Alaska Airlines adds 3 Sonoma routes, returns to Long Beach
The Points Guy • • business
Key Points:
- Alaska Airlines announced it will launch three new seasonal routes from Sonoma County's Charles M. Schulz Airport to Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Boise starting November 1, expanding its presence in the region.
- This expansion follows Southwest Airlines' recent entry into Sonoma County, which introduced similar "wine flies free" policies allowing free wine baggage for tourists visiting local wineries.
- Sonoma County Airport has experienced nearly a 20% increase in departures in the first half of 2026, with Alaska Airlines connecting a dozen cities to Santa Rosa and Southwest adding nonstop flights from several western cities.
- Additionally, Alaska Airlines plans to return to Long Beach Airport on September 8 with nonstop service to Seattle-Tacoma, reestablishing a route it last operated in 2015 and enhancing connections to Hawaiian Airlines flights.
- These moves strengthen Alaska Airlines' West Coast network amid its broader strategy to expand globally, highlighted by its recent launch of service to Europe.
