With the future of global business travel up in the air, it’s fight-for-flight for local airlines

Last week, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines expanded a high-profile partnership that will now allow Alaska customers to take American flights from the West Coast. Airlines are fighting fiercely ...

Last week, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines expanded a high-profile partnership that will now allow Alaska customers to take American flights from the West Coast.

American Airlines plane

Airlines are fighting fiercely for corporate travelers…

And Seattle is the site of the latest high-flying battle

Why? Because Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is both: 

  1. Alaska Airlines’ HQ, and
  2. A huge hub for high-flying employees of Amazon and Microsoft, which are both also headquartered in the area

American and Alaska also announced a new direct flight to Bangalore, India — a growing hub in the global tech travelscape (that also happens to be one of Amazon’s biggest business travel destinations). 

But by connecting air passengers from 70+ US cities to India’s booming tech scene, American and Alaska hope to cement Seattle’s position as an important link in the chain of global tech business travel.

And Alaska’s also picking a flight with Delta

Delta, Alaska’s largest competitor at SEA, grew its capacity in Seattle by almost 50% between 2014 and 2018, while Alaska only expanded 41% in the 5 years preceding 2019.

And last year, Delta bought a 20% stake in American Airlines’ partner airline LATAM, putting even more pressure on Alaska to outmaneuver Delta at its home ’port.

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