Alaska Airlines readies launch of Heathrow-Seattle flights

US carrier Alaska Airlines will launch daily services between Heathrow and Seattle next month, offering additional access the US West Coast.

Alaska serves multiple destinations from its home base in Seattle, including Los Angeles, San Franciso, San Diego and Portland as well as the Hawaiian Islands and Denver in the Rockies.

The carrier has not flown transatlantic before but is poised to become the fourth-largest carrier in the US after acquiring Hawaiian Airlines in 2025.

It’s due to launch flights between Seattle and Heathrow on May 21 using a Boeing 787 with new, fully flat business class suites unveiled at the end of March.

Services will be daily, year-round, departing Seattle at 21:45 to arrive at Heathrow at 15:05 the following day. Heathrow departures are scheduled for 17:00, to arrive in Seattle at 18:55.

The carrier will use slots at Heathrow provided by Oneworld partner American Airlines.

However, Alaska will launch daily services between Seattle and Rome first, starting from the end of April, and will follow the Heathrow start-up by launching services to Reykjavik at the end of May – connecting with Icelandair flights around Europe.

Alaska flew solely across North America, Central America and the Caribbean until recently when it began services to Tokyo and Seoul.

It expects most traffic on the Heathrow-Seattle service to originate in the US at first, but Alaska communications vice president Alexa Rudin pointed to the carrier’s partnership with British Airways in the Oneworld alliance and said: “We see ourselves as an additional option for BA travellers.”

She described Seattle as “a convenient gateway to the West Coast” and said the market “has been asking us to provide services” to Europe.

Rudin added: “We’re a premium carrier. Our aircraft are new and we heavily invest in the onboard experience, with plenty of overhead bin space, fresh meals, cocktails throughout the cabin and warm, friendly service.”

She downplayed the possible impact on demand of the war in the Middle East and potential reluctance of some travellers to visit the US, saying: “We’re confident travel to and from the US will sustain over time.”

The airline has yet to release details of fares, but Rudin said “our philosophy is to be competitive”, adding: “We’ll really turn on the promotion in the fall [autumn].”

Alaska acquired Virgin America in 2016.