Alaska Airlines is celebrating a new global connection between the Pacific Northwest and Japan with flights between the hometown hub in Seattle and Tokyo Narita, operated by Hawaiian Airlines’ long-haul aircraft. The new service marks the start of daily nonstops between the two dynamic cities and the beginning of a new era of widebody international flying for Alaska.

With the combination of Alaska and Hawaiian, the airline is transforming Seattle into the West Coast’s new premier global gateway. The hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is already the largest airline hub on the West Coast, serving 104 nonstop destinations across North America. Seattle is the closest connection point between the continental U.S. and Tokyo – 7% closer than San Francisco and 13% closer than Los Angeles.

Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon are the first two long-haul flights from Seattle of the 12 the airline is looking to add. Alaska Airlines has seen strong interest in the nonstop flights to Tokyo, with half of the tickets they've sold in the U.S. for flights to Narita originating from more than 80 cities outside of Seattle. Flights between Seattle and Seoul begin on Sept. 12.

Tokyo is the second-largest intercontinental market in Seattle for both business and leisure. Seoul is third; London is first. In 2024, about 400 passengers traveled between Seattle and Tokyo in each direction every day, and that’s not including connecting flights – an indication of the popularity of the route. From across the robust network, guests can travel to Tokyo Narita and Seoul with one stop in Seattle.

The future of the international service from Seattle will be with the growing fleet of Boeing 787-9 aircraft as Alaska Airlines leans into the strong presence of the Alaska brand in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Onboard service will initially mirror the Hawaiian hospitality that Hawaiian Airlines guests know and love, while Alaska develops a comprehensive, long-haul experience that will be deployed from Seattle in the future. The Airbus A330 fleet, based in Honolulu, remains a proud part of the Hawaiian Airlines brand as the airline invests in that aircraft’s future for flying to and from Hawaiʻi. Alaska Airlines will refresh the A330s in the coming years to provide a premium, modern global experience. This includes investments in seating, cabin interiors and onboard products and amenities. Alaska Airlines will share details in 2026.

Initial flights between Seattle and Tokyo Narita will be on the A330s operated by Hawaiian:

• Guests can choose from three classes of service: Business Class with full-flat seating, Extra Comfort and Main Cabin
   
• Business Class offers pre-departure beverages and a choice from three elevated meal options with Japanese and Hawaiian influences and a vegetarian selection, along with two dessert options. There’s also a mid-flight snack and another hot meal before arrival
   
• Main Cabin guests can choose from two complimentary hot entrees, with ice cream offered as a dessert option along with mid-flight snacks and a second hot meal pre-arrival
   
• The A330 aircraft offer the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky – for free – on all flights to and from Japan. Guests can easily connect to Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency Wi-Fi and experience internet at speeds suitable for working, streaming video and gaming. Plus, every seat in Business and Extra Comfort is equipped with power outlets
   
• Guests in all classes of service receive an amenity kit in partnership with the Hawaiʻi lifestyle brand Noho Home. In Business Class, guests will enjoy full bedding in their full-flat seats with a mattress pad, duvet, pillows and even slippers. With sustainability in mind, they also choose which amenity items they’d like
   
• Staying entertained on board is not a problem. Guests can choose from nearly 200 new releases and classic movies, and more than 500 TV shows. The Hana Hou! TV and Hawaiian Skies categories within the entertainment system also include a curated selection of Hawaiʻi-focused local shows and short films

Alaska Airlines is also celebrating the new Seattle-Tokyo Narita service in the Alaska Lounge at the N Concourse in Seattle with a specially curated signature cocktail called the Narita Banana. It’s in partnership with Westland Whiskey, based in Seattle, and the popular bar Tokyo Confidential in the Japanese capital.

Mileage Plan members achieve elite status more quickly than they would on any other airline. When booking flights directly at alaskaair.com, members earn at least 100% of the miles for the distance they fly (Saver and basic fares earn 30%). Those miles are also counted as valuable elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) – the building blocks toward earning elite status. On long-haul flights, miles add up fast, and so do EQMs. Plus, members can choose from a selection of perks when they hit various EQM milestones between elite status levels.

Mileage Plan members can also earn EQMs on their mileage redemption travel with Alaska Airlines or the airline's partners based on the distance of the flights. For example: If a member redeems a roundtrip award ticket in the main cabin between Seattle and Tokyo Narita, which covers a total distance of 9,538 miles, that translates to 9,538 earned EQMs – a sizable leap toward attaining elite status or the next milestone in the loyalty program.

HawaiianMiles members can link their HawaiianMiles and Mileage Plan accounts together to have their status matched, allowing them to enjoy elite benefits when traveling on either airline.