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Snapshot: A Look at Alaska Airlines by the Numbers

Zach Wichter
Articles
Zach Wichter covers the aviation industry for TPG. He previously worked for The New York Times.
Aug. 30, 2019
•
3 min read
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900ER photographed in April 2016 by Chad Slattery.
Snapshot: A Look at Alaska Airlines by the Numbers
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Alaska Airlines is the fifth-largest carrier in the United States and, though it's often seen as an outsider on the East Coast, its growth this decade has positioned it as a major player in domestic air travel. On the West Coast, Alaska has become a juggernaut on routes within the region.

The airline traces its roots back to 1932 in Alaska (of course), though the modern-day company has its biggest hubs in Seattle and Portland, Oregon. Though no one quite knows who its mascot is, the friendly face on its tail is has become a common sight at airports across the country.

Alaska was the last big carrier to join this century's trend of "consolidation," announcing in 2016 that it would acquire Virgin America, a brand that has since been discontinued. The move greatly expanded its Alaska's transcontinental footprint and gave it new hubs in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Related: How to Earn Miles With the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Program

Alaska's Mileage Plan frequent-flyer program is regularly touted as one of the best among US airlines. It's the last major program that awards miles based in distance flown (instead of dollars paid) and has nearly 20 partner airlines, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Fiji Airways, Icelandair and Qantas, among others.

Here's what else you need to know about Alaska:

Headquarters: Seattle

CEO: Brad Tilden

Destinations: 115, mostly in the United States and Latin America

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Hubs: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Anchorage and Portland, Oregon

Focus Cities: San Diego and San Jose, California

Daily Departures: About 1,200

Frequent-flier Program: Mileage Plan

Related: Alaska Airlines Adds 8 Routes, Drops 11 in West Coast Shakeup

Busiest Airports by Number of Passengers in 2018

  1. Seattle (23.16 million)
  2. Portland, Oregon (8.21 million)
  3. Los Angeles (6.09 million)
  4. San Francisco (5.61 million)
  5. Anchorage, Alaska (3.45 million)
  6. San Diego (3.28 million)
  7. San Jose, California (2.58 million)
  8. Las Vegas (1.90 million)
  9. Orange County/John Wayne, California (1.64 million)
  10. Spokane, Washington (1.27 million)

Source: Diio by Cirium

Related: Maximizing Redemptions With Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Busiest Airports by Daily Departures in 2018

  1. Seattle (292)
  2. Portland, Oregon (127)
  3. Los Angeles (68)
  4. San Francisco (67)
  5. San Diego (44)
  6. Anchorage (43)
  7. San Jose, California (38)
  8. Spokane (25)
  9. Boise, Idaho (23)
  10. Orange County/John Wayne (22)

Source: Diio by Cirium

Planes in Alaska's Fleet (Including Regional Affiliates)

  • Boeing 737 (166)
  • Airbus A320 (72)
  • Embraer E175 (60)
  • Bombardier Q400 (34)

Source: Alaska Airlines fleet information page

Related: See All of Our Alaska Airlines News, Reviews and Frequent-Flyer Coverage

Featured image by Alaska Airlines