Alaska Airlines Expands 'Sun and Snow' Strategy

Image: PHOTO: Alaska Airlines plane. (photo via 400tmax/iStock Unreleased)
Image: PHOTO: Alaska Airlines plane. (photo via 400tmax/iStock Unreleased)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 6:31 PM ET, Mon September 21, 2020

Alaska Airlines is expanding its winter offerings via its 'Sun and Snow' strategy with five new routes from Los Angeles International and Palm Springs International airports, the carrier announced today.

Alaska will begin daily nonstop service on Dec. 17 between Los Angeles and Cancun, Mexico, as well as to the Biggest Little City in the World, Reno, Nevada.

Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular getaways, and Reno is the gateway to Lake Tahoe and its endless possibilities, particularly skiing in the winter. Lake Tahoe was the host of the 1960 Winter Olympics. These additions build on Alaska's intra-West and transborder route network from Los Angeles.

On the same date, the airline is adding daily nonstop service between Palm Springs and Reno, Boise, Idaho and San Jose, California. Tickets are now on sale at alaskaair.com.

"As demand for leisure travel returns, and for those ready to fly the coop, we're excited to offer even more nonstop routes this winter," Brett Catlin, Alaska's managing director of capacity planning and alliances, said in a statement. "We've long offered nonstop flights to some of the most popular vacation destinations from Southern California, and we continue to see demand for our unique low fare, high-quality experience."

The daily flights between Los Angeles-Reno and Palm Springs-San Jose will be year-round. The flights between Los Angeles-Cancun, Palm Springs-Boise and Palm Springs-Reno are part of the airline's seasonal schedule from Dec. 17 through April 12, 2021.

Alaska is also increasing the frequency of service on certain routes from Los Angeles starting Dec. 17, including Guadalajara (two daily flights), Salt Lake City (two daily flights) and Boise (three daily flights).

Alaska is continuing to build on its route map despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has shrunk demand for air travel. In July, Alaska announced seven new routes from Los Angeles to further connect its guests between Southern California and key markets around the country, including the first nonstop service from the West Coast to Fort Myers/Naples, Florida, which begins Nov. 20.

Just in time for fall travel, Alaska is also extending physical distancing on board by limiting the number of guests and blocking middle seats through Nov. 30, 2020.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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