Delta has announced new flights from its Seattle hub and the debut of its Delta One Lounge in the airport. Delta will now serve Barcelona and Rome from Seattle, ramping up competition with Alaska Airlines who announced a Seattle to Rome flight earlier this month.
We all knew Delta was going to respond in some way after Alaska added a Rome flight and continuing their long-haul growth out of the hub. I absolutely love this from both airlines; this is compeition at its finest.
Delta states that this new Seattle to Rome and Barcelona service will begin on May 6, 2026, and May 7, 2026, respectively. This will be operated daily, but we’re still waiting on specific details regarding the schedule. Alaska’s service, in the meantime, will also start in May 2026 and will be operated 4 times a week. Delta will utilize an A330-900neo for this route, while Alaska plans to use their new Boeing 787-9 delivery.
For passengers in the Pacific Northwest, both airlines offer their respective strengths and benefits, but Alaska does have the edge in Seattle right now. Residents have a “hometown pride” feeling for the airline, which helps them drive on the loyalty side of operations. Alaska also boasts a fantastic network of connections from Seattle. It’s going to be a very interesting market to observe over the remainder of the decade.
From Seattle, Alaska eventually plans to have a Flagship Lounge by 2027 and expand its long-haul network with at least 12 routes by 2030. In addition to their Rome flight starting next year, they’ve already begun service to Tokyo Narita and are set to begin a Seoul flight later this year, both flown by Hawaiian metal.
The new Delta One Lounge is about here though, and is set to open on June 25. Delta will have a head start with the lounge, as Alaska passengers will have to wait for the flagship. If you wonder why Delta hasn’t opened a lounge in their fortress hubs like Atlanta or Detroit, this is why. They’d much rather deploy these lounges where there’s competition, such as Seattle, Boston, and New York. This helps them deliver on the premium experience and sway customers their way.
Concluding Thoughts
This is very exciting to see, as it’s competition at its finest. As I said, it’ll be a very interesting market to watch for the remainder of the decade, as both airlines look to expand operations in Seattle. I have to wonder if either of them will reach a breaking point and will have to pull back their scale of service. For now though, passengers in and around the Pacific Northwest are going to be served well by both airlines.
All photos taken by the author.
