Alaska Airlines is quietly lining up its most ambitious long-haul route yet: a nonstop service between Seattle-Tacoma and Hong Kong. Chief commercial officer Andrew Harrison told Points Hacks that the airline is in the later stages of confirming its next move and plans to announce it before the end of the year — and Hong Kong is widely seen as the frontrunner. The flight would run roughly 14 hours and be Alaska's third Asian gateway after Tokyo and Seoul.

The airline has good reason to push further into Asia. Its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines handed it Boeing 787s and a spot in the oneworld alliance, and it now has firm orders for 17 more 787s, likely the larger 787-10 variant. Those jets are expected to be configured with around 46% premium seating — a clear play for business travellers and high-fare passengers. The stated goal: 15 long-haul routes from Seattle by 2030.

The current expansion is already moving fast. Alaska launched Seattle–Tokyo and Seattle–Seoul late last year, added London and Rome in 2026, and runs a seasonal service to Reykjavik. Athens and Paris are slated for next summer. Harrison says most of the growth beyond that will be trans-Pacific, with Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok all mentioned as plausible additions.

Why Hong Kong? Seattle has a large Asian diaspora, a deep tech-sector link with the city, and the hub connections to feed a long-haul flight. Today the only nonstop on the route is Cathay Pacific, flying five times weekly with an A350-900 — so there's room for competition. There's also chatter, half-serious, about Alaska eventually flying to Sydney: its first onboard safety video featured the Harbour Bridge, and fans have been speculating about an Australia route ever since.

For travellers, this is good news on two fronts. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you could soon reach Hong Kong nonstop instead of connecting through Tokyo, Seoul or the Bay Area. And more competition on the route typically means better fares — plus more award availability if you're redeeming miles through Alaska's Atmos Rewards or oneworld partners. Alaska's 787s also carry a striking Northern Lights-themed livery, so the flight itself has a bit of spectacle. Even if Hong Kong isn't confirmed, expect more Asian routes from Seattle sooner rather than later.

Story via Simple Flying.