Alaska Airlines adds 3 new routes in big San Diego expansion

Just a day after making some high-profile cuts to its network, Alaska Airlines is out with a big expansion in San Diego.

The Seattle-based carrier will add flights from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Chicago, Denver and Phoenix, all operating three times daily year-round.

Alaska will deploy Boeing 737s to Chicago and Denver and a mix of Boeing 737 and Embraer E175 aircraft to Phoenix. Service to Phoenix kicks off Aug. 20, and the airline will follow up with flights to Chicago and Denver on Oct. 4.

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In addition to the new routes, Alaska will boost West Coast connectivity in San Diego with two additional daily frequencies to four cities: Las Vegas, Sacramento, Salt Lake City and San Jose, California. Beginning Oct. 26, all but one of these markets will be served six times a day (Salt Lake City flights will operate on a three-times-daily basis).

Alaska will have plenty of competition on all of its new routes. Southwest Airlines already flies from San Diego to Denver and Phoenix, American Airlines flies from San Diego to Chicago and Phoenix, and United Airlines flies from San Diego to Chicago and Denver. All of Alaska’s competitors offer at least two daily flights in the respective markets.

Alaska says that the new routes and additional frequencies are designed to increase connectivity in San Diego. When all is said and done, the airline will serve 44 nonstop destinations from San Diego — the most of any airline serving the airport — on more than 90 peak-day departures.

Alaska is the second-largest carrier in San Diego behind Southwest Airlines, which also considers the airport as one of its operating bases.

“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 of Alaska Air Group, in a statement.

The expansion comes just days after Alaska exited four high-profile routes, including two transcons from Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C. Alaska didn’t make any cuts in San Diego, and it seems that the airline is seeing more success there than in other, more traditionally business-heavy markets, like IAD to San Francisco.

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