Why Is Alaska Airlines Discontinuing 16 Routes In 2026?

In October 2025, Simple Flying reported that Alaska is set to cut 16 routes while simultaneously adding 13 routes to its network in 2026. The move is a reshuffle to focus attention on the cities that have the most opportunity for growth and less competition from larger carriers such as United and Delta. It also allows the carrier to shift away from the routes that have been causing it problems since the merger with Virgin America.

This article further breaks down the commercial justification for the route reshuffle across the carrier’s West Coast network and the growth rather than cutting intention behind it. It then concludes with thoughts on how the recent merger with Hawaiian will further shake up the carrier’s network.

Why Is Alaska Cutting Its Routes?

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The cuts are not a reduction of the capacity offered by Alaska Airlines across its network. Rather, they are an acknowledgment of the areas where it cannot compete, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, to free up resources for key growth markets, including San Diego and Portland.

The advance into the San Diego market is clear from Cirium data showing that Alaska plans to offer 44% more seats from San Diego in the first six months of 2026 than in the first six months of 2025. That is an increase in round-trip seats by 1.2 million, thanks to an increase in routes from 41 to 50. As a result, Alaska will increase its share of San Diego seats from 18% to 24%. These moves have also meant San Diego has overtaken Los Angeles and San Francisco to become Alaska’s third most-served airport.

Similar, but smaller, advances are set to be made in other cities with growth potential. This includes a 22% increase in capacity at Portland and a 5% increase at Seattle. These changes have been facilitated by a 5% capacity cut at Los Angeles and San Francisco, and a 6% capacity cut at San Jose. Alaska’s vice president of revenue management and network planning, Kirsten Amrine, told The Points Guy in a late-July interview: “There’s only so many airplanes in the world, and I just think that we have more opportunity in San Diego and Portland.”

What Routes Are Being Discontinued?

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On October 25, 2025, Simple Flying’s Luke Bodell reported that Alaska Airlines was conducting a major shake-up of its routes ahead of the 2026 summer season. This included 13 new routes and 12 cut routes. Further information made available to Simple Flying revealed that a total of 16 routes were being cut. Among the cuts was San Francisco to Boston, Alaska Airlines’ third-longest mainland US route.

The table below shows a full breakdown of the Alaska Airlines routes scheduled to be canceled in 2026, along with the date they are currently scheduled to be canceled. It does not include the Anchorage – Detroit route, which was last flown in September 2025. It has been announced that this route will not return:

The cuts will have particularly severe impacts on services from Los Angeles and San Francisco, with the California airports accounting for two-thirds of the cut airport pairs. Many of these routes were inherited from Virgin America, as is also displayed by the table.

Alaska’s Thirteen New Routes

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This is a replacement rather than a service cut, as evidenced by the 13 new routes Alaska will open in parallel to the discontinued routes. Four of these new routes will be seasonal, and only four have been previously operated by Alaska.

The table below shows all the new routes, alongside when they are scheduled to start:

Thanks to the new routes, Alaska will now operate its highest-ever number of summer destinations at 143 across its network. Further expansion can be found outside the domestic labor market. The carrier will fly transatlantic for the first time, with services to London, Rome, and Reykjavík from its West Coast Seattle hub.

Why Did Alaska Have So Many Routes That Weren’t Working For It?

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As noted, many of the routes Alaska has opted to discontinue were acquired when the carrier merged with Virgin America, an independent airline that used Virgin Group branding and was minority-owned by Richard Branson. Alaska Air Group acquired the low-cost carrier in April 2016, having paid approximately $4 billion. Virgin America continued to operate under its name and branding until the merger was completed in April 2018.

Virgin America was a popular carrier on the West Coast. However, it was struggling to make ends meet due to competition from the aviation giants United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. This commercial potential, but current inviability, made it an ideal target for acquisition. Furthermore, JetBlue was also knocking on Virgin America’s door, which could leverage Virgin America’s East Coast success to secure dominance on both coasts. Alaska successfully completed the merger first to prevent this from happening.

The two airlines in the merger had broadly similar networks. The difference was Virgin America’s sizable presence in Los Angeles and San Francisco. It has been this presence that has caused substantial issues for Alaska Airlines, which it is now seeking to cut back by discontinuing many of its routes.

Could The Merger With Hawaiian Cause Similar Issues?

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Alaska Airlines’ merger with Virgin America was all about reducing the efficacy and extent of competition it faced on the West Coast, while fending off an existential two-coast threat from JetBlue. As a result, the merger included assets and routes that were unfavorable to Alaska Airlines’ needs, leading to route cuts. The merger with Hawaiian is very different, as it is a purely growth-based move that enables a rapid response to threats, such as Delta’s expansion in Seattle.

One way it is expected to grow from the merger is through the acquisition of Hawaiian’s Boeing 787-9 fleet, which will be transferred to the Alaska fleet. The new widebody jets will support Alaska Airlines’ ambition to become a more international carrier. For example, it announced in May 2025 that it would use former Hawaiian widebody jets to fly from Seattle to Tokyo Narita. This route, alongside one to Seoul Incheon, is the first of 12 international routes that the carrier hopes to add to its network.

Cuts To Alaska’s Routes Isn’t The Only News Facing The Airline

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The Alaskan carrier has made headlines in recent weeks, affecting people outside Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Namely, IT outages in July and a fortnight ago. This brings Alaska’s total to three IT outages this year, which have caused service disruptions and are estimated to have cost the airline over $40 million. The most recent outage was caused by broader Microsoft issues relating to the Microsoft Azure platform. It prevented guests from being able to check in online for flights, putting strain on the check-in desks. Many people missed their flights amid huge lines. Another October issue led to 400 cancellations and the grounding of the fleet for eight hours.

The July outage also caused substantial problems. It grounded the entire fleet for three hours following a hardware issue at one of the carrier’s data centers. Delays extended over four days and the carrier canceled 200 flights. Alaska Airlines is reported to have brought in external contractors to improve its IT systems, and it remains to be seen if this will have a meaningful effect.