Alaska adds 2 new Orange County routes, grows to 7 nonstop routes at Southern California airport
Alaska Airlines is strengthening its position in Southern California with the addition of two new routes.
The carrier will add service from John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County to Tucson International Airport (TUS) and Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) on Dec. 14, as seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
The new Tucson service will be operated daily through April 16 by regional affiliate Skywest Airlines, while flights to Bozeman will be operated by fully owned subsidiary Horizon Air five times a week through March 30, 2024. Both carriers will deploy a 76-seat Embraer E175 on the routes.
Though Alaska hasn't served either route before, Southwest Airlines did fly between Orange County and Bozeman two winters ago, but that route hasn't returned since. Assuming nothing changes, Alaska will enjoy a monopoly on both routes during the upcoming winter season.
Boosting service from Orange County gives Alaska a competitive advantage among locals and visitors who prefer to avoid the much larger and busier Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Plus, Alaska can further tap into the airport’s catchment area, which is one of the most affluent in the nation. (American Airlines made headlines during the pandemic for launching a new transcontinental flight to New York, operated by its swankiest three-cabin jet.)
Together with the new routes, Alaska will offer a total of seven destinations from John Wayne, as seen in the list below:
- Bozeman.
- Everett, Washington.
- Portland.
- San Francisco.
- Santa Rosa, California.
- Seattle.
- Tucson.
Over the years, and especially after its takeover of Virgin America, Alaska has tried to position itself as the airline for Californians. The airline has boosted service across the state, has offered lucrative targeted frequent flyer promotions and has even added a flight pass subscription for locals who fly frequently.
Orange County is a key airport as part of that strategy, and destinations like Bozeman and Tucson will likely appeal to those looking for a winter adventure — whether it's skiing or snowboarding — or an escape to the sunshine of the Sonoran Desert.
“We’re always looking at new routes to connect our guests, and we see a lot of potential with our new nonstop between sunny Orange County and sunny Tucson,” Kirsten Amrine, Alaska's vice president of revenue management and network planning, said in a statement. “There’s plenty to enjoy in Southern California and the desert of Arizona, especially when we begin this new flight in the winter as the weather is turning nearly everywhere else," Amrine added.
As for the new route to Montana, Alaska's existing flights to Bozeman have been performing well, according to a carrier spokesperson, so a new winter seasonal route to one of the best skiing areas in the country should do well, too.
That said, Alaska's growth at John Wayne Airport has some bounds.
Though there’s no federally administered slot program at SNA in the traditional sense (to control capacity), the Orange County authorities use slots to limit the amount of air traffic in the area for noise abatement and other reasons.
For 2023, Alaska was awarded 24 average daily departures from SNA Airport, nine of which need to be operated by SkyWest and seven of which must be operated by Horizon Air.
The airline didn't remove any flights or cancel any routes during its most recent schedule load, though it's possible that cuts are coming to make room for the new flights.
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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
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- 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.