Alaska Airlines, Delta - Seattle Rome Flights For 2026

Published on Nov 19, 2025, 7:46 pm CST

7 min read

Key points

Alaska Airlines will launch daily Seattle to Rome flights from April 28, 2026 using Boeing 787 9 aircraft
The route is Alaska's first service to Europe and joins planned Seattle links to London Heathrow and Reykjavik from spring 2026
Alaska initially planned four weekly Seattle Rome flights but upgraded the route to daily after strong early demand
Delta Air Lines will add competing Seattle Rome flights from May 6, 2026 with Airbus A330 900neo aircraft operating four times weekly
Summer 2026 schedules will give Seattle travelers two nonstop choices to Rome with different cabins, alliances, and schedules

Impact

Booking Strategy: Travelers eyeing Rome in late April and Summer 2026 can choose between Alaska's daily schedule and Delta's four weekly departures, then lock in fares and cabins early for peak dates
Connection Options: West Coast and Alaska hub travelers gain new one stop links to Rome over Seattle while Delta loyalists can route through Seattle from other U S cities on a single ticket
Seat And Cabin Choice: Alaska's 787 9 cabins and Delta's A330 900neo layouts offer distinct business, premium, and economy experiences so travelers should compare seat maps and amenities before booking
Loyalty And Alliances: Mileage Plan members can earn and redeem on Alaska's new route while SkyMiles members benefit from Delta's Rome flights, which matters for upgrades, lounge access, and credit card perks
Contingency Planning: Two carriers on the same route improve rebooking options during disruptions but travelers should still allow extra time for connections and monitor schedule changes as launch dates approach

Alaska Airlines will launch its first ever European route on April 28, 2026, adding new daily seasonal flights between Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (FCO) in Rome on Boeing 787 9 Dreamliner aircraft. The carrier originally filed the route as a four times weekly service starting later in May, but upgraded it to daily summer operation after strong early demand and as ticket sales opened. Delta Air Lines will follow on May 6, 2026, with four weekly Seattle Rome flights on Airbus A330 900neo aircraft, creating a two carrier nonstop contest for Italy bound travelers out of Seattle.

The change means that by early May 2026, Seattle area travelers will have a choice between Alaska and Delta for nonstop flights to Rome, each with different schedules, cabins, and loyalty ecosystems. For long haul planning, the new link also slots into Alaska's wider push to build a long haul hub at Seattle Tacoma and to position the airport as a stronger gateway to Europe.

Alaska's Seattle Rome Route Goes Daily

Alaska's new Rome service will run as a daily seasonal route from April 28 through October 2026, using the airline's growing fleet of Boeing 787 9 aircraft based in Seattle. Current schedules show departures from Seattle at about 5:30 p.m. local time with arrivals into Rome early afternoon the next day, and return flights leaving Rome mid afternoon to reach Seattle early evening the same day.

When Alaska first revealed Rome as its initial European destination earlier in 2025, the plan called for a four times weekly service starting in late May. As details were finalized and tickets went on sale in mid November, the airline moved the launch up to April 28 and shifted to daily service for the peak summer season, citing strong guest response and interest in nonstop West Coast access to Italy.

On board, travelers will see the debut of Alaska's new long haul global product on its own branded 787 9s out of Seattle. The airline has teased fully flat business class suites with doors, refreshed premium cabins, and updated soft product including new bedding and amenity kits, along with plans to add high speed connectivity across the fleet after 2026.

Latest Developments

The Rome announcement slots into a broader wave of international expansion from Seattle Tacoma, where Alaska already flies long haul to Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon using widebody aircraft operated within the Alaska Hawaiian group. Rome is the first European destination in that plan and is being quickly followed by new routes from Seattle to London Heathrow and Reykjavik, Iceland, with both Europe links scheduled to begin in spring 2026 on 787 9s and 737 MAX aircraft respectively.

Tickets for Seattle Rome are already on sale, with Alaska promoting limited promotional round trip fares and positioning the route as a gateway for Mileage Plan members to reach Italy and connect onward across Europe through partner airlines. The London and Reykjavik flights will go on sale later, but Alaska is already using them in marketing to underline that Seattle is becoming its primary global gateway.

On the competitive side, Delta's June 2025 announcement of Seattle Rome and Seattle Barcelona for summer 2026 made clear that the carrier intends to protect and grow its long haul franchise from Seattle. Delta's Seattle Rome flights will operate four times weekly starting May 6, 2026, using Airbus A330 900neo aircraft with Delta One suites, Premium Select, and a large economy cabin.

Analysis

For travelers in Seattle, Washington, and across the Pacific Northwest, the biggest practical change is choice. A market that previously required at least one stop to reach Rome will soon support two competing nonstops, with materially different schedules and frequency patterns. Alaska's daily operation gives maximum flexibility for trips starting in late April 2026, which matters for shoulder season travel and complex itineraries that link Italy with other European or Middle Eastern destinations. Delta's four weekly pattern adds capacity on peak summer days and reinforces its network for travelers connecting through other Delta hubs into Seattle.

From a loyalty perspective, the route split is clear. Mileage Plan members will finally have a branded Alaska option to Europe, with the ability to earn and redeem on a nonstop long haul flight operated by Alaska itself rather than a partner. SkyMiles members, on the other hand, gain another transatlantic option that can integrate into Delta's broader European network from Seattle, which already includes London, Paris, and Amsterdam, plus other long haul routes across Asia.

Background, Alaska has been repositioning Seattle Tacoma International Airport as its global long haul base over the past two years, initially through joint operations with Hawaiian widebodies, then with the introduction of Alaska branded 787 9s. The airline has publicly stated a goal of serving at least a dozen long haul destinations from Seattle by 2030, and Rome, London, and Reykjavik are now central pillars of that strategy. This latest update, which accelerates Rome and upgrades it from four weekly to daily, confirms that early demand trends are strong enough to support a more aggressive ramp.

Delta's response underscores how strategic the Seattle market has become. By adding Rome and Barcelona in the same season that Alaska enters Europe, Delta is signaling that it will continue to treat Seattle as a core Pacific and transatlantic hub, backed by new premium lounge capacity, improved gate access, and a wider long haul schedule. For travelers, that competition should translate into more fare sales, broader award availability at least initially, and a wider set of departure days and times to choose from.

The aircraft choice also matters. Alaska's 787 9 cabins will likely appeal to travelers who value a modern Dreamliner interior, higher humidity, and large windows, along with a fresh business class product that Alaska is rolling out specifically for long haul work. Delta's A330 900neo brings its well regarded Delta One suites with doors, a mature Premium Select product, and a layout that many frequent flyers already know from other Delta long haul routes. Travelers who care most about seat design, noise levels, or cabin layout will want to look at detailed seat maps and independent reviews before committing.

Final Thoughts

Alaska's decision to pull forward its Seattle Rome launch to April 28, 2026, raise the frequency to daily, and pair the route with new long haul service to London Heathrow and Reykjavik, sets up a clear transatlantic showdown with Delta out of Seattle. For travelers, that is good news, with more nonstop choices, more cabin options, and more ways to leverage both Mileage Plan and SkyMiles on trips to Italy and beyond. As schedules firm up and additional sales open, the Seattle to Rome flights will become one of the most closely watched long haul routes in the Pacific Northwest, and a key test of Alaska's new global strategy.