Alaska, which traces its roots to 1932, is today the seventh-largest U.S. airline by passenger traffic.
The carrier got its start with an extensive network in Alaska and flies now to 90 cities, including destinations in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico, and a growing number of cities on the East Coast and the Midwest.
"Philadelphia is one of the largest cities we don't currently service from Seattle," said Joe Sprague, Alaska's vice president of marketing. "We're excited to be bringing our award-winning customer service to the 'City of Brotherly Love.' "
Alaska is offering introductory fares, starting from $190 each way between Seattle and Philadelphia. Tickets, which must be purchased by Feb. 13 and can be used for travel through July 11, are available on its website www.alaskaair.com. Seats at that price are limited and may not be available on all flights or all days, the carrier said.
The flights will depart Seattle daily at 8:35 a.m. and arrive in Philadelphia at 4:55 p.m. The Philadelphia-to-Seattle flights will leave at 5:55 p.m., and arrive in Seattle at 9:10 p.m.
Alaska Airlines was ranked "highest in customer satisfaction" among traditional carriers in North America by J.D. Power and Associates for the last four years.
"They are more than just a typical hometown favorite. People swear by them," said airline analyst Bob McAdoo with Avondale Partners L.L.C. "They have been among the most profitable airlines, in terms of profit margins, over the last several years. It's a very well run, solid company."
"Southwest Airlines came to Seattle and Portland and thought they'd knock them out of the box," McAdoo said. But Alaska managed to keep its costs down, maintain a high level of customer service, and "just continued to function," he said, "and Southwest has learned to coexist."
Contact staff writer Linda Loyd at 215-854-2831 or lloyd@phillynews.com.
