Alaska adds new California route, expands service at Seattle-area's Paine Field

Alaska adds new California route, expands service at Seattle-area's Paine FieldSept. 24, 2026•4 min readThe cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Alaska Airlines fliers will soon have more flight options from Paine Field (PAE) in Everett, Washington — north of Seattle.The hometown carrier plans to boost seats from PAE by half through next spring through a combination of new routes, additional flights and larger planes to destinations in California and Oregon."Paine Field is an important part of our Puget Sound network, giving guests a simpler, more convenient way to access Alaska's West Coast flying," Andrew Harrison, the chief commercial officer of Alaska, said in a statement. "As we grow, we're strengthening our presence across the region."Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards program: How to earn and redeem points, elite status and moreAlaska is the only airline at PAE. Frontier Airlines served the airport briefly in 2025 and United Airlines from 2019 through 2021.Paine Field ticketing area. (Photo courtesy of Max Prosperi/The Points Guy)New Silicon Valley routeAlaska will connect PAE to San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) in California from April 14, 2027. The airline will offer two daily flights on an Embraer E175 with 76 seats.An Alaska E175. (Photo by By Johnnyw3 / Wikipedia)SJC is in the heart of Silicon Valley and the preferred airport for the southern Bay Area. Alaska is the second largest carrier at the airport after Southwest Airlines, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.Alaska last flew the PAE-SJC route in 2019 and 2020.More: Alaska Airlines to remove earning on basic economy tickets, increase ticketing feesReward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletterJoin over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s expertsBy signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.Expanded West Coast serviceAlaska will also expand options for travelers to four West Coast destinations: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon, San Diego International Airport (SAN) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).The airline will add a second daily flight to both LAX and PDX from PAE next spring. In addition, the PAE-LAX route will shift to all-Boeing 737s from the smaller E175s, an at least 63% seating increase per flight.Alaska's daily SAN flight will shift to a 737 from an E175 on Nov. 1, Cirium schedules show.The airline has not said when its up to three daily PAE-SFO flights will shift to a larger plane.First Class on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUYWhy expand at PAE?Alaska's expansion at PAE expands its utility for Seattle-area travelers where the airline already has a large and deep base of Atmos Rewards members. More seats from Seattle's second airport helps solidify its position as the ubiquitous airline choice in the Puget Sound region.More flights from PAE also give Alaska another edge over Delta Air Lines that operates a competing hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The Atlanta-based carrier does not serve PAE and is about half the size of Alaska at SEA, Cirium schedules show.SEA, Seattle's main airport, is also constrained with limited room to grow. The recently opened Concourse C Expansion takes advantage of the only option the airport really has to add square footage: go up. A similar vertical expansion is planned for the South Satellite.A proposed north terminal at SEA is being studied but not expected to open before the early- to mid-2030s.Related reading:The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfareBest airline credit cardsFlight delayed or canceled? Here's what to do nextThe best credit cards to reach elite statusWhat are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuationsSummer sticker shock: Airfare up 15% as high jet fuel costs take holdEditorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.