Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Horizon Air, is set to make significant adjustments to its route network, including the discontinuation of four routes by August 19, 2025. Additionally, a seasonal route will not return, as part of the company’s strategy to streamline its operations and align its offerings with market demand.

The routes being cut by Alaska Airlines include:

• San Francisco (SFO) to Chicago (ORD)
• San Francisco (SFO) to Washington D.C. (IAD)
• Los Angeles (LAX) to Washington D.C. (IAD)
• Los Angeles (LAX) to Nassau, Bahamas (NAS)

While some routes are being phased out, Alaska Air Group plans to bolster its operations with new services operated by Hawaiian Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. These new flights will connect several U.S. cities with Honolulu, Hawaii, enhancing the synergy between the group’s airlines.

Although Simple Flying reached out for comment, Alaska Airlines had not responded by press time. The move is likely part of preparations ahead of the company’s Q1 2025 analyst conference call, scheduled for Thursday at 8:30 a.m. PT/11:30 a.m. ET.

This strategic realignment reflects Alaska Air Group’s ongoing efforts to optimize its fleet and routes, ensuring that the company’s network continues to meet the evolving demands of the travel industry.

Alaska Airlines will no longer maintain its connection from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to the Bahamas, but will continue to offer services connecting its major hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in Nassau.

Capacity Reductions But Ample Alternatives

According to research by Simple Flying, utilizing data from Cirium, the capacity impact of these route cuts results in the loss of approximately 12.02 million available seat miles (ASMs) from Alaska Airlines’ network. In August 2025, the loss will also include 3,738 weekly seats, following the discontinuation of the two daily connections between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD), along with the daily connection between LAX and IAD.

However, the loss of these routes does not equate to a complete loss of access to California-Washington D.C. connections. Alaska Airlines will continue offering service between LAX, SFO, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), a more centrally located airport for the D.C. area. Additionally, other airlines, including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, offer one-stop or direct flights between California’s major airports and IAD, ensuring continued options for travelers.

Alaska Air Group is expected to shed more light on these capacity reductions and their causes during the upcoming earnings call on Thursday morning, where executives will address questions from financial journalists. However, not all changes are reductions.

Hawaiian Airlines Expands Dreamliner Fleet

On the positive side, Hawaiian Airlines is adjusting its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet deployment. Starting with Flight HA21 from SEA to Honolulu (HNL) and its return Flight HA22, Hawaiian will offer daily service using the Dreamliner. The local times for these flights are as follows:

• Penerbangan HA21
  • Departing SEA at 8:15 AM
  • Arriving in HNL at 11:17 AM
• Penerbangan HA22
  • Departing HNL at 1:10 PM
  • Arriving in SEA at 9:44 PM

The Dreamliner, which carries 300 seats—slightly more than Boeing’s standard capacity—will feature uniquely styled seats designed in collaboration with Adient Aerospace and Collins Aerospace, reflecting Hawaiian culture while ensuring safety and comfort for passengers.

In a further expansion, on September 11, 2025, Hawaiian Airlines will introduce a second Boeing 787-9 on its SEA-HNL route, replacing an Airbus A330-200. However, LAX will lose its Boeing 787-9 connections with Honolulu, while New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport will gain direct service to HNL. Given the Dreamliner’s design for long-haul, thinner routes, this seems to be an ideal deployment for Hawaiian Airlines as they adjust their network.

As Alaska Air Group prepares for its earnings call, it’s expected that more details will emerge regarding the strategic reasons behind these route changes and capacity reductions, along with insight into the company’s broader efforts to manage increased costs from various sources.