Analyzing Alaska Airlines’ Anchorage-Los Angeles Dominance

Summary

Alaska Airlines dominates the Anchorage to Los Angeles route with 68 scheduled flights this month.
The airline primarily uses Boeing 737-900s and MAX 9s on this route.
Alaska Airlines plans to expand in California with new nonstop flights by October 2024.

Alaska Airlines, with its primary hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), is a major force on the West Coast. The airline also maintains a strong presence at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This broad presence on the West Coast, especially if the Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merger is approved, gives the airline a unique advantage, allowing it to dominate certain routes without competition.

The Anchorage to Los Angeles route dominance

According to the aviation analytics company Cirium, Alaska Airlines is the only operator offering services between Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), the largest airport in Alaska, and Los Angeles (LAX).

Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying

The data reveals that the Alaskan carrier has 68 scheduled flights to and from the two destinations in August 2024. Not surprisingly, an all-Boeing operator utilizes its extensive fleet of Boeing 737s on this route. Specifically, Alaska Airlines deploys its Boeing 737-800s, Boeing 737-900s, and Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. The most frequently used aircraft on this route is the carrier’s 737-900, followed closely by the 737 MAX 9.

Currently, Alaska Airlines has a fleet of 241 aircraft with an average age of 16.4 years, according to ch-aviation data. The fleet consists of 79 Boeing 737-900ERs, 70 Boeing 737 MAX 9s, 61 Boeing 737-800s, 14 Boeing 737-700s, 12 Boeing 737-900s, and five Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets.

The data shows that the airline’s Boeing 737-900 can accommodate 178 passengers in a three-class cabin configuration: 16 in business, 24 in economy plus, and 138 in economy class. The Boeing 737 MAX 9 has exactly the same configuration.

Expanding its route network

It is worth noting that the carrier has been boosting its presence on the West Coast, particularly in Southern California, this year. In April 2024, Alaska Airlines announced that it would add nonstop flights from San Diego to Las Vegas, Los Angeles to Pasco, and Los Angeles to Reno, beginning on October 1, 2024. Neil Thwaites, regional vice president of California at Alaska Airlines, said:

“With our new services from Los Angeles to both Reno and Pasco as well as increased options to the destinations our guests visit most frequently. This new schedule also solidifies our title as the airline serving the most nonstop destinations from San Diego with our new service to Las Vegas.”

The airline’s presence in California is set to grow even further once regulatory authorities approve the merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock

In the latest development, the proposed Hawaiian-Alaska merger has advanced to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), where its final outcome will be determined. The carriers announced that a significant hurdle had been cleared after the proposal underwent review by the DOJ since the two airlines disclosed their merger plans on December 3, 2023.

If approved, this merger would be the largest in the US since Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Virgin America in 2016.

Related Analysis: The Advantages Of Alaska Airlines’ Proposed Merger With Hawaiian Airlines