Pilots May Fly to Alaska a Lot More This Year

During the summer, some travelers venture to Alaska to beat the heat. To accommodate these few people, a couple of flights are usually added here and there. Or at least, that’s how it worked pre-pandemic.

Right now, travelers are anticipated to flock to the icy state in upcoming months. Find out why and how this may affect pilots down below.

State of Alaska

In addition to cooler temperatures, Alaska has been diligent in getting its population vaccinated against coronavirus. According to the COVID-19 vaccination dashboard set up by the state, roughly 27% of residents have received at least one dose, and almost 19% are fully vaccinated.

Given the speed of the distribution, there is a good possibility the majority of Alaskans will be vaccinated by June – perfectly in time for summer. Additionally, Alaska, in contrast to other travel destinations like New York City, is not densely populated, making the state a fine option for traveling in the time where COVID is hopefully on the wane.

Major Airlines Add New Flights to Alaska

In response to the market analysis, major airlines are ramping up the number of flights to Alaska. For example, Delta is adding over eight new flights; United has plans to add five; and Alaska Airlines has announced the resumption of suspended non-stop flights.

This is just a quick overview. Check the list below for more details.

Delta Airlines

As of May 5th, routes between Anchorage and the following cities will be daily:

• Seattle

• Minneapolis

• Atlanta

• Salt Lake City

At the end of the month on May 28th, non-stop flights from Anchorage to Detroit, JFK, and Los Angeles are planned for the weekends. Fairbanks is also seeing some love from Delta, with daily non-stop flights to the areas below.

• Three to Seattle

• Two to Minneapolis

• One to Salt Lake City

United Airlines

To capture some of the upcoming passenger traffic, United has routes schedule from Anchorage to the following cities:

• San Francisco

• Houston

• Newark

• Chicago

These flights are expected to start June 3rd.

American Airlines

American has added a few flights to Alaska as well. Daily routes from Fairbanks to Dallas and Chicago are to be implemented. As for Anchorage, nonstops are available to Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix.

Alaska Airlines

The upcoming summer schedule for Alaska is very active. As of May 20th, two daily flights from Anchorage to Chicago will be added, and the resumption of nonstop flights from Anchorage to Las Vegas is scheduled to start back up four times a week.

Then on June 17th flights from Anchorage to Denver are to resume, and a nonstop flight from Anchorage to San Francisco begins. Fast forward a month to August 16th, and the following flights are to be added to the schedule.

• 19 daily flights from Anchorage to Seattle

• 3 flights between Anchorage and Portland each day

• 2 routes going both ways from Anchorage to Los Angeles

Needless to say, pilots may be flying to Alaska a lot more this year.