Alaska Airlines adds 3 new Oregon routes, including competition to major United hub
Alaska Airlines is going big in Oregon this summer with three new routes — and additional flights on existing routes — from the Beaver State.
Beginning May 15, the Seattle-based Oneworld alliance carrier will connect Portland International Airport (PDX) to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Oregon's Eugene Airport (EUG), and Rogue Valley International Medford Airport (MFR) in Oregon to San Diego International Airport (SAN). The Houston and San Diego routes will operate daily, and the Eugene route twice daily.
Alaska will also add two additional flights for four daily services between Portland and Medford, and one additional flight for three daily between Portland and in-state Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) on May 15.
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The airline claims that, with the new flights starting in May, it will surpass United Airlines to become the largest carrier in Medford with up to 11 daily departures to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Portland, San Diego, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Alaska is already the largest airline in Portland and Redmond, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows. It is third in Eugene after Southwest Airlines and United.
“Our new flights out of Portland, Eugene and Medford show our continued focus on connecting Oregon with the rest of the country,” said Kirsten Amrine, vice president of network planning and revenue management at Alaska, in a statement. She described Portland as a “second home” for the airline.
The new routes come as Alaska rebuilds its hub in Portland. In December, executives outlined plans to coordinate schedules into four defined “flight banks,” or when numerous flights arrive and depart at an airport in a narrow time window, for example within an hour of each other. This, they said, would enable more opportunities for passengers to connect via Portland — as well as lead to more flights and routes overall at PDX.
Earlier in January, Alaska announced a new nonstop between Portland and Alaska's Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) as part of its plan to expand its Portland hub.
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Alaska offered 16% fewer seats and 22% fewer flights in Portland in 2024 than in 2019, the last full year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cirium data shows. Systemwide, the airline only had 2% fewer seats and 7% fewer flights last year than before the pandemic.
The growth in Portland comes as Alaska begins the integration of Hawaiian Airlines after the two merged last September. That includes moving around some of each airline's planes to better meet travel demand. For example, the company is adding Hawaiian's Airbus A330-200 on flights between Seattle and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) this summer. Alaska will also launch its first intercontinental nonstop from Seattle to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT) in May, also using with Hawaiian A330s.
Alaska will compete with United on the Portland-Houston route, and Allegiant Air on Medford-San Diego, Cirium schedules show.
See the full details of Alaska's new Oregon routes below:
Jaw-dropping makeover: A look inside the new tree-lined main terminal at Portland International Airport
- Medford-San Diego: Daily from May 15 on an Embraer E175
- Portland-Eugene: Twice daily from May 15 on Embraer E175s
- Portland-Houston Bush: Daily from May 15 on a Boeing 737
News of Alaska's beefing up of its Oregon schedule comes about a week after the carrier announced plans for three new routes from the state of Alaska, including one to the Michigan hub of rival Delta Air Lines.
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| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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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.