Alaska announced yesterday that it will launch Seattle to Rome flights in May 2026. This is their third international destination out of their hub, following the addition of Seattle to Tokyo Narita flights earlier this year, and Seattle to Seoul Incheon flights coming later this year.
More excitingly, the flight will be operated with a Boeing 787-9 under Alaska’s branding, with 34 business and 266 economy class seats. These flights will be flown 4 times a week, and the schedule will be:
- Seattle to Rome: 18:00 departure, 13:45 arrival (+1)
- Rome to Seattle: 13:45 departure, 18:00 arrival
These flights will go on sale this fall. It’s pending government approval, but Alaska expects to get its single operating certificate from the FAA, also this fall.
“Serving Rome nonstop from Seattle is a dream come true. As an Italian American whose parents emigrated from Italy, this is a particularly meaningful addition to our network,” said Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Airlines. “Rome has been at the top of the list ever since we announced our new global gateway out of Seattle.”
Here are a couple of things that come to mind as I look at this launch.
Related: Hawaiian & Alaska’s Seattle to Tokyo Route is Another Reflection of the Weak Japanese Yen
Alaska/Hawaiian’s Long-Haul Experience
Currently, Alaska and Hawaiian operate flights out of Seattle using Hawaiian’s Airbus A330s. These planes are admittedly a bit dated, especially in business class with its 2-2-2 configuration. It’s by no means a highly premium product.
This Seattle to Rome route, however, will see Alaska’s new Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which will have fresh interiors. Hawaiian’s current 787 fleet has a fantastic onboard product, and I expect a similar level with Alaska’s 787s. We’ll get to see Alaska showcase these new cabins in ways we haven’t seen before from the airline. I think it’s going to be very weird seeing Alaska’s livery on a Boeing 787 (let alone a widebody plane), and Alaska Airlines branding inside the 787. Exciting stuff!
The Seattle Hub: Alaska’s or Delta’s?
Alaska has ambitious plans for its Seattle hub. In addition to its current large operations there, the airline plans to have a Flagship Lounge by 2027 and expand its long-haul network from Seattle with at least 12 routes by 2030.
Delta has a decent presence in Seattle too, but I think Alaska has taken the edge with the hub and is fulfilling its wishes for it to be their operations gateway. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Delta come back with a new route launch from Seattle now that we have this Rome launch from Alaska, but I don’t see much growth for them in Seattle.
Sure, they’ve put efforts into the hub with its new Delta One Lounges and expanding operations. But Alaska has also continued to grow at a steady pace, no matter what Delta brings to the table in Seattle.
Alaska also has a “hometown pride” feeling from its very loyal Seattle customers, which helps it bring loyalty revenue and credit card spending. Oneworld airlines as a whole also have a big presence, helping the airline with its partnerships and joint ventures.
Concluding Thoughts
Overall, this is very exciting. This marks a new era for Alaska, and I’m happy to see the growth we’ve seen over the past year since the merger. I don’t fly Alaska that often, but I still find myself rooting for them as a fellow Oneworld frequent flyer. This will be far from Alaska’s only Europe flight; we can expect many more looking ahead over the next half decade.
All photos taken by the author.
