Alaska Airlines expands global reach as rivalry with Delta intensifies at Seattle airport

Alaska Airlines maintains a dominant position at SEA with a 52% overall market share compared to Delta’s 24%. Alaska leverages its status as “Seattle’s Hometown Airline” through local sponsorships and partnerships with companies such as Starbucks. Its loyalty program is considered highly competitive among Seattle residents.

A significant shift occurred following Alaska’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. This deal provided Alaska access to widebody aircraft—24 Airbus A330-200s and four Boeing 787-9s—with plans for further fleet expansion by the end of the decade. These aircraft will allow Alaska to compete directly on long-haul international routes from Seattle for the first time.

Alaska has already scheduled new intercontinental services from SEA to Tokyo (active), Seoul (September 2025), Rome (Spring 2026), London (Spring 2026), and Reykjavík (Spring 2026). Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Airlines, stated: “With these bold moves, we are accelerating our vision to connect our guests to the world. We are seizing this moment to redefine the international experience and level up. And we’re doing it with the same relentless focus on safety, care and performance that’s always defined us. I’m so proud of how our people continue to step up and deliver as we push ahead on these initiatives, with even more to come.”

Delta Air Lines continues its own expansion strategy at SEA by focusing on premium offerings aimed at business travelers and high-value leisure passengers—particularly those flying internationally—and upgrading its fleet with larger Airbus A350 aircraft based at Seattle. The airline has also invested in lounge facilities targeting premium customers.

Delta responded quickly when Alaska announced new routes; after Alaska revealed plans for service to Rome next spring, Delta countered by announcing flights not only to Rome but also Barcelona during the same period.

Looking forward, domestic traffic—which accounts for most passenger volume at SEA—is expected to remain stable due largely to Alaska's established route network advantage. However, international traffic is growing faster than domestic traffic at SEA; while currently just over one-tenth of total passenger volume comes from international travel, this segment grew by approximately fourteen percent year-over-year compared with two percent growth domestically.

Both carriers are expected to focus future competition primarily on lucrative long-haul international routes rather than fighting over domestic capacity or market share alone.

As neither airline appears likely either to cede ground or achieve outright dominance soon, industry observers suggest that ongoing competition may ultimately benefit travelers through improved services and expanded options from Seattle.