Summary
- Alaska Airlines dominates the Anchorage – Los Angeles route with 68 scheduled flights this month.
- The airline mainly uses Boeing 737-900 and MAX 9 on this route.
- Alaska Airlines plans to expand with new nonstop flights in California by October 2024.
Alaska Airlines is a major player on the West Coast, with its main hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The airline also has a strong presence at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This broad presence on the West Coast, especially if the merger of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines is approved, gives the airline a unique advantage that allows it to dominate certain routes without competition.
The dominance of the Anchorage – Los Angeles route
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, Alaska Airlines is the only operator offering service between Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Alaska’s largest airport, and Los Angeles (LAX).
Photo: Joe Kunzler | Easy flying
The data shows that the Alaskan airline will operate 68 scheduled flights to and from the two destinations in August 2024. It is not surprising that a Boeing-only operator would deploy its extensive fleet of Boeing 737s on this route. Specifically, Alaska Airlines uses its Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-900 and Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. The most frequently used aircraft on this route is the airline’s 737-900, closely followed by the 737 MAX 9.
At the moment, Alaska Airlines According to ch-aviation, the airline has a fleet of 241 aircraft with an average age of 16.4 years. The fleet consists of 79 Boeing 737-900ERs, 70 Boeing 737 MAX 9s, 61 Boeing 737-800s, 14 Boeing 737-700s, 12 Boeing 737-900s and five Boeing 737 MAX 8s.
The data shows that the airline’s Boeing 737-900 can carry 178 passengers in a three-class cabin configuration: 16 in business, 24 in economy plus and 138 in economy. The Boeing 737 MAX 9 has exactly the same configuration.
Expansion of the route network
It is worth noting that this year the airline has increased its presence on the West Coast, especially in Southern California. In April 2024, Alaska Airlines announced that it would begin offering nonstop flights from San Diego to Las Vegas, Los Angeles to Pasco and Los Angeles to Reno starting October 1, 2024. Neil Thwaites, Alaska Airlines’ regional vice president for California, said:
“With our new service from Los Angeles to Reno and Pasco, as well as expanded options for the destinations our guests fly to most frequently. This new schedule also solidifies our title as the airline serving the most nonstop destinations from San Diego with our new service to Las Vegas.”
The airline’s presence in California is expected to expand even further once regulators approve the merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock
In the latest development, the proposed Hawaii-Alaska merger has been referred to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), where the final outcome will be decided. The airlines announced that a significant hurdle had been cleared after the proposal was reviewed by the DOJ after the two airlines announced their merger plans on December 3, 2023.
If approved, the merger would be the largest in the United States since Alaska Airlines acquired Virgin America in 2016.
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