Alaska Airlines Just Announced the Return of a Favorite Cross-country Route

The airline now offers more flights to West Coast destinations than any other airline from LAX.

By Michael Cappetta Michael Cappetta

Michael Cappetta is a travel writer with over 10 years of experience in journalism and television news. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 3, 2024

Close The downtown city skyline and park in Atlanta, Georgia . Photo:

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Exploring the West Coast just got easier with new airline routes. 

Alaska Airlines is bringing back a route connecting Portland, Oregon, and Atlanta, as well as new routes from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). 

“We're expanding our presence in California and adding new coast-to-coast service sure to delight our guests in the Northwest,” the airline shared in a release. 

The Portland to Atlanta route will operate daily. Alaska points out the flight will arrive and depart from Portland's recently renovated terminal, where Alaska installed new technology to help save passengers time with baggage drop-off.  Alaska last operated the route six years ago, an airline spokesperson shared with Travel + Leisure.

Additionally, the airline will expand from Las Vegas to two new routes, Santa Rosa (Sonoma County) and San Diego. The airline has established a clever benefit for passengers exploring Sonoma County, with the Wine Flies Free program where passengers enrolled in Alaska's Mileage Plan frequent flyer program can check an entire case of wine for free. 

Alaska also hit a milestone from LAX, with the highest amount of daily flights throughout the West Coast. The airline will soon offer twice-daily flights to both Reno, Nevada, and daily flights to Pasco, Washington. 

All of the new routes will operate on the Embraer 175 aircraft, with the exception of the Portland to Atlanta route which will operate on a Boeing 737-900. 

“Travel demand continues to be strong, and we are excited to provide our guests with more options for their next business trip or autumn getaway,” Alaska Airlines Vice President Kirsten Amrine said in the release.

“With the addition of these new nonstop routes, we also continue to strengthen our presence throughout the state of California and connect Pacific Northwest communities with our broader network.”

The new routes are being announced as Alaska recently finalized plans to merge with Hawaiian Airlines, which has a goal to provide a more seamless travel experience for passengers on each airlines’ route network.