Alaska Airlines has confirmed the Alaska Airlines Athens Paris routes as new nonstop services launching from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in spring 2027, adding two transatlantic firsts to its intercontinental network and bringing the carrier’s total intercontinental destinations from its Seattle hub to seven by summer 2027.
The Athens service, operating as flight AS196, begins on 12 May 2027 and will run three times weekly through October 2027, with return flights from Athens starting 13 May 2026. It will be the longest route Alaska has ever flown and, according to the airline, will make it the only carrier offering nonstop service between the US West Coast and the Greek capital. The Paris service, flight AS136, launches 13 days later on 25 May 2027, offering five weekly frequencies through the autumn, with return flights from Paris beginning the following day.
Two alliance firsts and a record-breaking rotation
Both routes carry oneworld alliance distinctions. The Athens service marks the first-ever nonstop connection between SEA and Athens International Airport (ATH). The Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) service makes Alaska the first oneworld carrier to operate nonstop between the West Coast and CDG, one of the transatlantic market’s highest-demand city pairs from the region.
The route numbering carries deliberate branding: Alaska says AS136 is a nod to Paris’s 136 museums, while AS196 references Athens’s role as host of the modern Olympic Games in 1896. Both routes will be operated on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, configured with international business class lie-flat suites, multi-course dining, and premium amenities sourced from West Coast brands Filson and Salt & Stone.
Tickets for both services went on sale on 20 August 2026. To support the launch, Alaska is offering introductory roundtrip Main Cabin fares from $999, available for purchase in the US through 26 August 2026.
Alaska Airlines Athens Paris routes part of a broader long-haul push
The two new routes fit into a wider capacity strategy articulated by Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Airlines. Minicucci said Athens and Paris have long ranked among the most requested destinations by the airline’s Mileage Plan members, and that the airline is working towards operating more than 12 international long-haul routes from Seattle in the coming years. The airline said it plans to add at least five more intercontinental destinations by 2030 alongside additional Dreamliner aircraft.
With Athens and Paris added to the schedule, Alaska will serve seven intercontinental destinations from Seattle by summer 2027: Athens, Paris, Reykjavik, London, Rome, Seoul and Tokyo. The expanded footprint also creates same-day connection opportunities between Honolulu and Paris via Seattle, utilising Alaska’s second-largest hub in Hawaii.
George Kallimasias, Managing Director and CEO of Athens International Airport, welcomed the announcement, describing the new service as strengthening Athens’s connectivity with the United States and supporting tourism, business, investment and trade between Greece and the West Coast.
Atmos Rewards members travelling on both routes will have access to complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi, powered by T-Mobile, as installation continues across the Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines fleets through 2027. Through its oneworld alliance membership and additional global partners, alaskaair.com connects onward to hundreds of destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and beyond. Alaska currently operates more than 360 peak-day departures and 110 nonstop destinations from the Seattle area.
On the marketing side, Alaska has partnered with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold on a multi-season campaign tied to the airline’s global expansion. Darnold said he was proud to be part of a campaign highlighting Seattle’s growth as Alaska extends its reach to Athens, Paris and beyond.
With tickets already on sale and introductory fares available until 26 August 2026, the commercial test of demand for both routes begins immediately.
