • JAC to SEA: Departs 5 p.m., lands 6:20 p.m. (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

More:Alaska Airlines adds another 6 California routes in West Coast build up

San Diego

  • Jackson Hole service begins Dec. 17. Alaska Airlines regional affiliate SkyWest will fly five round-trip flights a week on 76-seat Embraer E175 jets through April 11.
  • SAN to JAC: Departs 11:55 a.m., lands 3:20 p.m. (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
  • JAC to SAN: Departs 4 p.m., lands 5:45 p.m. (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

San Jose

  • Jackson Hole service begins Dec. 19. Alaska Airlines regional affiliate SkyWest will fly two round-trip flights a week on 76-seat Embraer E175 jets through April 10.
  • SJC to JAC: Departs 11 a.m., lands 2:15 p.m. (Wednesday, Saturday)
  • JAC to SJC: Departs 3 p.m., lands 4:35 p.m. (Wednesday, Saturday)

More on Alaska: Alaska Airlines quietly cuts inflight entertainment tablets

Featured image by Getty Images