Get ahead of wintertime blues! Alaska Airlines adds new flights to sun-filled spots

Rhea-AI Summary

Alaska Airlines is launching several new nonstop routes to popular winter destinations, enhancing travel options for its customers. Starting December 16, the airline will offer weekly service between San Francisco and Cancun, and new seasonal flights from Portland to Tampa and New Orleans. Additionally, a new route connecting Austin to Palm Springs will begin on November 19. With an increase in leisure travel bookings surpassing pre-pandemic levels, Alaska Airlines aims to provide travelers with affordable and convenient options as they look to escape winter weather.

Positive

• New nonstop routes to Cancun, Tampa, New Orleans, and Austin enhance travel options.
• Leisure travel bookings have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, indicating strong demand.

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• None.

SEATTLE, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- You've already booked long-awaited summer travel plans to be reunited with family and friends. Great! But have you thought about a little something for yourself when the weather turns gloomy and cold this winter? A sun-drenched beach, a decadent poolside cabana, an all-inclusive oceanfront resort? We're ready to get you there.

Alaska Airlines is now offering several new nonstop routes to make it easier to escape to places known for wintertime sun and fun:

• Just in time for the holidays, we'll begin weekly, seasonal service between San Francisco and Cancun on Dec. 16, offering our Bay Area guests a convenient way to get away to eastern Mexico.
• We'll launch two new flights from Portland on Dec. 16 to Tampa and New Orleans – the only nonstops from the Rose City to these two Southern destinations. These routes are also seasonal service, each with several flights a week.
• On Nov. 19, we'll say howdy to another new route connecting Palm Springs and Austin. It's the only nonstop flight between the heart of the Coachella Valley and the Texas capital with flights five times a week.

"Since March, our bookings for leisure travel have exceeded what they were before the pandemic. For many of our guests, there's an increased confidence that comes after being vaccinated. They were cooped up for well over a year – now they're ready to relax, enjoy and explore," said Brett Catlin, vice president of network and alliances at Alaska Airlines. "With these new routes, we can whisk them away to destinations that have a warm sparkle in the wintertime."

Many of our guests are leisure travelers – heading to Hawaii for vacation, visiting family in Boston, maybe off to a soccer tournament with the kids in Los Angeles. They turn to us for low fares, great service and genuine hospitality. We offer West Coast-inspired fresh meals and beverages, hundreds of free TV shows and movies to watch on personal devices, upgraded satellite Wi-Fi on more of our aircraft and even free texting during flights.

Tickets for all flights are available for purchase now on alaskaair.com.

Start Date	End Date	City Pair	Departs	Arrives	Frequency	Aircraft
Nov. 19	April 18	Austin – Palm Springs	9 a.m.	10:35 a.m.	5x/Weekly	E175
Nov. 19	April 18	Palm Springs – Austin	11:05 a.m.	4:10 p.m.	5x/Weekly	E175
Dec. 16	April 18	San Francisco –Cancun	9:40 a.m.	5:55 p.m.	Weekly	737
Dec. 16	April 18	Cancun – San Francisco	11 a.m.	2 p.m.	Weekly	737
Dec. 16	April 18	Portland – Tampa	12:10 p.m.	8:29 p.m.	4x/Weekly	737
Dec. 16	April 18	Tampa – Portland	8 a.m.	11 a.m.	4x/Weekly	737
Dec. 16	April 18	Portland – New Orleans	12 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	3x/Weekly	737
Dec. 16	April 18	New Orleans – Portland	8 a.m.	11:10 a.m.	3x/Weekly	737

All flight times are local.

These leisure routes are part of a series of new ones we've recently announced. With the addition of our new nonstop service to Belize from Los Angeles and Seattle this November, our guests have access to 42 more nonstops now than they did before the pandemic.

As flyers begin traveling again, Alaska remains committed to Next-Level Care for its guests and employees by implementing more than 100 ways to maintain the highest standard of safety – from clean planes to clean air in the cabin (with hospital-grade air filtration systems). For everyone's safety on board, Alaska continues to enforce the federally mandated mask policy, even for those who are fully vaccinated.

With hygiene and safety concerns top of mind, we've made it easy for the travel journey to be nearly touch-free. You can check-in for your flight with the Alaska mobile app and get a mobile boarding pass. Plus, our improved technology now allows us to scan boarding passes up to six feet away to help maintain physical distance, bag tags can be printed without touching the check-in kiosks, and food and beverages can be purchased on board using a stored credit card.

Alaska is the newest member of the oneworld global alliance. With oneworld and our additional airline partners, guests can fly to as many as 1,000 destinations around the world. Flyers can also earn and redeem miles with our highly-acclaimed Mileage Plan program to fly on 20 oneworld and airline partners.

About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. The airline emphasizes Next-Level Care for its guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. Alaska is a member of oneworld. With the global alliance and the airline's additional partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

 

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SOURCE Alaska Airlines

FAQ

What new routes is Alaska Airlines adding for winter travel in 2021?

Alaska Airlines is adding nonstop flights from San Francisco to Cancun, Portland to Tampa and New Orleans, and Austin to Palm Springs.

When do the new Alaska Airlines routes start?

The new routes will begin on November 19 for Austin to Palm Springs and December 16 for San Francisco to Cancun, and Portland to Tampa and New Orleans.

How is Alaska Airlines addressing safety during travel?

Alaska Airlines is implementing over 100 safety measures, including hospital-grade air filtration and enforcing a federal mask policy.

What destinations are included in Alaska Airlines' new winter routes?

The new winter routes include Cancun, Tampa, New Orleans, and Palm Springs.

How has Alaska Airlines' leisure travel market changed since the pandemic?

Alaska Airlines reports that leisure travel bookings have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, reflecting increased traveler confidence.