This season includes the busiest travel day of
the year and emerging trends driven by popular cultural
events
SEATTLE, Oct. 8, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines is revealing unique trends that are
shaping the airline's bookings across its network this fall,
including a rise in bookings to smaller, off-the-beaten path
markets driven by guests seeking exclusive experiences.
Alaska is prepared to welcome
guests this season, which includes the busiest travel period of the
year, with increased staffing, expanded flight options and enhanced
service for an elevated and seamless travel experience.
Thanksgiving: The Peak Travel Period
Thanksgiving
remains the busiest travel period of the fall with flights
projected to be nearly full. We estimate nearly a half million
guests will fly between Friday and Sunday with Dec. 1 expected to be the single busiest day of
the entire year. Across our major West Coast hubs, we expect to fly
more passengers than last year. In San
Francisco, passenger numbers are anticipated to increase by
15%. In Seattle, we expect to
serve 230,000 guests, a 6% increase from last year. Portland is expected to see the largest surge
in passenger volume with a 35% increase -- or 85,000 passengers
during the holiday weekend.
Hawaiʻi Leads Fall Travel Surge
This fall, we're
seeing strong year-over-year bookings to Hawaiʻi with guests eager
to support the local economy amid continued recovery efforts from
last year's wildfires. Through the combined network of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, we offer 66
daily flights to the Islands from the continental U.S.
Travel at Major Hubs on the Rise
A rebound in business
travel is driving an increase in bookings across California. In response to the demand, we've
added capacity to our hubs this fall, including San Francisco and San Diego. Latin
America is also becoming a popular fall and winter getaway
as guests look for an escape from the cold. In response to this
trend, we're thrilled to offer several routes to exciting
Latin America destinations for the
first time during the fall season, including Guatemala, Nassau, expanded service to Mexico destinations from Las Vegas and our new route to La Paz from Los
Angeles.
Rising Popularity of Smaller Destinations
More and
more guests are seeking unique and authentic experiences that stand
apart from well-known tourist destinations. This fall, we're seeing
strong bookings to small destinations, such as Bellingham, Missoula and Santa Rosa. To respond to the rising trend to
these hidden gems, we've increased capacity between Bellingham and Seattle by 40%, adding one additional flight
each way compared to last year. We're also now flying mainline
aircraft to increase our capacity up to 40% between Seattle and Missoula. Starting Oct. 1, we launched our seventh nonstop from
Santa Rosa, now connecting to
Las Vegas, making it easier for
guests to reach California's wine
country.
Special Events Driving Travel Demand
November
continues to be a popular time for travel with Veterans Day weekend
driving bookings for guests seeking a long-weekend getaway. Special
events like Austin City Limits and the F1 Grand Prix are also
contributing to increased demand in Austin, Texas throughout October. Meanwhile,
the fall foliage is drawing guests to Boston, making it a popular destination for
leaf peeping.
Emerging Travel Trends: Swifties on the Move
A unique
travel trend this fall is the influence of Taylor Swift's concert tour, which is drawing
travelers to destinations like New
Orleans, Toronto,
Indianapolis and Vancouver. These markets are seeing strong
demand from Swifties following the pop star's performances.
Committed to Providing an Elevated Travel
Experience
As guests travel this fall and winter, Alaska
Airlines is committed to providing an elevated travel experience.
Guests across our expanding network can take advantage of our
award-winning service on their next Alaska flight, including the most legroom in
First Class* and Premium Class; no change fees; multiple fare
offerings; the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, the most generous
loyalty program with the fastest path to elite status; 30 Global
Partners; and West Coast food and beverage on board.
We're also making it easier for our guests to buy tickets with
our domestic and Global Partners directly
at alaskaair.com.
* Out of any U.S. airline excluding lie-flat
seats
About Alaska Air Group
Alaska Air Group, Inc. is based
in Seattle and comprised of
subsidiaries Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., Horizon Air
and McGee Air Services. With our recent acquisition of Hawaiian
Airlines, we now serve more than 140 destinations throughout
North America, Central America, Asia and across the Pacific. We are committed
to safety, remarkable customer care, operational excellence,
financial performance and sustainability. Alaska Airlines is a
member of the oneworld Alliance. With oneworld and
our additional global partners, our guests have more choices than
ever to purchase, earn or redeem on alaskaair.com across 30
airlines and more than 1,000 worldwide destinations. Book travel
throughout the Pacific on Hawaiian Airlines at
hawaiianairlines.com. Learn more about Alaska Airlines at
news.alaskaair.com and Hawaiian Airlines at
newsroom.hawaiianairlines.com/blog. Alaska Air Group is traded on
the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as "ALK."
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SOURCE Alaska Air Group, Inc.