Bookings to Seattle ‘outpacing expectations,’ says Alaska Airlines, which launches nonstop service to Cleveland Hopkins next week

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Where are you going on vacation this summer?

For many Clevelanders, the answer seems to be Seattle.

Brett Catlin, vice president for network and alliances for Alaska Airlines, said ticket sales for the carrier’s new Cleveland-to-Seattle flights “are outpacing our expectations.”

The new route launches Thursday and will mark the first time Clevelanders will be able to fly nonstop, year-round to Seattle since 2014, when United Airlines cut the route after closing its hub at Hopkins.

Frontier Airlines briefly flew the route, as well, although only in the summer and never every day.

Ticket sales from Cleveland, according to Catlin, are similar to other, more mature Midwest markets, including Columbus, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, cities with already established service from Alaska. Usually it takes a year or more to build up support for a new airline, he said.

The carrier’s early success has come as no surprise to officials at Cleveland Hopkins, who have been working for years to land daily, year-round service to Seattle.

Seattle is Cleveland’s top market werved by nonstop flights, according to John Hogan, deputy chief of marketing and air service development for Cleveland Hopkins. An average of 300 people travel between the two cities every day on flights that require a connection. The new Alaska flights will add 178 nonstop seats each way.

“This is definitely a big plus for Cleveland,” said Hogan, who hopes the strong sales will make the case for additional routes from Alaska, which has long been considered one of the most respected airlines in the United States.

High demand is also evident in the high fares on the route — “stronger out of Cleveland than other Midwest markets,” said Catlin.

According to a recent analysis by travel site Hopper, round-trip summer airfare from Cleveland to Seattle for 2022 has more than doubled to $650 over 2019 prices. Fares from Cleveland to other West Coast cities are up dramatically, as well, as summer travel demand surges.

Read more: Airfare from Cleveland to San Francisco, Seattle, LA has doubled this summer, and other cities are way up too

Carriers struggled to meet demand

The start of service next week comes during a difficult period for Alaska, and the industry, which has been struggling to keep pace with demand this spring.

In April and May, Alaska was forced to cancel dozens of flights daily to deal with pilot and other employee shortages as well as other workforce issues, including employees out with COVID-19. Separately, the carrier’s 3,000 pilots last month took a strike authorization vote, following three years of unsuccessful negotiations to secure a new contract. Because of federal rules, any strike is likely months away, but the vote does indicate a level of tension within the company.

Catlin said the airline is committed to finalizing a deal with its pilots. “It shouldn’t be a concern for the summer,” he said.

As for the carrier’s operational problems in recent months, he said the airline has corrected staffing and scheduling issues, and has built more flexibility into its operation. “We’re in a good place at the start of June,” he said. “It’s back to the old Alaska.”

Historically, Alaska has been one of the nation’s most respected airlines, consistently ranking among the top US airlines in customer surveys.

“Alaska is a great company,” said industry consultant Robert Mann, founder of RW Mann & Co. in New York. “Historically, they’ve done a great job financially and with customer service.”

This summer, however, is expected to be a challenge for all carriers, in the US and abroad, as they struggle to meet increasing demand following pandemic shutdowns. Although many carriers, including Alaska, have proactively cut their schedules to improve performance, there is still a potential for problems, he said.

“The risk I think is that if we have a particularly active summer from a weather perspective,” Mann said.

Indeed, Alaska has trimmed its summer schedule by 2%, according to the carrier. Among its cuts: a postponed start of previously announced second daily flights between Seattle and airports in Columbus and Cincinnati.

Catlin said the carrier did not consider delaying its Cleveland launch. “When we commit to a community, we mean it,” he said. “We think the market’s going to be a success.”

In addition, the carrier is among the first in Ohio to tap into a new airline incentive program created by JobsOhio, the state’s private economic development agency. For the first 12 months of service, the state program guarantees a certain monthly revenue to the airline, thereby minimizing a carrier’s risk on new routes.

Airport officials in Ohio have long believed that the state has been at a disadvantage in landing new service because neighboring states, including Pennsylvania and Indiana, have used tax dollars for years to attract new service.

Catlin said Alaska wouldn’t need to tap into the guarantee, at least not initially. Ticket sales, however, are likely to drop off in the fall and winter, and the carrier may need it then, he said.

It may depend on what happens with the economy and whether business travel continues to rebound. “It’s not our intent to use the funds,” he said. “But it gives us the confidence to launch at a time when things are a bit shaky.”

Catlin estimated that approximately two-thirds of Cleveland passengers will make Seattle their final destination, while a third will connect to another city. Seattle is a popular connecting point to other West Coast destinations, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and Asia.

Alaska Airlines last year joined the Oneworld alliance, giving frequent flyers easier access to hundreds of destinations via American Airlines, British Airways and others.

Flying Alaska

Alaska, founded in 1932, is the fifth largest carrier in the US, serving 100 destinations, including Cleveland and Miami, which is also launching next week. It is the largest carrier at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the nation’s ninth biggest airport.

The carrier will use gate C4 at Hopkins, in the concourse with United, American and JetBlue; it will use ticket counter space in the center of the terminal, next to Delta Air Lines.

The carrier will fly both the 737 Max 9 and 737-900 aircraft on the route, each with 178 seats, including 16 in first class, 24 in premium economy and 138 in economy.

Economy passengers are allowed one complimentary carry-on bag, plus one personal item. A checked bag is $30 for the first, $40 for the second.

Every seat has a power outlet and USB port; the carrier offers a catalog of 800 movies and TV shows, which passengers can play for free on their own devices (there are no seatback screens); WiFi is $8 per flight.

Non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary in coach; Food items and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase, including a selection of West Coast wines and a fan-favorite fruit and cheese tray for $8.50.

The westbound flight departs Cleveland at 6:20 pm, arriving in Seattle at 8:36 pm The eastbound flight leaves Seattle at 9:45 am, arriving in Cleveland at 5:18 pm

Alaska has given the routes Northeast Ohio-focused flight numbers: AS 216 for the eastbound flight, AS 330 for the westbound route, playing off two of the region’s area codes.

The new flight is expected to boost Hopkins traffic heading into the busy summer travel season. In April, the airport welcomed 750,724 passengers, about 91% of the total it served in April 2019, before the pandemic.

According to Hogan, the airport is on pace to welcome about 9 million travelers in 2022, just under the 10.04 million travelers who traveled through Hopkins in 2019.

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