Alaska Airlines adds 2 more European cities, growing its intercontinental map again

Alaska Airlines is adding two more European destinations to its route map as the carrier's global expansion picks up speed.Nonstop flights from Seattle to Athens, Greece, and Paris will begin in May, giving the carrier a total of five destinations in Europe.Until 2025, Alaska Airlines had never flown beyond North America and Hawaii. Now, with the addition of Athens and Paris, it will serve a total of seven intercontinental destinations — two in Asia (Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea) and five in Europe (London, Rome and Reykjavik are the others).But Alaska's 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines set the stage for its overseas expansion. Using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners originally ordered by Hawaiian, Alaska set out to become the nation's fourth major global airline, using its Seattle hub as a launch pad for its new intercontinental service.As for the addition of Athens and Paris, Alaska described the cities as "two of the world's most iconic destinations that rank among the most requested by Atmos Rewards members" — the latter underscoring how frequent flyer sentiment is increasingly driving airline decisions on where to fly.New airline math: How your points and miles are shaping where y...