Southwest Airlines will offer flights to and from Anchorage in 2026. The company made the announcement at a news conference at Anchorage International Airport Thursday.
Southwest chief operating officer Andrew Watterson said bringing routes to the state’s largest city has been a work in progress for well over a decade.
“We already carry more customers traveling the United States than any other airline, so it's appropriate to connect the 49th state to that vast domestic network,” he said.
Starting next May, Southwest will offer daily nonstop flights between Anchorage International Airport and Denver, Colorado. A second route will run daily between Anchorage and Las Vegas. Southwest officials on Tuesday declined to say how much tickets would cost, but said passengers can start booking those routes next week. The company didn’t say if they’d be seasonal or permanent routes.
Scott McMurren, who writes the Alaska Travelgram newsletter, said it’s always good news when a new airline comes to the city because it increases competition and has the potential to lower airfare costs.
“If Southwest comes out with a low ball to Denver or Las Vegas, the airlines will be mad at each other,” he said. “And remember that, it goes back to rule number one, when the airlines are mad at each other, the traveler wins.”
Alaska Airlines flies nonstop to Las Vegas twice a week, but McMurren thinks the added competition could spur more frequent flights. United Airlines flies direct to Denver daily. Flights heading south would be red-eyes, officials said.
McMurren said the flights will be a pipeline for Southwest customers who want to visit the state.
“What’s new about it brings to the forefront all of Southwest's loyal customers who want to use their rewards to come up to Alaska or take advantage of their pricing,” McMurren said.
Southwest officials said they aim to grow wherever they do business, but didn’t announce specific plans for adding more Alaska routes in the future.
Next year, American Airlines is adding a seasonal nonstop route between Anchorage and Phoenix, Arizona.
