Some airlines contain the full scope of their travel ambitions in their name. If you’re flying on Air New Zealand or Austrian Airlines, for instance, it’s a safe bet that you’re traveling internationally. Their name has since been absorbed into that of the company they merged with, but Continental Airlines was a particularly notable example of this. By comparison, flying on Alaska Airlines has generally signified that you’re going to or from somewhere on the West Coast — probably close to a certain massive state.
That’s starting to change. This week, Alaska Airlines announced that 2026 would bring with it the addition of new routes from Seattle to London and Reykjavik. In tandem with another recently announced route — this one to Rome — Alaska Airlines is getting into the European travel business for the first time in its history. And with the addition of routes to Tokyo and Seoul, the airline is beefing up its overall international presence.
Alaska Airlines plans to begin flights to both destinations from Seattle in the spring of 2026. They’ve also cited next spring as when service to Rome will begin, while the airline’s first flight to Seoul will take off on September 12 of this year. Service to Tokyo, meanwhile, began earlier this year. These five routes aren’t the extent of their plans; overall, the airline anticipates having “at least 12 intercontinental destinations” served by the airport by 2030.
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The $49+ service includes nonstop flights within California, plus travel to Arizona and Nevada. Is it worth it?“We are seizing this moment to redefine the international experience and level up,” the airline’s CEO, Ben Minicucci, said in a statement. “And we’re doing it with the same relentless focus on safety, care and performance that’s always defined us.”
Alaska Airlines’ move is also in keeping with some larger trends in the industry. With Southwest Airlines’ CEO leaving the door open for long-haul flights, we’re entering a period of air travel where an airline’s name might not make it easy to assume a given traveler’s itinerary.
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