New route and a new way to get to Anchorage from Seattle courtesy Alaska Airlines

It’s pretty darn easy to fly from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) north to Alaska’s Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC) in Anchorage. On most days, Alaska Airlines offers 15 nonstop flights between the two cities, and Delta Air Lines offers 4 nonstop flights.

But starting November 30, 2022, Seattle area fliers will have yet another option for flying north to Alaska from the Seattle area.

Alaska Airlines will begin a new daily, nonstop service to Anchorage from Paine Field – Snohomish County Airport (PAE), in Everett, WA, about 30 miles north of Seattle.

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The flight will be operated by Alaska Airlines’ sister airline, Horizon Air, with an Embraer 175 jet. The aircraft has First, Premium Class, and Main Cabin seating and no middle seats.

The daily Everett (PAE) to Anchorage (ANC) flight will leave Seattle at 11:05 a.m. and land in Anchorage at 2:05 p.m. Flights from ANC to PAE will leave at 1:40 p.m. daily and land at 6:10 p.m. (All times local).

“We listened to our guests who live and work from north of Seattle to the Canadian border. They told us one of their top requests is a nonstop flight between Everett and Anchorage," said Brett Catlin, vice president of network and alliances for Alaska Airlines in a news release. “The new service will meet the demand to connect workers and businesses in the two regions – from the fishing industry to aviation – in addition to the desire for leisure travel.”

The three-year-old Paine Field passenger terminal was built by privately-owned Propeller Airports and is operated in an unusual public-private partnership with Snohomish County. When it opened in May 2019, flights were offered by both Alaska and United Airlines. But United Airlines ended service there in October 2021.

For fall and winter, Alaska Airlines will be serving nine destinations from Everett (PAE): Anchorage, Boise, Las Vegas, Orange County, Palm Springs, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and Spokane. The new nonstop from Everett to Anchorage will be the farthest destination and longest flight Alaska operates from Paine Field and will also be the airline’s first route to fly north from it.

Paine Field Passenger Terminal

Besides being a convenient airport for those living north of downtown Seattle, the Paine Field passenger terminal offers travelers private terminal-worthy perks.

The airport's two gates are accessed by glass-sided jet bridges, a concierge desk offers a variety of complimentary services; there are locally sourced food and beverage offerings (Beecher’s Cafe); and a lounge-like waiting area with fireplaces, exposed wood, and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Olympic Mountains.

Flying out of the passenger terminal at Paine Field Airport also offers perks for plane spotters. Paine Field is both a commercial and general aviation airport and is home to many private aircraft, corporate jets, and Boeing’s Everett Factory, where new planes are assembled and tested.