Alaska Airlines announced Monday that it will start flying nonstop between San Diego and Atlanta next year, part of of an aggressive move to expand direct service to dozens of domestic and international destinations.
The new flight will begin May 16 but tickets are available for purchase now at alaskaair.com. Flights will depart San Diego mid-morning and arrive in Atlanta in the late afternoon with service returning to San Diego in the early evening.
“We want to provide our guests in San Diego the most nonstop options,” said Kirsten Amrine, vice president of revenue management and network planning for Alaska Airlines. “Not only are San Diego and Atlanta popular destinations for leisure travelers, but both are also major business hubs.”
The decision to begin nonstop service to Atlanta made sense, Amrine said, because it’s the largest transcontinental market from San Diego currently not served by Alaska Airlines. Currently, its most well-traveled destinations from San Diego are New York (JFK International Airport) with 875 engers per day each way; Boston at 675, Newark at 580, and Washington Dulles at 375, according to San Diego International Airport spokesperson Nicole Hall.
Roughly 450 engers travel per day each way between San Diego and Atlanta, based on year-to-date data as of March.
Alaska won’t be the only airline offering nonstop service to Georgia’s capital city. Delta Airlines already offers five to seven flights daily; Frontier Airlines has seasonal daily service (once per day) during summer and peak winter seasons; and Southwest Airlines flies to Atlanta one to two times per week.
“We appreciate Alaska Airlines’ new options to destinations across the country,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President and CEO. “This new nonstop service to Atlanta offers Southern Californians direct access to Georgia’s capital and key economic center, while providing easy access for Georgians to the warmth and beauty of San Diego.”
Alaska has made no secret of its ambition to broaden its presence in San Diego. While Southwest offers the most flights overall, Alaska boasts that it serves the most destinations among all airlines operating out of San Diego.
Earlier this year, it announced that it was adding daily nonstop service to the nation’s capital via Washington Dulles International Airport, plus a second new nonstop — Eugene, Ore. And next month, it is launching seasonal flights to Tampa. Starting Dec. 23, it will debut nonstop service to the Mexican resort destination Zihuatanejo.
