Alaska Airlines details new transatlantic services using both widebody and narrowbody Boeing jets

While some observers question whether there will be enough demand for a fifth daily service between Seattle and London—especially given that British Airways is also a oneworld partner—examples exist of alliance partners successfully sharing busy routes. For example, both Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic operate alongside each other as SkyTeam members on this same city pair.

Alaska Airlines intends to use Boeing 787-9 widebody jets for its London service. The aircraft will feature 34 lie-flat business class seats targeting premium travelers. The airline believes connecting traffic will be key to filling these flights. It states that it "will connect guests throughout the West Coast to London and other destinations served by Alaska's extensive partner network," in addition to providing "guests in Alaska and Hawai'i with conveniently timed connectivity."

For its new Seattle-Reykjavik route, Alaska Airlines will deploy Boeing 737 MAX 8 narrowbody aircraft as often as daily during peak summer months. Currently, Icelandair holds a monopoly on this corridor with Airbus A321LR narrowbodies operating three times daily each way; however, their focus is primarily on transit traffic connecting North America with Europe via Iceland. In contrast, Alaska Airlines aims more at point-to-point travel between Seattle and Reykjavik due to a lack of alliance partners in Iceland.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8s that will serve the Reykjavik route have either 159 or 161 seats configured across two classes.

Alaska Airlines was founded in 1932 and operates as a full-service carrier with major hubs including Anchorage, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle-Tacoma airports. The airline is part of the oneworld alliance under CEO Ben Minicucci.