Alaska Airlines Gears Up for 2025 with New Nonstop Routes

Alaska Airlines, a division of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK - Free Report), is set to enhance travel options for flyers in Oregon. Announcing the addition of three new nonstop routes, the airline aims to connect important destinations. Starting May 15, 2025, the new routes will be Portland, OR to Houston, TX; Portland to Eugene, OR; and Medford, OR to San Diego, CA, operating year-round. Customers can purchase tickets now at alaskaair.com.

The specifics of the new routes are as follows:

Portland-Houston: As the largest city currently unserved from Portland, Houston will benefit from this new nonstop service to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). This route is aimed at both business and leisure travelers and adds to the existing nonstop options to Texas, which include Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin.

Portland-Eugene: Two daily nonstop roundtrips will be available on this route.

Medford-San Diego: This new route enhances Alaska Airlines’ presence in San Diego, marking it as the 41^st destination linked to the city.

In addition to these three routes, Alaska Airlines is expanding its operations within Oregon. The Portland-Medford route will increase service from once a day to four times a day, while the Portland-Redmond route will now operate year-round with three daily flights, starting from the same date.

Kirsten Amrine, the vice president of network planning and revenue management at Alaska Airlines, noted, "While we are based in Seattle, Portland has been our second home for over 20 years, making us the largest carrier in the region. Our new flights from Portland, Eugene, and Medford reinforce our commitment to connecting Oregon with other parts of the country."

Given the increase in global travel demand, this strategic move is anticipated to strengthen Alaska Airlines’ competitive edge within the airline sector.

ALK’s Current Performance and Rankings

At present, ALK holds a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

The stock has shown impressive growth, up 98.3% over the past year, significantly outperforming the 43.3% increase seen in the broader Zacks Airline industry.

Comparative Stock Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Other Airlines Worth Considering

Investors looking into the airline sector may also want to consider American Airlines (AAL - Free Report) and United Airlines (UAL - Free Report), both sporting a Zacks Rank #1. You can find the complete list of Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

AAL anticipates an earnings growth rate of 45% for the current year, boasting a solid earnings surprise history with three out of the last four quarters beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an impressive average of 124.4%.

Similarly, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AAL’s earnings in 2025 has seen a recent upward revision of 32% over the past 90 days. The stock has appreciated by 39.7% in the last year.

UAL projects a 22% growth rate in earnings this year, with an upward revision of 10% for the 2025 earnings estimate in the last three months, also demonstrating a strong earnings surprise history with an average beat of 26.9%. UAL's shares have surged by 177.1% over the last year.

Alaska, Airlines, Routes