I noticed on Monday morning that Delta is adding even more routes to/from Seattle, competing head to head with incumbent Alaska Airlines. These are mostly a mix of new seasonal routes and expansion of existing service, but they are routes that I typically think of as “belonging” to Alaska Airlines. Destinations include:
- Phoenix
- Jackson Hole
- Palm Springs
- Tucson
- Honolulu
- Anchorage
The press release quotes a Delta exec calling it the “Seattle’s fastest-growing airline,” which seems to me a bit of a jab at Alaska Airlines — though growing quickly doesn’t necessarily mean they’re better at serving the market. Alaska has a lot of well-deserved loyalty.
And as if in response, Alaska looks ready to announce its own additions on Tuesday morning. Some clever folks at Airliners.net noticed that these routes were already added to the SABRE reservations system (continued discussion at FlyerTalk). If Delta wants to try to take over the West Coast network that Alaska serves so well, it seems that Alaska may be trying to expand its domestic reach:
- Detroit
- New Orleans
- Tampa
I’m definitely happy about the last two. I’ve been wanting to go back to New Orleans for a while, and with non-stop service to Tampa it’s easier than ever to visit One Mile at a Time’s awesome parents! Fares look relatively low on these new routes around $150-190 each way.
Update: Here’s the Alaska press release on these new routes, plus another release announcing service between Portland and Kalispell, Montana.
