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Alaska Shifts From LAX, SFO to Boost San Diego and Portland

Alaska Airlines gate at San Diego International Airport with branded tails, warm evening light, and a boarding screen signaling the carrier's San Diego expansion
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3 min read

Key points

  • Alaska Airlines will cut 10 routes across Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2026
  • Service ends from San Francisco to Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Boston, Austin, Newark, Orlando and Burbank
  • Los Angeles flights to Las Vegas, Reno and San Jose will cease, and LAX-Newark drops to one daily
  • Shift supports a 2026 buildup with 13 new routes, focusing on San Diego and Portland
  • Cirium schedules show higher seats at San Diego and Portland and fewer combined flights at Los Angeles and San Francisco

Impact

Check Your Bookings
If you are ticketed on the listed city pairs in 2026, expect an airline-initiated change and watch for alternative flights or refunds
Consider Alternatives
Bay Area travelers may find better options via San Jose or Oakland while Los Angeles flyers may route via Long Beach, Burbank, or Ontario
Monitor Summer Schedules
Most cuts align with spring and summer 2026 schedule changes, so recheck itineraries as timetables publish
Leverage Hubs
Expect more nonstop choices via San Diego and Portland, including additional Hawaii and domestic connectivity
Elite And Loyalty Planning
Mileage Plan members based in Los Angeles or San Francisco may see fewer nonstop options and more connections

Alaska Airlines will trim parts of its Los Angeles, California, and San Francisco, California, networks in 2026, eliminating 10 routes while concentrating growth in San Diego, California, and Portland, Oregon. The changes, spotted by aviation analyst accounts and confirmed across multiple outlets, come alongside a 13-route expansion centered on San Diego and Portland and reflect constrained fleet growth next year.

The San Francisco cuts include flights to Salt Lake City, Utah, Phoenix, Arizona, Boston, Massachusetts, Austin, Texas, Newark, New Jersey, Orlando, Florida, and Burbank, California. From Los Angeles, Alaska will cease service to Las Vegas, Nevada, Reno, Nevada, and San Jose, California, and it will reduce Los Angeles-Newark from three daily flights to one. These market exits and reductions will roll in over winter, spring, and summer schedule waves as 2026 timetables publish.

Alaska positioned the retrenchment as a reallocation of limited aircraft toward higher-return opportunities. In late October, the airline announced 13 new routes beginning in spring 2026, with a heavy emphasis on San Diego and Portland, plus added Hawaii flying and two new dots on its map. The carrier said San Diego capacity will grow more than 35 percent year-over-year by spring 2026, with four additional routes from Portland.

Industry data and reporting illustrate the trade-off. Cirium schedules indicate a double-digit seat increase in the first half of 2026 at San Diego and Portland, while combined flights at Los Angeles and San Francisco decline. Analysts note that both LAX and SFO are intensely competitive and that Alaska already holds leading shares in Portland and a strong position in San Diego, so shifting aircraft to build scale and loyalty fits the airline's strategy.

Travelers booked on the affected routes should expect airline-initiated rebookings or cancellations tied to each schedule update. If a nonstop disappears, comparable itineraries via San Diego or Portland may appear, as the carrier knits those hubs more tightly into its domestic and Hawaii networks. Where Alaska exits entirely, competing airlines at the same airports, or nearby Bay Area and Southern California airports, will be the practical alternatives.

Background

Airlines routinely adjust networks when fleet deliveries slip or when they can earn more by redeploying aircraft. In Alaska's case, 2026 growth is constrained, so adding 13 routes requires trimming weaker or lower-priority city pairs. Concentrating flying at hubs where the carrier is already number one or number two can improve aircraft utilization, loyalty credit-card uptake, and schedule relevance, even if it means fewer nonstops at larger, more competitive airports.

Final thoughts

For West Coast travelers, the headline is fewer Alaska nonstops at Los Angeles and San Francisco but more choice via San Diego and Portland. Check 2026 itineraries as each seasonal schedule loads, and consider nearby airports when nonstop options shrink.

Sources

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