It’s quite a transformative time for Alaska Air Group, as the company acquired Hawaiian Airlines, and is turning Seattle-Tacoma into a global hub, with plans to launch a dozen long haul routes by 2030.
We’ve recently seen the airline add flights to Tokyo Narita (NRT) and to Seoul Incheon (ICN). Next we’re seeing the airline expand to Europe, with flights to Rome (FCO) as of April 2026, and flights to Keflavik (KEF) as of May 2026, with both routes already being on sale. Now another Europe route has just been put on sale…
Alaska adding Seattle to London flights as of May 2026
As of May 21, 2026, Alaska Airlines will launch daily, year-round nonstop flights between Seattle (SEA) and London Heathrow (LHR). The service will operate with the following schedule:
AS100 Seattle to London Heathrow departing 9:40PM arriving 3:05PM (+1 day)
AS101 London Heathrow to Seattle departing 5:00PM arriving 6:45PM
The 4,800-mile flight is blocked at 9hr25min eastbound and 9hr45min westbound.
Alaska will operate the flight with a Boeing 787-9, featuring 34 business class seats and 266 economy class seats. The company recently revealed new branding plans for Dreamliners, as they’ll feature an all-new livery.
The flight is now bookable, with roundtrip economy fares starting at $699. When it comes to redeeming Alaska Atmos Rewards points, unfortunately award pricing isn’t amazing. I generally see one-way rates of 42,500 points in economy, or 200,000 points in business class.
The market between Seattle and London is quite competitive, and is currently served by British Airways, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic. Alaska has a partnership with British Airways, while Delta and Virgin Atlantic have a joint venture. Alaska points out how 400 people travel between the two cities per day (which is a significant number, but it’s not exactly an underserved market).
My take on Alaska’s expansion to London Heathrow
On the surface, London Heathrow would likely be the first long haul destination that you’d expect a US airline to serve, though it’s not necessarily that straightforward.
First of all, keep in mind that London Heathrow is slot restricted, so actually getting access to the airport isn’t that easy. It’s my understanding that Alaska is leasing a slot pair from partner American Airlines, in order to make this service possible.
Next, of course this route seems like a no-brainer in terms of Alaska being a part of oneworld, along with British Airways. This means the route opens up all kinds of one-stop connectivity for Alaska customers, whether it’s between points in the Pacific Northwest and London, or between Seattle and points around the globe.
That being said, Alaska does have some general disadvantages here. One of the challenges with Alaska becoming a long haul competitor is that the airline doesn’t belong to any long haul joint ventures, which are ordinarily the most lucrative long haul services, since they allow airlines to coordinate schedules, fares, and more.
Airlines belonging to joint ventures generally try to book passengers within their joint ventures, given the revenue sharing policies in place. So Alaska likely won’t get much help from partners with filling seats on this flight. Then again, given Alaska’s strong presence in the Pacific Northwest, that’s not necessarily a huge issue. It might make it hard to secure some corporate contracts, though.
We know that Alaska is trying to join some long haul joint ventures, though that requires all parties to be onboard with that, and also requires regulatory approval. So while we know this is a long term goal, it likely won’t happen overnight. Still, I think American is happy to have Alaska join its long haul joint ventures, simply as a competitive move against Delta and United.
Bottom line
As of May 2026, Alaska Airlines will launch a new daily flight between Seattle and London Heathrow with a Boeing 787. Tickets are now on sale, and this service is made possible by American leasing a slot pair to Alaska.
It’s impressive to see Alaska’s long haul ramp up, and in particular, it’s cool to see the carrier’s branding strategy come to life. I’m looking forward to seeing how this all evolves.
What do you make of Alaska’s new Seattle to London Heathrow route?
