London calling: Alaska Airlines touches down in Heathrow as it ramps up intercontinental network
The arrival of Alaska Airlines Flight registered N781HA at London Heathrow on Thursday represents the carrier’s second transatlantic route and underscores its strategic push into high-profile premium long-haul markets.
Alaska Airlines rapid expansion into Europe
Alaska Airlines initially announced London as its fifth intercontinental destination in December 2025 and began serving Rome, Italy, on 28 April 2026.
Before its European expansion, Alaska was primarily a domestic carrier focused on West Coast destinations in the US, with some international routes closer to home, including Cancun and Los Cabos in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta in Canada.
The daily year-round service to London Heathrow is being served by the airline’s widebody, long-haul 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Why Alaska Airlines wants a foothold in Europe
The airline’s expansion into the London market presents significant opportunities and reinforces Alaska’s position as the fourth-largest global airline in the US.
“For our guests in the US, we’re opening more convenient access to Europe,” said Andrew Harrison, Chief Commercial Officer at Alaska Airlines.
For travellers originating in Europe, the new route will see Alaska offering its “signature West Coast hospitality to every step of the journey.” The focus is on delivering a “meaningful experience that feels distinctly Alaskan at every touchpoint.”
The service departs Seattle at 9.40 pm and arrives at Heathrow Terminal 3 at 3.05 pm the following day. It then departs Heathrow at 5.00 pm before landing back in Seattle at 6.50 pm. Flights have been deliberately timed to enable travellers to spend the whole day in either city before departing and have been described by the airline as a “potential benefit for business travellers.”
Other airlines operating from Terminal 3 include American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and SriLankan Airlines.
Alaska Airlines: Boosting oneworld’s connectivity
As a member of the oneworld alliance, Alaska Airlines’ new route means that collectively, airlines within the alliance will offer 2,800 weekly departures directly connecting London Heathrow to over 160 destinations in more than 60 countries.
Ross Baker, Heathrow’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Every new route launched from Heathrow gives passengers and businesses more choice and stronger connections to the world.” He also noted that Alaska’s new service to Seattle “opens up opportunities for travel and trade between the UK and the US West Coast.”
He also reiterated that working closely with airline partners to launch new routes is how Heathrow, as a gateway to the UK, delivers the connectivity that passengers and businesses want, while keeping the country globally competitive.
Ole Orvér, oneworld’s CEO, explained that with nearly 400 daily departures from the oneworld alliance members, Heathrow is a “cornerstone of our global network.”
Underlining it is also one of the world’s leading business travel markets, he said, “with more than 160,000 premium seats offered weekly by our airlines, we are delighted to welcome Alaska Airlines as it launches its inaugural Seattle service from Heathrow.”
The flight is Alaska’s second European route – the first was from Seattle to Rome, which debuted on 28 April. It is launching a link to Reykjavik, Iceland, on 28 May, in time for Iceland’s peak summer season and timed to coincide with the August 2026 total solar eclipse, for which Iceland will provide one of the best viewing spots in the world.
Alaska Airlines offers transatlantic flyers a new lounge
To complement the expansion of its intercontinental network, Alaska Airlines is also introducing a new lounge at Seattle-Tacoma, as part of its broader investment in the global passenger experience.
The lounge, which is due to open in late 2027, will span more than 41,000 sq.ft. making it the largest airline lounge in Seattle and one of the largest in the country. The project is part of the airline’s multimillion-dollar investment in its lounge network, which includes a new location in Portland opening this summer, as well as the airline’s first lounge in San Diego and a new, expanded lounge in Honolulu, both expected to open in early 2028.
Featured image: Alaska Airlines
