It’s not every day that a West Coast airline makes headlines for sending planes deep into the Midwest, but Alaska Airlines is doing just that—and stirring up conversation far beyond its Seattle home base. As the largest carrier serving the Pacific Northwest, Alaska Airlines is best known for its strong presence at Seattle Tacoma International Airport and its hub in Anchorage, Alaska. But lately, the airline has been making news for a series of surprising moves: launching seasonal routes from cities like St. Louis and Kansas City to Mexican vacation hotspots, rolling out a revamped loyalty program that’s left frequent flyers buzzing, and navigating a fiercely competitive market dominated by Southwest Airlines.
Alaska Airlines’ strategy is, on the surface, a puzzle. In the winter of 2025, the carrier added ten new seasonal routes, many of which made perfect sense—think New Orleans to Portland or Orlando to Boise, both cities where Alaska has a strong presence. But eyebrows were raised when Alaska announced flights from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Puerto Vallarta, a secondary Mexican city. St. Louis, once the home of TWA and now a Southwest stronghold, is hardly a typical Alaska Airlines market. Yet, as reported by Simple Flying, the route returned for the 2026 winter season, operating Saturdays only with Alaska’s largest aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX 9.
Why take such a gamble? According to Simple Flying, it all comes down to seasonality. The Pacific Northwest and Alaska see a dramatic drop in travel demand during the winter months. For Alaska Airlines, that means finding creative ways to keep planes and crews busy. The solution: operate low-frequency, low-risk routes to popular vacation destinations in Mexico, like Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, from cities where Alaska has little or no year-round presence. These flights, often just once per week, are made profitable thanks to partnerships with travel companies such as Apple Vacations, which books a large block of seats in advance. As the article notes, "Alaska Airlines does retain some seats to sell on its own, but this is largely just gravy." The same model applies to the Kansas City–Cancun route, which also runs on Saturdays.
Of course, Alaska Airlines isn’t the only player in St. Louis. Southwest Airlines dominates the local market with a commanding 65% share, according to Department of Transport figures cited by Simple Flying. Alaska Airlines’ presence is minimal—apart from the seasonal Puerto Vallarta service, it only offers year-round flights to Seattle, with Portland served on a more limited basis. Other carriers, including American, Delta, United, and Frontier, carve out smaller slices of the market, with American uniquely connecting St. Louis and Cancun. Meanwhile, St. Louis Lambert International Airport itself is on an upswing, with passenger numbers surpassing pre-pandemic levels and new international service from Lufthansa and British Airways on the horizon.
Alaska’s expansion into these secondary markets is a calculated risk, made safer by the airline’s ability to guarantee revenue through advance group bookings. "It’s guaranteed money for the airline, and although it may not be the best use of the carrier’s resources if demand were high, it’s perfect during the slow winter season," Simple Flying explains. The airline’s foray into New York with a JFK–Puerto Vallarta route is even more curious. Alaska doesn’t partner with Apple Vacations there, and its brand recognition on the East Coast is relatively low. But thanks to its alliance with oneworld member American Airlines, Alaska can tap into a pool of frequent flyers and loyalty program members, making the route viable despite the odds.
Speaking of loyalty, Alaska Airlines’ frequent flyers have had plenty to talk about lately. In early February 2026, Anchorage Daily News columnist Scott McMurren boarded a packed Alaska Airlines Flight 62 to Juneau, joining legislators, advocacy groups, and other travelers on a mission to the state capital. The cost of travel between Anchorage and Juneau was a hot topic, as was Alaska’s new Atmos Rewards program, which replaced the old Mileage Plan and introduced a new points-based system.
Atmos Rewards has shaken up the landscape for Alaska’s most loyal customers. Gone are the familiar “miles” and associated jargon. Instead, travelers now earn status points (which determine elite tiers: silver, gold, platinum, and titanium) and bonus points (redeemable for flights). Achieving the top-tier titanium status now requires 135,000 status points in 2026, up 35% from the previous 100,000-point threshold. Alaska Airlines has also launched a new Summit Atmos credit card, costing $395 annually and offering perks like lounge passes and rollover points. Regular Ascent Atmos cardholders earn one status point for every $3 spent, while Summit cardholders earn one for every $2, making it possible for big spenders to reach elite status without ever setting foot on a plane.
Reactions to Atmos Rewards have been mixed. Of more than 50 frequent flyers surveyed by McMurren, only two gave the program an A, mostly due to the Summit card’s benefits for heavy spenders. The majority handed out B or C grades, citing operational hiccups, increased costs for redeeming points, and confusion over the new system. Janine Amon, a two-million-miler, gave the program a B, praising the special phone line for top-tier members but noting recurring snafus with partner airlines. Bart Parker, a super-flyer with over 85,000 status points already in 2026, graded Atmos a B+, saying, “My upgrades are still coming through.” He’s holding out for the chance to upgrade to Alaska’s new 787 lie-flat seats or business class on partner airlines, a perk that’s been hard to snag so far.
Operational reliability remains a sore spot for many. Chris Ross, a million-miler on both Alaska and Delta, gave the program a D, citing missed connections, mechanical delays, and reliability concerns. “The Atmos game was way down the list for many of these travelers,” McMurren wrote, emphasizing that for the most frequent flyers, on-time performance and smooth operations matter more than loyalty perks.
Alaska Airlines is hoping to win back goodwill with new features set to roll out in April 2026, including the ability for titanium-level flyers to stand by for same-day lie-flat business class seats on Alaska, Hawaiian, and partner airlines. For now, though, many travelers remain skeptical. Thirty-eight respondents graded Atmos a D, frustrated by high taxes and fees for international award tickets and ongoing IT issues. Sixteen travelers gave it an F, feeling “baked in” to the program but unimpressed by the changes.
Despite the turbulence, Alaska Airlines remains one of the nation’s best-regarded carriers for short-haul travel, thanks to attentive onboard service and comfortable first class seats. Its Boeing 737-900ERs and 737 MAX 9s feature 16 first class seats with more legroom than competitors—pitch ranges from 40 to 41 inches, according to aeroLOPA data. While there’s no seatback entertainment, most planes offer Wi-Fi (with a transition to Starlink underway) and personal device streaming. It’s a lean, efficient operation, focused on delivering value where it counts.
As Alaska Airlines continues to adapt to shifting market conditions and the evolving needs of its most loyal customers, its willingness to experiment—with new routes, partnerships, and loyalty offerings—may prove to be its greatest asset. Whether these gambles pay off in the long run remains to be seen, but for now, the airline is doing what it does best: keeping planes full, passengers talking, and competitors guessing.