A MAJOR US airline has unveiled new plans for a direct flight route to a popular city for the first time ever.
This will be a first for the aviation company as it plans to go transatlantic.
Alaska Airlines has unveiled plans for new routes[/caption]
New flights will travel to the UK, Iceland and Japan[/caption]
New routes for major US airline
Alaska Airlines has unveiled a fresh livery and routes for its new Boeing 787s.
In an announcement on Tuesday, the airline called the new design its “first-ever global livery.”
This is part of a bid to set up more ambitious international routes following its $1.9billion acquisition on Hawaiian Airlines last September, Business Insider reports.
Among these international routes, London Heathrow will be a new destination from Seattle, and the longest 737 route by a US airline.
By next spring, the airline will operate a daily, non-stop service to London, using a Boeing 787.
The journey from Seattle to the British capital city takes roughly nine and a half hours.
The planes will also have a business class with fully lie-flat seats and privacy doors.
Business Insider believes this could be key for attracting new customers.
Alaska Airlines goes transatlantic
The acquisition added four Boeing 787 Dreamliners to the airline’s fleet, with another 13 on order.
The new planes will take to the sky on September 12 with a flight from Seattle to Seoul.
Flights to Tokyo begin on January 7, followed by flight to Rome in the spring.
The airline currently flies exclusively to destinations in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
However, these new unveiled plans will see flights soon take off to destinations further afield.
Alaska’s Dreamliners will also fly from Seattle to Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, from as early as next May.
Business Insider reports that it will use the narrow-body Boeing 737 Max – making it the longest route with such an aircraft operated by a US airline.
This route will take approximately seven hours, with daily flights available during the summer season.
The airline’s new venture
This new venture for Alaska Airlines is also being reflected with a redesigned livery, making this the first update since 2016.
For the Boeing 787s, they will receive an exterior design upgrade that the airline said is inspired by the northern lights.
Andrew Harrison, chief commercial officer, told Business Insider: “Our new 787 exterior embodies Alaska’s transition to a global airline with beauty, grace, and a nod to our heritage.
“As we significantly expand to new destinations around the globe, we’re eager for more and more travellers to recognize our new livery as being Alaska Airlines and appreciate the outstanding service we’ve long been known for.”
Travel anxiety high as Americans say trips feel unsafe: study
A new study has found a majority of Americans feel “plagued” by nerves and anxiety by the mere thought of international travel.
In the past year, the poll of 2,000 U.S. travelers, conducted by Talker Research, found 94% have traveled domestically, and 28% have traveled internationally.
Fears of traveling abroad have increased for both groups — 30% of domestic travelers feel nervous about international travel, while 20% of travelers with international experience also feel nervous about doing it again.
And while 88% said they already have plans to travel in the next 12 months, four in 10 are starting to get cold feet over their next vacation due to how “unsafe” they think traveling will be.
Travel-related anxieties stemmed from potential travel delays and cancellations (42%), means of travel (40%), current government policies (40%) and current perceptions about American tourists (39%).
Others cited fears over the possibility of getting hurt while traveling (31%), not knowing much about their destination (27%), having traveled to unsafe locations in the past (16%) and having bad past travel experiences (15%).
A secondary study of 1,500 U.S. travelers conducted by AXA Assistance revealed people mostly travel to visit family (34%), go on summer vacations (34%) or escape for weekend getaways (32%).
Nearly all (95%) said safety was undoubtedly important to them. Some shared the more specific reasons safety is front of mind for them while abroad.
“Traveling should be something people can really enjoy and be able to relax. But for many, that’s not always the case,” said Stephen Samataro, chief revenue officer at AXA Assistance.
“The anxieties people feel are justified and reasonable. That’s why safety is so critical for people — people want the reassurance that they can worry less when they’re on vacation and focus more on their adventures.”
