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On the face of things, that's all good news as increased competition across the Atlantic is very welcome and, of course, it's great to have more options on which to use our miles and points balances. But I'm struggling to get as excited as some seem to be getting about Alaska's expanded services to Europe.
Alaska Airlines has recently announced that it’s adding Paris and Athens to its growing international network, so by the time those two routes launch in 2027, the airline will operate seven long-haul routes with five of the seven linking Seattle with Europe.
On the face of things, that’s all good news as increased competition across the Atlantic is very welcome and, of course, it’s great to have more options on which to use our miles and points balances. But I’m struggling to get as excited as some seem to be getting about Alaska’s expanded services to Europe.
Apart from the fact that I’m yet to be sold on the viability of the two new routes that have just been announced (admittedly, I’m not an airline professional, so I have to assume that Alaska knows what it’s doing), I can’t get really excited about them for one further reason – Business Class pricing.
Business Class pricing
Have you seen what Alaska Airlines charges for transatlantic Business Class on its existing European routes?
On the Seattle – London route where British Airways and Virgin Atlantic also offer non-stop service, Alaska Airlines is almost always noticeably more expensive.
On these randomly selected dates next year, for example, a roundtrip Business Class fare booked with Alaska is over $650 more expensive than the same booking would be on BA or Virgin Atlantic.
What’s that premium all about? What would I be getting with Alaska that, for example, BA won’t give me that’s worth $650+?
On the Seattle to Rome route, Alaska Airlines is the only airline that can offer a non-stop service and for a lot of people, that will be important. But is it important enough to pay some of the premiums being charged?
I used the same randomly selected dates that I used for Seattle – London to check Business Class pricing on the Seattle – Rome route, and after I filtered out routings that involved unnecessarily long layovers, these were the prices I was offered.
I can fly non-stop to Rome for $8,642 with Alaska Airlines, or I can take 4 hours longer and fly via London for $6,233, and save over $2,500.
Let’s be clear about this, these are not outlier prices. This is what Alaska Airlines transatlantic Business Class pricing is like, and we’re already starting to see it on the new routes.
I used Google Flights to find the cheapest Alaska Airlines Business Class fare for travel between Seattle and Paris and, admittedly, on those dates Alaska is cheaper than Air France and Delta (I suspect that’s because those airlines haven’t had the opportunity to adjust their prices yet).
If, however, I throw in a one-stop option, this is what I see.
I could take the non-stop option with Alaska and pay $5,960 or I could take a couple of hours longer, connect in Copenhagen, and save myself over $1,600.
Sure, I understand that there will always be a premium to pay if you want to fly non-stop rather than connect, but $1,600 to avoid a connection that will make your total travel time just 2 hours longer?
For most people who don’t have their travel paid for by their employer, that’s a ridiculous premium to pay, and it’s what makes Alaska Airlines an uneconomical option for so many of us undertaking transatlantic travel.
And yes, I know that’s fine. Alaska Airlines has every right to price its fares in whatever way it wants to and to go after the corporate cash if it can get it, but this isn’t an article about what Alaska has the right to do is it?
It’s an article about why I can’t get excited about yet more European routes from Alaska Airlines. And the fact is that the news that Alaska Airlines is launching new routes is unlikely to excite me if the way the airline prices its Business Class fares on the new routes means that they’re not a genuine new option at all.
Bottom line
Alaska Airlines will launch two more routes between Seattle and Europe next year and while with a lot of airlines that would be a genuine reason to celebrate, I can’t get excited about this news.
Why?
Because almost every single time I check the cost of Business Class fares on the long-haul routes Alaska Airlines operates, it’s never even close to being an economical option for me to take.
What’s your experience with Alaska’s long-haul Business Class pricing? The same as mine or are you having more luck?
And, is it good value for those fares? Extremely doubtful.
Which makes this even more foolish. If you are primering a new service, wouldn’t you try to do some competitive pricing to encourage pax to try your product? If it’s THAT good, than maybe later it may support those whopping fares. But, as a newbie? No way. Recipe for disaster.
I’m genuinely interested to find out if this is related to the fact that AS is not part of the BA/AA/AY/IB/EI transatlantic joint venture.
Even if they are not, such pricing is not conducive to selling seats. Nor would I understand them pricing them this way to set the tone for redemptions. Easier and cheaper to fly with someone else because this is not competitive.