Alaska Airlines continues to grow in San Diego with a 30% increase in flights and three new nonstop destinations

Rhea-AI Summary

Alaska Airlines (ALK) is significantly expanding its presence in San Diego with a 30% increase in flights and three new nonstop destinations. The airline will launch year-round service to Phoenix (Aug. 20), Chicago O'Hare and Denver (Oct. 4), each with three daily flights.

Starting Oct. 26, Alaska will increase frequencies by 50% or more on popular routes:

• Las Vegas (6x daily, up from 4x)
• Sacramento (6x daily, up from 4x)
• Salt Lake City (3x daily, up from 1x)
• San Jose, CA (6x daily, up from 4x)

Following the Hawaiian Airlines combination, Alaska now offers 44 nonstop destinations from San Diego - the most of any airline - with more than 90 peak-day departures. The expansion includes service to the East Coast, Northwest, California, Mexico, Florida, and all four major Hawaiian islands.

Positive

• 30% increase in total flights from San Diego hub
• Addition of three new profitable routes with 3x daily frequency each
• 50% or greater increase in frequency on four popular routes
• Market leadership with most nonstop destinations (44) from San Diego
• Network expansion strengthens competitive position in Southern California market

Negative

• Significant increase in operational costs due to rapid expansion
• Higher fuel consumption from increased flight frequencies
• Increased competition in mature markets like Phoenix and Denver routes

Insights

Aviation Industry Strategy Analyst

Alaska Airlines' San Diego expansion signals strong competitive positioning and potential revenue growth through extensive new routes and frequency increases.

Alaska Airlines is executing a significant network expansion in San Diego, introducing three new nonstop routes (Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Phoenix) and boosting daily flights on several high-demand existing routes by up to 50%. The move raises peak-day departures to more than 90 and brings the combined Alaska-Hawaiian portfolio to 44 nonstop destinations, the most from San Diego. This scale not only cements leadership at the airport but could support higher market share, especially given the timing (launches begin August and October 2025). The decision to prioritize both business and leisure destinations reflects a dual-market approach, while multiple daily frequencies signal a focus on business travelers and loyalty program engagement. Enhanced connectivity via the oneworld alliance and streamlined Mileage Plan benefits further strengthen Alaska's appeal to frequent flyers. The article references Alaska's ongoing integration with Hawaiian Airlines, suggesting network synergies and broader coverage. The promotional offer for new loyalty program members aims to accelerate customer acquisition. No mention of costs or financial projections means the material impact on profitability can't be assessed directly, but this expansion typically suggests positive revenue and volume implications, especially in the absence of negative operational news. The increased flight frequencies, new routes and loyalty incentives collectively indicate a push for growth and suggest a favorable demand environment in the San Diego region.

• New nonstops from San Diego to Chicago O'Hare, Denver and Phoenix will launch later this year, all with multiple daily departures
• We're also significantly expanding the number of frequencies on some of our most popular routes, by 50% or more, to meet growing demand for our premium product
• Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines now offer 44 nonstop destinations from San Diego, the most of any airline, with more than 90 peak-day departures

SEATTLE, April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines is adding new nonstop routes in San Diego, along with offering additional flights on existing routes and improved flight connectivity – all to give our guests more convenient travel options as San Diego's leading airline.  We'll launch three new nonstop routes with year-round service between San Diego and Phoenix beginning on Aug. 20, followed by Chicago O'Hare and Denver on Oct. 4. Each route will be served by three daily flights.

Starting Oct. 26, we'll also add flights to select routes that our guests fly the most from San Diego with an increase in frequencies of 50% or more. That means six daily nonstops to Las Vegas, Sacramento and San Jose, Calif., and three daily flights to Salt Lake City. Tickets for the new routes can be purchased now at alaskaair.com, with the flights for the expanded schedule available for purchase beginning this weekend.

Alaska guests in San Diego also benefit from Mileage Plan – our award-winning, industry-leading loyalty program – with the ability to earn and redeem miles on more than 65% of all international flights to Europe and Asia at San Diego International Airport through our oneworld partners.  

As the only national airline based on the West Coast, we've proudly served guests throughout California for more than 40 years. With the new routes on the combined Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines network, we'll serve 44 nonstop destinations from San Diego – the most nonstops of any airline serving the airport – along with more than 90 peak-day departures. This includes flights to the East Coast, the Northwest, throughout California, Mexico, Florida and to all four major islands in Hawai'i.

