Alaska Airlines gears up for first Seattle-London flights as first Boeing 787 arrives and Heathrow slots are secured
December 10, 2025
Alaska Airlines is gearing up to begin transatlantic operations in 2026. The airline has just taken delivery of its first Boeing 787 and has also secured slots at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in advance of flights beginning in May 2026.
The airline is launching flights to Rome (Italy) and Reykjavik (Iceland) from Seattle, too, and continues to serve Seoul (South Korea) and Tokyo (Japan), as the carrier expands its long-haul network.
Alaska Airlines’ first Boeing 787 Dreamliner arrives
With the arrival of its first dedicated Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on 6 December, Alaska Airlines is accelerating its preparations for the start of flights across the Atlantic in 2026. So far, the airline has announced it will commence flights from Seattle to London, Rome, and Reykjavik, with flights to London kicking off on 21 May 2026.
As reported by Simple Flying, the carrier’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on 6 December, having flown directly from Boeing’s 787 final assembly plant in Charleston, South Carolina.
The aircraft is the first delivered to the carrier that was not previously operated by sister carrier Hawaiian Airlines. The aircraft arrived in Los Angeles sporting an all-white livery.
The aircraft, carrying registration N784HA, is expected to be repainted into Alaska Airlines’ new ‘Aurora’ livery, featuring colours akin to the Northern Lights, in January 2026, in advance of the start of transatlantic services.
Hawaiian Airlines originally ordered the plane to expand its long-haul services, but it has been taken on by Alaska Airlines as part of its merger with Hawaiian, which was completed at the end of 2024.
Alaska Airlines to expand long-haul operations from Seattle
The new widebody aircraft and livery set an aspirational tone for Alaska Airlines and its long-haul operations. Although five destinations have been announced so far, Alaska Airlines says it has plans to expand its fleet to around 17 aircraft to serve up to 12 long-haul routes from its hub in Seattle by 2030.
Each of the carrier’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners will feature a three-class cabin configuration with a total of 300 seats across business class, premium, and economy. In business class, 34 fully-enclosed suites will be installed, each featuring fully lie-flat seats.
Each suite offers a privacy door, an 18-inch 4K seatback screen, wireless charging, and direct aisle access.
The premium class cabin offers 79 extra-legroom seats laid out in a 3-3-3 configuration. While these seats are not specifically a premium economy product, passengers seated in this cabin are afforded more legroom, more recline, and a larger seatback screen than the economy cabin.
The economy cabin features 187 seats, also in 3-3-3 rows with seatback screens and Bluetooth audio. All passengers have access to USB-A and USB-C power ports and are served complimentary meals on all long-haul flights.
Alaska Airlines secures slots at Heathrow Airport – for now
The schedule for London Heathrow flights has now been officially confirmed by the airline. Flights will operate daily and will depart Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SEA) as AS100 at 09:45 local time, arriving at Heathrow at 15:05. The return flight (AS101) will leave London at 17:00, arriving back into Seattle at 18:40 local time the same day.
| Flight | Route | Departure (local) | Arrival (local) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS100 | Seattle (SEA) → London Heathrow (LHR) | 09:45 | 15:05 | Daily |
| AS101 | London Heathrow (LHR) → Seattle (SEA) | 17:00 | 18:40 | Daily |
Having been unable to secure slots through the regulated allocation process operated by independent company Airport Coordination Limited (ACL), Alaska has reportedly entered into a slot lease agreement with partner American Airlines.
The carriers have agreed that Alaska will use 14 American slots per week at Heathrow, allowing a daily return service to Seattle. It is understood by AGN that these slots will be freed up for the summer 2026 season by American Airlines dropping one of its daily Heathrow to Miami services.
American’s transatlantic partner, British Airways, also operates a double-daily service between the two cities using Airbus A380s.
While the lease deal solves the initial problem of where to get slots from to start services from Heathrow in May, it presents Alaska Airlines with another issue. As slots are granted on a seasonal basis, the slots to be used by Alaska Airlines will only be available until 24 October 2026, when, in theory, they will revert to the custodianship of American Airlines.
It is unclear what plans Alaska Airlines has by way of contingency should that happen in terms of continuation of services into the winter of 2026/27.
Alaska Airlines enters the crowded London to Seattle market
With three other airlines already active on the London to Seattle route, it will be interesting to observe how Alaska Airlines, as the newcomer, fares.
British Airways currently serves the route on a twice-daily basis using Boeing 777-300ERs and 787-10s. Delta Air Lines operates the route once daily using Airbus A330-900s, while its transatlantic partner Virgin Atlantic flies the route once a day using 787-9s.
Should Alaska Airlines establish its year-round service between London and Seattle, it will mark the next step in the carrier’s development into a truly global player. With further aspirations to grow its long-haul fleet and expand its network, the airline is feeling bullish about the future.
“With these bold moves, we are accelerating our vision to connect our guests to the world,” commented Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines CEO.
“We are seizing this moment to redefine the international experience and level up. And we are doing it with the same relentless focus on safety, care and performance that has always defined us. I am so proud of how our people continue to step up and deliver as we push ahead on these initiatives, with even more to come.”
Featured image: Alaska Airlines
