Alaska Adds Daily Seattle To Rome Dreamliner Flights

Published on Nov 15, 2025, 4:14 pm CST

7 min read

Alaska Airlines is putting its first European route on the map, opening ticket sales for new daily seasonal flights between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (FCO) in Rome starting April 28, 2026. The service, operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, will run through October and has already been upgraded from a planned four times weekly schedule to daily flights in response to early demand. Advertised round trip fares start around $ 599.00 (USD) on select dates, while Atmos Rewards members earn both redeemable points and status points on the new route.

With this launch, Alaska becomes the only carrier offering a daily nonstop link between Seattle and Rome, and it signals the beginning of a broader Europe push that includes daily year round service between Seattle and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) starting in spring 2026, plus future flights to Reykjavík, Iceland.

Alaska's Seattle To Rome Route And Schedule

The new route turns Alaska's marketing promise into a specific timetable. From April 28, 2026, through October 2026, the Seattle to Rome flight is scheduled to depart Seattle at 530 p.m. local time and arrive in Rome at 115 p.m. the following day. The return flight leaves Rome at 325 p.m. and arrives back in Seattle at 545 p.m., also in local time.

That pattern creates an evening departure from the Pacific Northwest with an early afternoon arrival in Italy, which is useful for travelers who want to check in to central Rome hotels, drop bags, and still have daylight to adjust or explore. The return timing sends travelers out of Rome in mid afternoon and gets them back to Seattle in the early evening, which should make same day connections to many West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii destinations feasible, especially as Alaska builds out its banked schedules at SEA.

The flights will be operated with Alaska's new 787-9 Dreamliners, aircraft that came into the portfolio through the Hawaiian Airlines acquisition and are now the backbone of Alaska's long haul operation. On board, the carrier is promising a new "curb to cabin" experience that includes 34 enclosed Business Class suites with fully lie flat seats in a 1, 2, 1 configuration, enhanced Premium Class seating, and upgraded Main Cabin service with two chef designed meals and complimentary beer and wine.

Fares, Availability, And How To Book

In its announcement, Alaska highlights round trip fares to Rome starting from about $ 599.00 (USD) on alaskaair.com, although that lead in price is limited by date, inventory, and standard revenue management. Independent fare checks have already found similar sub $ 600.00 (USD) round trips on select shoulder season dates, with higher prices around peak summer travel.

For travelers using Atmos Rewards points, early award searches show entry level economy redemptions starting around 30,000 points one way plus taxes on some dates, with premium cabin awards much higher and shifting as saver space moves in and out of inventory. Alaska is keeping a fixed "starting at" award chart, so once those saver buckets sell out, the system offers higher priced awards instead of closing off redemptions entirely. That means the best value will sit on off peak dates or itineraries booked early, and it keeps pressure on travelers to watch for releases of additional award seats closer to departure.

Travelers who care more about value than nonstop convenience should also compare partner options. In some cases, Alaska or oneworld partner awards on connecting itineraries via other hubs may still undercut nonstop pricing in either cash or points, especially in Business Class, even if they add a stop.

Atmos Rewards Earning, Upgrades, And 2026 Changes

Alaska is using the Rome and London flights to showcase Atmos Rewards, the merged loyalty program that replaces Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles. On these routes, members earn 1 point and 1 status point for every mile flown, reflecting a distance based earning model that continues at least through the early phase of Atmos. The airline has already signaled that later in 2026, members will be able to choose among three earning modes, by distance, by price paid, or by segments flown, which is unusual flexibility compared with many U.S. programs that have moved fully to spend based earning.

For top tier flyers, the headline benefit is on the upgrade side. Atmos Titanium elites will receive complimentary day of departure upgrades into lie flat suites on intercontinental routes, subject to availability, without needing to manage separate upgrade certificates or spend points. That is a structurally different promise than what most competitors offer, although how often those upgrades clear will depend on how aggressively Alaska sells Business Class and how many suites remain open inside the last few days before each flight.

Analysis

The Rome announcement is more than a single point to point route. It is one piece of Alaska's plan to turn Seattle into a true global gateway with a dedicated 787 hub, alongside existing Dreamliner flying to Seoul and upcoming 787 service to Tokyo. The carrier has said it wants to serve at least 12 intercontinental destinations from Seattle by 2030, and the combination of Rome, London Heathrow, and Reykjavík in 2026 is an early step toward that target.

For travelers in the Pacific Northwest, the practical effect is more choice at the long haul level and a new set of nonstop options that bypass traditional European gateways like Amsterdam, Frankfurt, or Paris. A daily Rome link also reinforces Seattle's positioning for cruise passengers using Civitavecchia as a base, as well as for leisure travelers combining Italy with other Mediterranean or rail itineraries.

From a competitive standpoint, Alaska is pushing itself into space long dominated by larger transatlantic players. Seattle already has heavy competition to London from British Airways, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic, but Alaska's daily SEA to LHR service will lean on strong local loyalty and oneworld connectivity instead of joint venture metal. Rome, by contrast, is an uncontested daily nonstop from Seattle, which gives Alaska a cleaner narrative and a better chance to establish habitual travelers on its own metal.

Background

Alaska's move into Europe comes shortly after it finalized plans to integrate Hawaiian Airlines and consolidate long haul flying on a 787-9 fleet based in Seattle. Historically, Alaska was a narrowbody carrier focused on North America, and its longest routes relied on single aisle aircraft. The Dreamliners change that profile, adding true lie flat Business Class, long range capability, and a more globally competitive onboard product that aligns with what transatlantic travelers now expect.

On the loyalty side, Atmos Rewards is designed to keep legacy customers from both Alaska and Hawaiian whole by preserving point values one to one, then layering on more earning pathways and a new high tier, Titanium, for frequent long haul travelers. The Rome route becomes an early real world test of how well that structure works for people who want to combine cash tickets, award travel, and elite upgrades on the same network.

Final thoughts

Alaska Airlines' new daily Dreamliner service from Seattle to Rome gives Pacific Northwest travelers a rare nonstop into Italy and marks the airline's first step into Europe, ahead of new daily year round service to London Heathrow. For travelers, this means more nonstops, better premium cabin options, and new ways to earn and use Atmos Rewards points on long haul trips out of Seattle. As schedules load and awards settle, keeping an eye on fare patterns, upgrade performance, and the roll out of additional intercontinental routes will show how quickly Seattle's new global gateway role matures and how valuable these Seattle to Rome flights become in practice.