"We're proud to already serve San Diego and the surrounding region with the most nonstop destinations from San Diego. These exciting new additions to our network further expand our ability to take San Diegans directly to where they want to go, better than any other airline, with our premium onboard service and global loyalty program," said Ben Minicucci, CEO at Alaska Air Group.

New nonstop routes

City Pair	Start Date	Frequency	Aircraft
Phoenix – San Diego	Aug. 20	3x Daily	737
Chicago O'Hare – San Diego	Oct. 4	3x Daily	737
Denver – San Diego	Oct. 4	3x Daily	737 & E175

Increased flight frequencies

City Pair	Effective	New Frequency	Current Frequency
Las Vegas – San Diego	Oct. 26	6x Daily	4x Daily
Sacramento – San Diego	Oct. 26	6x Daily	4x Daily
Salt Lake City – San Diego	Oct. 26	3x Daily	1x Daily
San Jose, CA – San Diego	Oct. 26	6x Daily	4x Daily

"We are very pleased that Alaska Airlines is continuing to grow its service from San Diego," said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President and CEO. "The timing is perfect for adding new routes and increasing frequency to existing flights. We look forward to welcoming both leisure and business visitors to our year-round sunny climate while providing more flights from SAN to destinations across the country."

Alaska's combination with Hawaiian is enabling an expanded network with optimal connections on more than 1,650 daily flights this summer. Together with our oneworld member airlines and additional global partners, we offer one-stop service from San Diego to more than 330 destinations.  

As part of Alaska's continuing commitment to Southern California, we began daily nonstop service between San Diego and Washington Reagan National in March 2025. We're the only airline offering this nonstop flight. San Diego had been the largest U.S. airport without service to Washington Reagan National.

For a limited time, California and Hawai'i residents who join our Mileage Plan loyalty program will receive $50 off their next flight when they enroll here. Those living in other states can take advantage of this offer for $25 off their next flight. New members will need to book their travel within 28 days of enrollment and take their flight within 90 days.

Alaska's elevated travel experience offers a blend of comfort and caring service for a seamless journey, including no change fees, the most legroom in First Class* and Premium Class, and our generous Mileage Plan program with the fastest path to elite status.

For inflight entertainment, our guests can enjoy hundreds of free movies and TV shows streamed to their devices. Our mainline flights are enabled with streaming-fast satellite Wi-Fi available for purchase, the option to pre-order from a range of fresh meal selections and power outlets at every seat to charge devices. 

Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With oneworld and our additional airline partners, our guests can earn and redeem miles with Mileage Plan to fly on more than 20 oneworld and partner airlines all around the globe. Elite status on Alaska automatically matches tier status in oneworld right away and all the benefits that come with it. 

*Out of any U.S. legacy airline, excluding lie-flat seats

About Alaska Air Group

Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, with McGee Air Services a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. With hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, we deliver remarkable care as we fly our guests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. Alaska is a member of the oneworld Alliance with Hawaiian scheduled to join in 2026. With oneworld and our additional global partners, guests can earn and redeem miles for travel to over 1,000 worldwide destinations. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Learn more about what's happening at Alaska and Hawaiian. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as "ALK."

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-airlines-continues-to-grow-in-san-diego-with-a-30-increase-in-flights-and-three-new-nonstop-destinations-302434113.html

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

FAQ

What new routes is Alaska Airlines (ALK) adding from San Diego in 2025?

Alaska Airlines is adding three new nonstop routes from San Diego: Phoenix (starting Aug. 20), Chicago O'Hare and Denver (both starting Oct. 4), each with three daily flights.

How many daily flights will ALK operate between San Diego and Las Vegas after October 26, 2025?

Alaska Airlines will increase its San Diego to Las Vegas service to 6 daily flights, up from 4 daily flights.

How many nonstop destinations does Alaska Airlines serve from San Diego after the Hawaiian Airlines merger?

Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines combined now serve 44 nonstop destinations from San Diego, the most of any airline, with more than 90 peak-day departures.

Which routes from San Diego is Alaska Airlines (ALK) increasing frequency by 50% or more?

ALK is increasing frequencies to Las Vegas, Sacramento, and San Jose (all to 6x daily from 4x) and Salt Lake City (to 3x daily from 1x).