If the current heat-wave has got you dreaming of snow-capped peaks and balmy ocean breezes, you’re not alone. Alaska Airlines just announced a massive winter expansion with one brand-new cold-weather destination and 18 new routes spanning the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
Here’s what you need to know about the updated offerings.
Alaska Airlines adds Vail to its network
Perhaps the most exciting addition to Alaska’s flight map is two new routes to Colorado’s Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE), based minutes away from Vail, known for its world-class skiing, from both Seattle and San Diego. The flights will run three times a week starting December 20, 2024, and wrap up on March 16, 2025, on Embraer 175 planes (a type of regional aircraft with 76 seats; with no middle seats, every passenger has a window or aisle seat). Currently, no other carrier has plans to fly from Vail to Seattle or San Diego, giving Alaska a monopoly on those routes.
Time to plan a seriously beautiful escape to Vail.
Photo by jdross75/Shutterstock
The largest ski resort in Colorado, with 5,289 acres for skiing and snowboarding, 33 chair lifts, and 193 designated trails, Vail is a perennially popular winter destination. The sheer amount of space means the mountain never feels too crowded (even on powder days when snow chasers from nearby Denver descend), and there is terrain for all skill levels.
For those who don’t do downhill (or need a rest day), the town offers a free Colorado Snowsport Museum, which tells the stories of those who pioneered skiing and snowboarding in the Centennial State, as well as the 10th Mountain Division, a World War II alpine unit that trained at the nearby Camp Hale, now a national monument. There are also opportunities for shopping, ice skating, snowmobiling, and a thriving après-ski scene. (Chasing Rabbits, a hybrid restaurant, cinema, speakeasy, library lounge, and arcade, is a fun stop.) Some popular hotels include the Four Seasons Resort Vail (with 121 rooms and 24 suites, an outdoor heated lap pool, an expansive spa, and several drool-worthy restaurants) and the Antlers at Vail (a condominium-style accommodation where all rooms, ranging from studios to four-bedrooms, have full kitchens, balconies, and fireplaces).
Alaska’s new flight routes
According to a statement from Kirsten Amrine, Alaska’s vice president of network planning and revenue management, the new routes will give customers a “range of options from tropical destinations across Mexico to the most popular ski slopes in North America.” Aside from the Vail routes, the other offerings include:
- California’s Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) to Mexico’s Guadalajara International Airport (GDL): Daily service starting December 3 and concluding on February 12, 2025, on Boeing 737 planes
- Idaho’s Boise Airport (BOI) to Montana’s Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN): Five days a week starting December 19 and concluding March 17, 2025, on Embraer 175 planes
- Boise to California’s John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA): Daily, year-round service starting December 19 on E175s
- California’s Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to British Columbia’s Kelowna International Airport (YLW): Daily starting December 19 and concluding March 17, 2025, on E175s
- California’s San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Nevada’s Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO): Daily starting December 19 and concluding April 21, 2025, on E175s
- California’s San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Liberia, Costa Rica’s Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport (LIR): Once a week starting December 21 and concluding May 10, 2025, on 737s
- Washington’s Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Liberia, Costa Rica: Once a week starting December 21 and concluding May 11, 2025, on 737s
- California’s Sacramento International Airport (SMF) to Mexico’s Los Cabos International Airport (SJD): Five days a week starting January 6 and concluding April 21, 2025, on 737s
- Sacramento to Arizona’s Tucson International Airport (TUS): Daily starting January 6 and concluding April 21, 2025, on E175s
- Sacramento to Florida’s Orlando International Airport (MCO): Four times a week starting January 6 and concluding April 21, 2025, on 737s
- Boise to Orlando: Three times a week starting January 7 and concluding March 25, 2025, on 737s
- New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR): Four times a week starting January 8 and concluding April 20, 2025, on 737s
- Sacramento to Puerto Vallarta: Once a week starting January 11 and concluding on April 19, 2025, on 737s
- Missouri’s Kansas City International Airport (MCI) to Mexico’s Cancun International Airport (CUN): Once a week starting January 18 and concluding on June 7, 2025, on 737s
- Kansas City to Puerto Vallarta: Once a week starting January 25 and concluding on April 5, 2025, on 737s
- Missouri’s St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) to Puerto Vallarta: Once a week starting January 25 and concluding on April 5, 2025, on 737s
Tickets are already for sale at alaskaair.com.
New nonstop flights to Costa Rica are coming.
Courtesy of Luis Diego/Unsplash
Additional Alaska flight news
The announcement comes only one week after Alaska shared plans to launch service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to La Paz International Airport (LAP) in Baja California Sur, Mexico, starting November 20, and operating two to three times weekly, as well as daily service from LAX to Mexico’s Monterrey International Airport (MTY) starting February 13, 2025.
In June, the carrier also announced daily nonstop service between Anchorage and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. It’s the only airline connecting the two cities. However, the route is seasonal and will end on August 19.
