In 2024, Alaska Airlines finalized its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, introducing widebody aircraft into the Alaskan fleet. This has solidified the carrier as the fifth-largest airline in the United States, and with the carrier’s widebody aircraft, it’s using these to establish itself even more as the prime operator at Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Alaska Airlines hasn’t slowed down in recent months, introducing several new and exciting routes from Seattle, such as Seoul, Tokyo, and eventually Rome. The carrier, which is new to long-haul flying, will utilize its Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330s and Boeing 787s to continually expand its international reach. This has seen it adjust its network marginally to operate with a larger focus on hub operations, versus point-to-point.

Hawaiian Airlines And Alaska Airlines Partner Up

Credit: Alaska Airlines

The landmark consolidation of two of America’s popular carriers was the most significant airline merger in recent US aviation history. The combination of these two airlines has established the Alaska Air Group as the fifth largest carrier in the United States, and one of the largest operating on the US West Coast, dominating travel to and from Alaska and the Hawaiian islands.

Following the merger, Alaska Airlines Group instantly gained the monopoly on Hawaiian intra-island flights and access to the carrier’s expanding Asian and Oceania networks. The merger also produced financial stability for Hawaiian, which had seen year-on-year losses. With Southwest Airlines also gaining market share in Hawaii, this positioned both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines in a better space to compete with the Dallas-based carrier.

Today, Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines operate more than 60 flights each day between Hawaii and the US Mainland and will see continued Asia Pacific growth. For Alaska’s West Coast hubs, they will also operate as feeders into the wider Hawaiian long-haul network. Already, the airline group has hinted at operating up to 12 non-stop long-haul routes from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by the end of the decade.

Transitioning Seattle Into A Global Hub

Credit: Port of Seattle

Seattle Tacoma International Airport, located in the Pacific Northwest, already operates as a major US gateway for international flights from both Asia and Europe. Delta Air Lines has positioned itself in Seattle as a major player, operating several long-haul services to Amsterdam, Barcelona (from May 2026), London Heathrow Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Rome Fiumicino (from May 2026), Shanghai Pudong, Taipei Taoyuan, and Tokyo Haneda.

As suggested by One Mile At A Time, several long-haul destinations could also be on the horizon, with Hawaiian’s long-haul aircraft capabilities potentially enabling additional direct services to Paris and London in Europe, or even Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and Delhi in Asia. Seattle’s location not only positions it as one of the closest US cities to Asia, but also enables faster itinerary times for those connecting through the airport. A snapshot of international routes available from Seattle is listed below.

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will continue to fly as two different brands for the foreseeable future. However, the airline is making strategic changes as to which aircraft operate on which route, to ensure that the carrier can improve overall performance and ensure expansion in growth markets.

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Investing In Anchorage

Credit: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

Since Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian teamed up, one of the most unique changes that has been witnessed on the US West Coast is the deployment of Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 services between Seattle and Anchorage. The deployment of these widebody aircraft has added additional capacity on the route during the popular summer months.

Given the airline’s namesake, it’s no surprise that Alaska Airlines wants to solidify its presence in the country’s largest state by area. As covered by Simple Flying last year, Alaska Airlines has invested heavily in the new design and development of the airline’s Anchorage lounge, which has now doubled in size and installed additional seating.

Expanding its lounge at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) is part of the airline’s Great Land Investment Plan, which will see more than $60 million spent on projects across the state in the next three years. This lounge can now seat up to 140 passengers at one time. It is located near Concourse C, Gate C-1, with expansive views of the tarmac and beyond.

Reimagining The Travel Experience

Credit: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

Travelers across the Alaska-Hawaiian network will see several new developments, which include the redevelopment of the airline’s lounge network at Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). With the lounge not expected to open until the end of 2027, it will be part of a three-year strategic plan to combine both the Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines experience at Honolulu.

The first design concepts include intentional areas of surprise, with the space reflecting beams of light to ensure a relaxing environment for any traveler. The new lounge will be an astonishing five times larger than the current one, with unparalleled views and experiences for both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines guests.

This lounge development is just one of several enhancements set to be delivered by the group across the next few years. These include the sixth Premier Club Lounge and additional investments in neighboring island lounges, including the second Premier Club located at Maui Kahului Airport.

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Additional Capacity On Select Routes

Credit: Flickr

Following the airlines’ merger, more than 20% more seats are now on offer between Seattle and Honolulu, with three of the six daily flights operated by widebody aircraft. Further down the coast, Portland now sees three daily nonstop flights to Hawaii, representing an increase of 25% more seats.

Two daily flights now take off between San Diego and Maui, with new routes from San Francisco to Kona and Lihue. This will see the group now offer four daily nonstop flights from San Francisco to the main airports in the state. The Hawaiian A330 will also add a once-daily service between Honolulu and Sacramento.

Improved connectivity is key for the Alaska Air Group, providing better itineraries for those traveling from the Midwest to Hawaii. This has seen the airline add three additional redeye flights from Hawaii to the US West Coast, with seamless connections into the airline’s mainland US network from San Diego, Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco.

Alaska Airlines And Delta Are Going Head To Head In Seattle

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Delta is already responding to increased competition in Seattle from Alaska Airlines, with the carrier announcing additional direct services to Europe for next summer. Alaska Airlines is already much larger than Delta in Seattle, and while the SkyTeam carrier has invested heavily at the airport already, the moves by Alaska will see more than a dozen widebody routes announced in the next few years.

Alaska Airlines has plans for a new international lounge to open at SeaTac by 2027, adding to the carrier’s lounge network that already features facilities at Seattle, Portland, Anchorage, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York JFK. With Alaska Airlines strengthening its presence at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Delta will continue to face increased competition across the Northwest, a market that the airline has aggressively targeted since 2014.

Delta has positioned itself intending to use Seattle as a key transpacific gateway; however, with the growing influence from Alaska Airlines, this could see the Atlanta-based carrier needing to reconsider its direction at SEA. Alaska Airlines’ approach to reaffirming its hub-based operations will set the carrier up for success in operating increased frequencies on key markets, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, and adding more flights to core markets, like New York, Boston, and Austin.