Alaska Airlines is making significant strides in expanding its long-haul flights and enhancing its premium offerings, setting its sights on elevating the travel experience for its customers. The airline is strategically focusing on its home market of Seattle, where it commands a substantial share of the air travel market, with 55% of the seats departing from the city assigned to Alaska Airlines.
At the recent Skift Megatrends 2025 conference in New York City, Brett Catlin, Vice President of Loyalty, Alliances, and Sales for Alaska Airlines, emphasized the airline's commitment to providing a high-end experience. He noted that Alaska Airlines is keen to differentiate itself from competitors like Delta, particularly as it navigates the competitive landscape of the Pacific Northwest.
The airline's expansion plans are not limited to additional routes; they also include a renewed focus on customer experience. Alaska Airlines aims to provide premium offerings without the frustration of long queues, ensuring that their best customers have a seamless travel experience.
"We want it to be high end, we want to have differentiated offerings but we don't want there to be a queue of 100 people out the door…because our best guests are there and if our best guests are having to wait 10 minutes to get in or having to join a queue that's not the experience we want."
— Brett Catlin
Alaska Airlines has been actively expanding its network, including new international routes to Tokyo and Seoul. The recent merger with Hawaiian Airlines has bolstered the airline's infrastructure, allowing it to handle increased traffic and create a network of 141 destinations. This merger also enables reciprocal lounge access and shared usage of loyalty programs, further enhancing the travel experience for frequent flyers.
Catlin highlighted the airline's research indicating that a majority of guests prefer earning rewards based on revenue rather than traditional mileage. This shift in customer sentiment reflects broader trends in the travel industry, as more travelers seek straightforward reward systems that align with their spending habits.
"We did research last year, a majority of guests want to earn based on revenue, it's what they’re used to whether it's Sephora or an airline or a hotel, they’re compensated on the amount they spend,"
— Brett Catlin
While Alaska Airlines continues to grow and innovate, it remains focused on maintaining strong relationships with its home base customers. Catlin expressed confidence in the airline’s position in Seattle, stating, "Seattle is our home market and we’re very well positioned to win."
The airline also recently opened a new lounge at San Francisco International Airport in 2024. Catlin described the philosophy behind their lounges as creating spaces of respite for travelers, reinforcing Alaska Airlines' commitment to customer comfort amid growing competition.
