Alaska Airlines has expanded its network in Southern California by adding two additional routes.
As noted in Cirium timetables and later verified by a carrier spokesperson, the carrier will begin offering service on December 14 from Orange County's John Wayne Airport (SNA) to Tucson International Airport (TUS) and Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN).
While flights to Bozeman will be run by completely owned subsidiary Horizon Air five times per week through March 30, 2024, the new Tucson route will be run daily by regional affiliate Skywest Airlines through April 16. An Embraer E175 with 76 seats will be used on the trips by both carriers.
Southwest Airlines did fly between Orange County and Bozeman two winters ago, but the route hasn't been reinstated since. Alaska hasn't previously offered either service. Alaska will have exclusive use of both routes over the following winter season if nothing changes.
Alaska gains a competitive edge among residents and visitors who want to bypass the much bigger and busier Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by expanding service from Orange County.
Additionally, Alaska may make use of the airport's catchment area, which is one of the richest in the country. (During the pandemic, American Airlines gained notoriety for introducing a new transcontinental service to New York, flown by its poshest three-cabin plane.)
Alaska will provide a total of seven destinations from John Wayne, as shown in the list below, including the new routes:
• Bozeman.
• Everett, Washington.
• Portland.
• San Francisco.
• Santa Rosa, California.
• Seattle.
• Tucson.
Alaska Airlines has attempted to establish itself as the airline of choice for Californians over the years, but notably after it acquired Virgin America. The airline has improved service throughout the state, provided lucrative targeted frequent flyer programs, and even added a subscription for a flight pass for people who travel frequently.
As part of that effort, Orange County is a crucial airport, and places like Bozeman and Tucson will probably pique the interest of travelers seeking a getaway to the Sonoran Desert's sunny weather or a winter adventure that includes skiing or snowboarding.
"We're always looking at new routes to connect our guests, and we see a lot of potential with our new nonstop between sunny Orange County and sunny Tucson," said Kirsten Amrine, Alaska's vice president of revenue management and network development, in a statement. Amrine continued, "There's lots to appreciate in Southern California and the Arizona desert, especially when we start this new flight in the winter as the weather is turning almost everywhere else.
Alaska's current flights to Bozeman have been doing well, so a new winter seasonal route to one of the top skiing areas in the nation should do well, too, according to a carrier representative.
However, there are limits to Alaska's expansion at John Wayne Airport.
The Orange County authorities employ slots to manage the quantity of air traffic in the area for noise abatement and other purposes, despite the fact that SNA does not have a federally administered slot program in the usual sense (to control capacity).
Alaska received 24 average daily departures from SNA Airport for 2023; nine of the departures must be operated by SkyWest and seven by Horizon Air.
During its most recent schedule load, the airline didn't reduce any routes or flights, but it's probable that changes are on the way to make place for the extra flights.
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