I don’t think this is terribly surprising, but Alaska Air Group seems to have quietly increased its Boeing 787 order book, in line with the carrier’s long haul aspirations.
Alaska Air Group Dreamliner order increased to 17 frames
In 2018, Hawaiian Airlines placed an order for the Boeing 787-9. The order was for up to 20 jets, including 12 firm orders and eight options. At the time, these planes were intended to modernize the carrier’s long haul fleet, which otherwise consists of Airbus A330-200s.
That strategy evolved over time, and in 2024, we saw Alaska Air Group acquire Hawaiian Airlines, which has been quite transformative for the company. As part of this, we’ve seen Alaska announce plans to turn Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) into a global gateway, with plans to operate a dozen long haul routes from the airport by 2030.
In order to fuel this growth, Alaska Air Group has just upped its Dreamliner order by five aircraft, now having 17 firm commitments. While there hasn’t been an announcement from the airline, The Alaska Pilots Podcast, which is run by the company’s chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), has revealed these details.
We know that Alaska increasingly plans to operate long haul flights out of Seattle with Dreamliners, so in March 2026, Alaska plans to open a 787 pilot base there. While Alaska Air Group initially launched long haul flights out of Seattle to Tokyo Narita (NRT) with A330s, the carrier’s new routes to Seoul Incheon (ICN) and Rome (FCO) will be operated by 787s.
So it’s logical that the company would have 787 pilots based there, rather than just cycling pilots on complicated and longer trips from their base in Honolulu (HNL) to Seattle. I imagine that those 17 Dreamliners would be sufficient to operate the dozen long haul routes out of Seattle, factoring in spares, some rotations requiring more than one frame, etc.
Alaska needs to figure out its long haul strategy, stat
It’s certainly a fascinating time for Alaska Air Group, and I’m excited to see how the company’s strategy evolves. Launching long haul flights and going head-to-head against existing players isn’t easy, especially when you’re not part of any long haul joint ventures.
I’d argue that there’s a lot of long term potential here — Alaska has a loyal customer base, a huge connecting network in Seattle, valuable airline partnerships, and is a generally well run company.
However, Alaska is also going head-to-head against Delta. Alaska has the advantage in terms of regional connectivity, while Delta has the advantage in terms of having existing long haul service and joint ventures. With that in mind, I really think Alaska needs to focus on creating a cohesive long haul strategy ASAP:
- The airline launched long haul flights out of Seattle with A330s, which simply don’t have a competitive hard product, and Alaska still hasn’t announced concrete plans to refresh the interiors of these jets
- While the 787s have a good passenger experience, those planes still don’t have Wi-Fi, which is a major issue
- The current branding is confusing — people are boarding long haul flights from Seattle on Hawaiian branded jets, with the typical Hawaiian soft product
- There’s an amazing new Delta One Lounge Seattle, while Alaska is reportedly working on a new premium lounge, but it’s still a couple of years from opening
Like I said, I think Alaska can find eventual success with long haul flying. However, it seems like maybe the carrier should’ve waited a year or so to be able to fully develop its strategy, before a sort of half baked launch of the service, since first impressions matter.
Of course I understand that a lot is going on at Alaska at the moment, and the complications of two air the air operator certificates, different unionized workforces, etc.
So far, the load factors on the new Seattle to Tokyo Narita flight aren’t exactly encouraging. I expect that will improve over time, but again, one wonders if waiting a little longer to establish a more deliberate strategy would’ve been the better option. Then again, maybe these flights are already more profitable than how Hawaiian could’ve operated them out of Honolulu.
Bottom line
Alaska Air Group has reportedly upped its Boeing 787 order from 12 jets to 17 jets, exercising five options. I don’t think that’s too surprising, and it’s a clear reflection that the company is committed to making long haul service from Seattle work. I think the big question is how long it will take for this flying to become profitable.
I understand all the challenges Alaska is facing with ramping up these flights, but it sure seems like a little more could be done to be competitive from the start.
What do you make of Alaska increasing its Dreamliner order?
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