Alaska Airlines Launches First-Ever Routes to Guatemala and the Bahamas

Alaska Airlines has recently launched nine new routes to popular vacation destinations across the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, offering passengers more opportunities to escape the winter sun.

These flights were all launched last week and included Alaska’s first-ever nonstop services to Guatemala and the Bahamas, giving passengers new access to unspoiled Caribbean beaches and vibrant Central American culture. Additionally, two new Mexican destinations from Las Vegas and seasonal services between popular U.S. destinations are also available.

New Destinations

On December 14, Alaska initiated a year-round, daily service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Guatemala City (GUA). The outbound flights from LAX leave at 11:15 PM daily and arrive at Guatemala City at 6:00 AM the following day. The return flights are scheduled to leave Guatemala at 11:45 AM and arrive in Los Angeles at 3:10 PM.

Photo: Guatemala City. Courtesy of Leonel Lopez / Unsplash

On December 15, the airline launched its first-ever flights to Nassau (NAS) in the Bahamas from LAX and its primary hub, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The LAX-NAS service is year-round, with four flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, but it will drop to one flight per week starting April 15. Meanwhile, the SEA-NAS service operates thrice a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and is scheduled to end on April 14, 2024.

Photo: Nassau, Bahamas. Courtesy of Georgy Trofimov / Unsplash

Alaska Airlines also introduced three seasonal services from Las Vegas (LAS) last week. Two flights to Mexico, Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Cabo San Lucas (CSL), will operate four times per week and end on April 14 and April 15, respectively. Flights from Las Vegas to San Luis Obispo (SBP) will operate daily until April 15.

The airline launched three other internal U.S. flights last week. These include a daily service between New York (JFK) and Palm Springs (PSP) that will run until May 15. The other two routes are from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport (SNA), connecting to Bozeman Yellowstone (BZN) and Tucson (TUS).

Photo: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9. Courtesy of Alaska Airlines

“There’s something for everyone in our roster of new flights – from amazing beaches to snowy mountains, big city buzz to tranquil deserts,” said Kirsten Amrine, vice president of revenue management and network planning at Alaska Airlines.

“We’re also now flying our guests to countries we’ve never served before as we increase our international service. The Bahamas off the coast of South Florida offer pristine islands and turquoise waters, and Guatemala in Central America excites with adventure, history and culture.”

Alaska’s International Expansion Continues

On December 4, Alaska Airlines agreed to acquire Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion, a move that will provide greater connectivity for travelers and considerably expand the airline’s international network.

Alaska Airlines is the country’s fifth largest carrier, trailing the Big Four, while Hawaiian is the 16th. The merger of the complementary networks focused on the West Coast would give passengers access to 138 destinations, including direct service to 29 international locations in the Americas, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands, Alaska said.

Photo: Courtesy of Alaska Airlines

The number of U.S. destinations Hawaiian residents can reach with just one stop will also triple.

Following the merger, Alaska will control more than half of the market for flights to Hawai’i, which draws more than 10 million visitors annually as one of the world’s top tourist destinations.