Alaska Airlines announces 13 new nonstop routes from S.F. Bay Area

Three months after its acquisition of Virgin America, Alaska Airlines is growing its footprint in the San Francisco Bay area by adding daily nonstop flights to 13 new markets from two of the area’s major airports.

The new routes from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) mark the single largest new market announcement in Alaska Airlines’ (NYSE:ALK) history. With the additional flights, Alaska Airlines and Virgin America will offer guests 125 daily nonstop flights to 42 destinations from all three of the Bay area’s international airports. The third is Oakland International (OAK).

"Our strategy is to use the same philosophy that has worked well for us in our Pacific Northwest hubs, which is to offer convenient, nonstop flights to the places guests fly to most,” Andrew Harrison, Alaska EVP and chief commercial officer, said.

Hailed by SFO officials as a demonstration of the carriers’ “continued commitment to the San Francisco Bay area,” the new flights build on previously announced Bay Area routes scheduled to begin in the coming months. Those include San Jose-Newark (EWR), San Jose-Burbank Bob Hope Airport (BUR), San Francisco-Orlando (MCO), San Francisco-Orange County John Wayne Airport (SNA), San Francisco-Minneapolis (MSP) and San Francisco-Mexico City (MEX).

New daily flights to and from SFO will begin on the following schedule:
  • Aug. 31, SFO-Philadelphia (PHL), departing 10:35 p.m.; arriving at 6:59 a.m. the following day. Flights will be aboard A320 aircraft.
  • Sept. 1, PHL-SFO, departing 8:15 a.m.; arriving 11:25 a.m.
  • Sept. 5, SFO-Nashville (BNA), departing 12:55 p.m.; arriving 7:25 p.m.
  • Sept. 5, BNA-SFO, departing 8:15 p.m.;arriving 11:25 p.m.
  • Sept. 21, SFO-New Orleans (MSY), departing 8:48 a.m.; arriving at 3:30 p.m.
  • Sept. 21, MSY-SFO, departing 4 p.m.; arriving at 6:30 p.m.
  • Sept. 26, SFO-Indianapolis (IND), departing 12:35 p.m; arriving 7:50 p.m.
  • Sept. 26, IND-SFO, departing 8:40 p.m.; arriving 10:40 p.m.
  • Oct. 16, SFO-Baltimore-Washington (BWI); departing at 8:30 a.m., arriving at 4:30 p.m.
  • Oct. 16, BWI-SFO; departing at 5:25 p.m., arriving at 8:42 p.m.
  • Oct. 19, SFO-Raleigh-Durham (RDU), departing at 11:35 p.m.; arriving 7:40 a.m. the following day.
  • Oct. 20, RDU-SFO, departing 9 a.m.; arriving 11:50 a.m.
  • Dec. 14, SFO-Kona, Hawaii; departing at 11 a.m., arriving at 2:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 14, KOA-SFO; departing at 3:30 p.m., arriving at 10:35 p.m.

All of the above flights will be aboard A320-family aircraft.

According to SeatGuru.com, Virgin America's A320 aircraft have First Class seats that are 21 inches wide with 55 inches of pitch. Main Cabin Select seats are 17.7 inches wide with 38 inches of pitch while standard economy seats are 17.7 inches wide with 32 inches of pitch.

The airline will be using Embraer E175 aircraft for the following new daily flights between SFO and Albuquerque (ABQ) and between SFO and Kansas City International (KCI):
  • Sept. 18, SFO-ABQ; departing at 6:15 p.m., arriving at 9:48 p.m.
  • Sept. 18, ABQ-SFO; departing at 7:15 a.m., arriving at 8:57 a.m.
  • Sept. 18, SFO-KCI; departing at 9:50 a.m., arriving at 3:30 p.m.
  • Sept. 18, KCI-SFO; departing at 2:25 p.m., arriving at 5:05 p.m.
According to SeatGuru.com, Alaska's E175 aircraft have First Class seats that are 21 inches wide with 36 inches of pitch. Premium Economy seats are 18.25 inches wide with 36 inches of pitch while standard economy seats are 18.25 inches wide with 32 inches of pitch.

New daily flights to and from Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) will begin on the following schedule:
  • Aug. 28, SJC-Austin (AUS); departing at 8:45 a.m., arriving at 2:20 p.m.
  • Aug. 28, AUS-SJC; departing at 3 p.m., arriving at 4:50 p.m.
  • Aug. 28, SJC-Tucson (TUS); departing at 5:35 p.m., arriving at 7:45 p.m.
  • Aug. 29, TUS-SJC; departing at 7 a.m., arriving at 9:24 a.m.
New four-times daily flights between SJC and Los Angeles International (LAX) will begin on the following schedule:
  • Sept. 20, SJC-LAX; departing 6:30 and 10:30 a.m., 2:39 and 6:55 p.m., arriving at 8:03 a.m.; 12:25, 4:12 and 8:28 p.m., respectively.
  • Sept. 20, LAX-SJC; departing 8:45 a.m., 1:05, 4:52 and 9:20 p.m., arriving at 10:08 a.m.; 2:30,. 6:15 and 10:44 p.m., respectively.
Flights between SJC and AUS, TUS and LAX will be aboard Embraer E175 aircraft.

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Photos by Carl Dombek
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