United Begins Selling Flights From Birthplace of Boeing's 747

Phoenix may have landed the top spot in our list of this year's best airports, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the country's most attractive. Come next year, that title could very well go to Washington's new Paine Field (PAE) terminal, which will begin welcoming passengers when Alaska Airlines launches service on Feb. 11, 2019.

While PAE is hardly first to mind when passengers consider travel to or from the Seattle area, it's certainly familiar to Boeing employees — and enthusiasts alike. Paine Field currently serves as a key assembly facility for Boeing 777s and 787 Dreamliners, alongside Charleston, South Carolina (CHS). It's also home to the 747 program — Delta’s last 747-400 even made a stop there on last year’s farewell tour.

Now, in addition to a handful of daily flights from Alaska Airlines, United has begun selling tickets on its flights between PAE and Denver (DEN) and San Francisco (SFO). Denver will be a United exclusive, though SFO will have twice daily service from Alaska as well. Round-trip fares start at $182 to/from DEN, and $192 between Paine Field and SFO.

United's PAE schedule will operate as follows:

Southwest was also expected to launch service from Paine Field, but the airline decided to scrap that plan earlier this year. Alaska quickly swooped in to snag Southwest's gate slots, however, with additional frequencies to several West Coast destinations. United's service will begin on March 31, 2019.

For more on what to expect at Paine Field, see:

• Inside Paine Field’s New Passenger Terminal North of Seattle
• Alaska Begins Selling Flights From Paine Field
• Paine Field Is Building an Airport Terminal You’ll Really Love