dailynewsnblog
That did not take long. Starting next month, 
Alaska Airlines will deploy the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to Europe. It will be the first time the oneworld member has used narrowbody equipment across the North Atlantic on a scheduled basis. It is a notable development. But whether it’s a good thing depends entirely on your perspective—and tolerance level.
The start of transatlantic flights on the 737 will come a month after Alaska inaugurates its first European service on the 787-9. This will take place precisely one month earlier. It’ll mark the next stage in the carrier’s long-haul network growth.
Alaska’s 1st 737 MAX Route To Europe
The airline will take off from 
Seattle to Keflavik on May 28. The seasonal service will run daily until September 7, which is based on departures from the US. It is bound to feature in my weekly celebratory new routes article (see last week’s edition).
The 161-seat MAX 8 will be used. This has 16 recliners in first, or so-called domestic first (2-2; 41″ pitch). On long-haul flights, this is really more equivalent to premium economy. Then there are 30 seats in premium (3-3; up to 38″) and 115 seats in the main cabin (3-3; 30″). Food and drinks are included. But even in first, seat-back entertainment is not available, but you may use your own device to stream movies and access Wi-Fi.
Searching the airline’s website for the peak month of July, for example, suggests a return ticket between Seattle and Keflavik is available from around $7,500 (!) in first. That’s double the price of Icelandair’s business offering, which is effectively premium economy with 40″ pitch to 42″ pitch. That carrier has three daily flights against Alaska’s one daily departure.
|
Alaska’s Frequency |
Seattle To Keflavik; Local Times |
Keflavik To Seattle; Local Times |
|---|---|---|
|
Daily |
8:30 pm-9:00 am+1 |
12:45 pm-1:40 pm (7h 55m) |
Two Nonstop Airlines For The First Time
Booking data shows that the local Seattle-Keflavik market had approximately 47,000 round-trip passengers last year. This is based on those who only flew between the two places; they did not go elsewhere. It was only Iceland’s ninth most-trafficked US point-to-point market at the airport level. Funnily enough, Raleigh/Durham-Keflavik (which has only been served by Icelandair since 2022) had nearly the same amount of local traffic.
Alaska’s arrival will mean that Icelandair has head-to-head competition to/from Seattle for the first time since the carrier launched the route in 2009. A record four daily flights will be available this year; most people transit elsewhere. Of course, Alaska will capture oneworld and FFP members who only fly to/from Iceland, while benefiting from its huge brand recognition in Seattle and beyond.
Its entry will grow the local market. But it will also capture a lot of passengers who connect in Seattle. Schedule analysis for July shows that around 30 cities will connect to/from Keflavik on a two-way basis. This is based on waiting no more than four hours and assuming flying up to around 30% out of your way, relative to what a nonstop flight would be. If either is increased, the number of places grows, counterbalanced by a less competitive offer.
Booking data suggests that these 30 cities had approximately 170,000 round-trip passengers to/from Keflavik last year. The top five targets without nonstop flights are Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas. The first two cities had over 25,000 passengers each.
British Airways Axes Airbus A380 Flights On This Major US Route: Here’s Why
The carrier has made an unexpected decision, removing all A380 flights from London Heathrow to this very popular destination for the upcoming winter.
It is Alaska’s New Longest Narrowbody Flight Ever (By Distance)
At 3,147 nautical miles (5,828 km) each way, it is comfortably the carrier’s longest narrowbody service ever. Using Cirium Diio data to examine Alaska’s schedules for the past 20+ years shows that the longest single-aisle market, until now, was New York JFK to Anchorage. This airport pair, which has been served since 2024, covers around 7% less distance than Keflavik flights will do.
Things are different for block time. Despite being timed at up to 7h 55m, Keflavik back to Seattle is Alaska’s second-longest narrowbody offering. In first place is New York JFK to Anchorage, with the maximum block time being 7h 57m. There is not a lot in it, but it all counts. It is partly influenced by JFK’s renowned lack of slots and congestion.
