Alaska Airlines takes aim at new startup with latest route addition
Alaska Airlines is putting up a fight on the West Coast.
On Friday, the Seattle-based carrier announced that it'll expand service with a new route and additional frequencies to Santa Rosa, California (STS), right in the heart of wine country.
Starting July 1, Alaska will debut Burbank (BUR) to STS service on a 76-seat Embraer 175, and later this summer, on Sept. 8, the carrier will add frequencies to STS on both the Orange County (SNA) and San Diego (SAN) routes.
Altogether, this latest boost means that Alaska will serve Sonoma County from six West Coast destinations, with up to 13 peak daily departures by early fall.
Adding flights to Sonoma County aligns with the carrier's pandemic-era network strategy of boosting service to outdoor-friendly destinations, like beaches and national parks. Leisure travelers are returning to the skies, and many are looking for places with plenty of built-in social distancing. California's world-renowned wine country fits the bill.
But there's seemingly another motivation to adding flights to Santa Rosa now.
Two brand-new U.S. airlines are gearing up to start operations this year, Avelo Airlines and Breeze Airways. Avelo will be first when it launches on April 28 with daily flights between — you guessed it – Burbank and Santa Rosa. With fares starting at $19, Avelo hopes to capture the local O&D market, with "the idea to make it as easy and convenient as possible to fly,” according to the airline's founder Andrew Levy.
Reading between the lines of Alaska's press release, it seems clear that the airline is trying to position itself as the carrier of choice for those traveling to Santa Rosa.
"Alaska was the first commercial airline to resume service to Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in 2007. The airline has long been the airport's largest carrier. In 2019, three out of four passengers to Santa Rosa/Sonoma County flew on Alaska," it read.
More about Avelo: New budget airline Avelo will begin flying April 28
Coupled with Alaska's wine flies free program (frequent flyer members can check an entire case of wine for free), the carrier isn't about to let Avelo just walk into one of its markets without putting up a fight.
In fact, Alaska's spat with Avelo isn't the first time the carrier has defended its home turf.
Last month, the carrier put out a press release for a brand-new weekend-only route from Anchorage (ANC) to Mineappolis-St. Paul (MSP). Unless it’s a brand-new long-haul service or another major announcement, individual routes don’t typically get their own press release.
Yet the MSP news was different.
It followed exactly one week after partner-turned-adversary Delta Air Lines announced a sweeping expansion across five cities in Alaska, adding new routes and upgauging aircraft from many of its mainland hubs to ANC, Fairbanks (FAI), Juneau (JNU), Ketchikan (KTN) and Sitka (SIT).
Delta’s expansion seemingly reignited the competition between the two rivals, which started out as partners in the early 2010s. By the middle of the decade, however, the partnership frayed as Delta moved instead to build its own hub in Seattle, ultimately competing head-to-head with Alaska on many of its most lucrative routes.
Related: Delta makes big play for Alaska, adds several new routes amid pandemic pivot
Interestingly, Alaska isn't the only incumbent to take aim at Avelo recently. Of Avelo's 11 destinations, just two include daily service from its Burbank base, Santa Rosa and Phoenix-Mesa (AZA).
Over the weekend, Cirium schedules show that American Airlines added flights between BUR and its Phoenix/Sky Harbor (PHX) hub — seemingly aimed at Avelo's new service. Beginning in September, AA will fly the route five-time daily (up from four), and it'll also upgauge all flights from being operated by a regional CRJ-900 to a mainline Airbus A319.
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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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- 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.
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- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 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. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
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.