Hawaii needs some lift - here comes Alaska
Good news for tourist-dependent Hawaii. Alaska Airlines launched nonstop Seattle/Tacoma (SEA) to Maui (OGG) service yesterday (Thursday, July 17). The carrier intends the flight to be a year-round affair.
Alaska Airlines' Seattle/Tacoma base could give it a competitive advantage over the incumbent airlines on the route. That's because AS (that's Alaska's code) can connect flyers throughout its West Coast route network over Sea-Tac, and then to Maui.
Hawaiian Airlines and Northwest Airlines already fly the SEA-OGG route nonstop.
Certainly Hawaii can use the lift. In recent months Aloha Airlines and discount airline ATA have gone out of business. They provided a significant number of seats between the Mainland and Hawaii.
This isn't Alaska's last foray to the Islands. The carrier plans to launch thrice-weekly seasonal nonstops from Anchorage (ANC) to Maui on October 31, and year-round nonstops from SEA to Kona (KOA) starting November 17.
© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler