Alaska Airlines is ramping up its global expansion in a big way.
The Seattle-based carrier on Tuesday announced its two newest international destinations out of the Pacific Northwest. And the expansion includes flights to one of the top cities in Europe.
Alaska also unveiled an all-new look for the planes that will carry passengers to its farthest overseas destinations.
It’s the latest chapter in a global expansion the airline launched earlier this year following its 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines — and one that will mean new travel options for West Coast flyers, and redemption opportunities for members of its popular loyalty program.
Route maps: The most exciting new airline routes of 2025 (so far)
New London and Iceland flights
First, let’s get to the biggest and most important news for travelers: Alaska will launch two new flights to Europe from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) beginning in 2026:
- Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London
- Keflavik Airport (KEF) in Reykjavik
Both routes will launch during the spring months.
Alaska’s new Iceland service
Alaska will fly its Iceland service with a narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8 during the peak summer travel season. That aircraft sports 12 recliners in the first-class cabin, along with 30 of its extra-legroom Premium-class seats.
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These flights will definitely be on the long side on board a single-aisle MAX 8, at more than seven hours.
Alaska’s Seattle-to-London service
As for Alaska’s new Heathrow service, the airline is planning daily, year-round flights connecting passengers to Europe’s busiest airport — which doubles as a major hub for Alaska’s Oneworld alliance partners.
“It’s London, it’s the crown jewel of the network, it’s the No. 1 destination out of Seattle,” Kirsten Amrine, Alaska’s vice president of revenue management and network planning, told TPG, noting an average of 400 passengers travel daily between the two cities.
Together, these new U.K. and Iceland flights will add to a fast-growing list of long-haul routes for Alaska Air Group out of its Seattle home base; that includes Tokyo service launched in May (operated, for now, by Hawaiian Airlines), with Seoul, South Korea, and Rome on the horizon.
It’s a big shift for Alaska, an airline long known for all domestic and short-haul international flying.
And the carrier has decided a new-look route map calls for a new-look plane.
Alaska’s new long-haul look
As part of its global announcement Tuesday, Alaska said it will debut a brand-new paint scheme for the Boeing 787 Dreamliners it will fly on most of its long-haul routes — including these new London flights.
Those Dreamliners — the first twin-aisle planes in Alaska’s fleet — will feature a shimmering blue-and-green paint scheme meant to resemble the aurora borealis, or northern lights, frequently visible in the airline’s namesake state. Up near the front of the aircraft is the familiar “Alaska” branding in navy blue.
“We needed something that felt modern, global and premium,” Alaska Vice President of Brand and Marketing Eric Edge said, speaking to the change. “This is the most premium, flagship expression of our brand.”
Alaska’s plan is to sport this livery on its 787s, while keeping its traditional tail design on the rest of its fleet.
Plans for Alaska and Hawaiian come into focus
As Alaska ramps up its long-haul service, that will have implications for its new sister airline.
The Dreamliners it’s planning to fly on these new international routes are the same ones that Hawaiian, its new sister airline, had ordered before the two carriers merged last year.
Those jets, which Hawaiian debuted last year, feature beautiful cabins, including 34 private business-class suites up front.
Soon, those planes will lose their Hawaiian branding and get repainted with Alaska’s brand-new international livery. That’s expected to be completed for each of the company’s current Dreamliners by April 2026.
As the carrier receives additional Dreamliners, those will go right into service as Alaska-branded planes — and as the linchpin of Alaska’s global aspirations out of SEA.
Read more: Alaska Airlines upgrades Seattle-Tokyo route with Hawaiian’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner
2 airlines, 1 company
What does all this mean for Hawaiian?
After all, it still needs big planes for its flights between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii — not to mention its flights to Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Alaska Air Group’s plan is for Hawaiian to operate long-haul service with its older, legacy fleet of Airbus A330s as the two airlines continue to maintain distinct brands.
While that may sound like bad news for loyal Hawaiian customers, we should note that executives reiterated plans to give those Hawaiian A330 cabins a (much-needed) makeover. That will apparently include a new business-class product and, for the first time, a true premium economy cabin.
“Our intention is to make the Airbus experience as premium and industry-leading as the Dreamliners,” Alaska Vice President of Communications Alexa Rudin told TPG last week.
Hawaiian’s livery will remain unchanged.
Still to come
London, Reykjavik and a new 787 paint scheme aren’t the end of Alaska’s big wave of changes.
The carrier has said it’s planning to announce an all-new flagship international experience for customers flying its long-haul routes — one that, presumably, would involve more than a new design for the outside of its planes.
Sooner than that, the company is expected to announce a brand-new loyalty program later this month, which would cover both the Alaska and Hawaiian airline brands.
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