Alaska Airlines Launching Two New San Diego Routes

Alaska Airlines will begin operating two new routes from San Diego (SAN) this week. From June 15th, the carrier will fly non-stop to both Eugene (EUG) and Washington Dulles (IAD). Both routes will operate on a daily basis, offering more choice to travelers and strengthening the airline’s presence in Southern California.

The flight schedule

The two new routes will operate as per the following schedule:

Services to Eugene will be operated by SkyWest Airlines with the Embraer E175, while Alaska Airlines will fly to Washington Dulles with its own Boeing 737 MAX 9s. Data from ch-aviation.com shows that Alaska Airlines currently has 47 737 MAX 9s in its fleet, with a further 40 on order. Each aircraft seats a total of 178 passengers.

The oneworld member will face competition on both new routes – it will go head-to-head with Allegiant Air on services to Eugene, and up against United Airlines to Washington Dulles, which operates two flights per day between its East Coast hub and San Diego.

Alaska Airlines’ expansion will be welcome news to San Diego International Airport, which earlier this year, received an additional $20 million for the modernization of Terminal 1. The President of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, Kimberly Becker, shared their delight at the two new routes, saying,

 

“We appreciate Alaska Airlines growing its service at SAN and their continued partnership. The timing is excellent, and our community will benefit from the addition of these new nonstop routes between our sunny Southern California region and the East Coast and the Pacific Northwest.

Further expansion from San Diego

In addition to the two new destinations launching this week, Alaska Airlines has also added Tampa (TPA) to its route network from San Diego. The winter seasonal service will commence on October 5th, and will join the airline’s two other Florida destinations already served from San Diego – Orlando (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL).

Alaska Airlines will be the only carrier connecting San Diego and Tampa non-stop. Flights between the two cities will be operated by the Boeing 737, with the following schedule:

Commenting on the carrier’s expansion at San Diego, Alaska Airlines’ Regional Vice President of California, Neil Thwaites, said,

 

“Our guests in San Diego told us they wanted more nonstops; we’re excited to add service on both the West and East Coasts, including the nation’s capital, Florida’s vibrant Gulf Coast, as well as to beautiful Eugene, Oregon. We know it’s important that we keep California connected, and our guests will now have three more non-stop destinations to choose from as they plan out their travel.”

Will you be traveling on one of Alaska Airlines’ new routes? Which destinations do you expect the carrier to serve next out of San Diego? Let us know by commenting below.

Sources: NBC San Diego, ch-aviation.com