Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - SEA-STL Route. How's it doing?

How's this route doing? What are the loads like? I might start travel to SEA for work, so hopefully this isn't going away any time soon. Any talks of increasing capacity/frequency?

For the first few months, SEA-STL was costing around $260 roundtrip on AS and $240 roundtrip on DL/AA/UA, $220 roundtrip if you could get the DL-coded AS flights. Looking at future flights, SEA-STL fares are up, with the AS-coded and operated flights costing around $500 roundtrip for summer travel. I expect the route to stay, especially if AS was awarded the corporate contracts that the AA flight had.

I recently moved and haven't flown the route in a couple months, but I used to be a regular. That being said, all I have is anecdotal evidence about the performance. The couple of dozen times I flew the route, I don't ever remember seeing more than a couple of empty seats and relatively high fares since the promotions when it was introduced. In talking with flight attendants and gate agents, they say that it is a 'crazy busy' route. Not for sure if Southwest is still seasonal on the route (never have, never will be on a WN flight that long if I can help it), but it seems that they are both doing OK. Not for sure how many of the WN passengers are connecting in STL. The flight has been a great addition to STL and hope it remains a success. For the sake of my former 'adopted' hometown and my favorite airline, I hope all continues to go well for them. Would love to see an earlier flight to make more SEA connections viable.

I flew this route for the first time last night. Gotta say - amazing service on board, and not having to connect somewhere is awesome. Anyway... One of my fellow passengers was chatting with a FA during boarding and apparently this route is highly sought over with the flight attendants. She also states that about 95% of the flights are completely full. This is awesome and brings me to a question... Because this is such a hot and productive route for AS, do they have any plans to increase frequency? Right now it's just once daily. A morning and evening flight would be awesome! It might be wishful thinking, but it's worth asking.

I flew this route for the first time last night. Gotta say - amazing service on board, and not having to connect somewhere is awesome. Anyway... One of my fellow passengers was chatting with a FA during boarding and apparently this route is highly sought over with the flight attendants. She also states that about 95% of the flights are completely full. This is awesome and brings me to a question... Because this is such a hot and productive route for AS, do they have any plans to increase frequency? Right now it's just once daily. A morning and evening flight would be awesome! It might be wishful thinking, but it's worth asking.

Doubtful, AS occasionally swaps from a 738 to a 739 and I could see this route getting a daily 739, but that is about it.

I am sure upgrades are not too challenging on this route for MVPG75Ks, but I do wonder how it is for DL elites.

I am sure upgrades are not too challenging on this route for MVPG75Ks, but I do wonder how it is for DL elites.

I'm a Platinum Medallion on Delta and was #2 on the list. It wasn't too bad in coach. One of the redeeming factors was that AS serves hot meals for sale in back. Sure would be nice if Delta would do the same.

and American dropped it for some odd reason, too.

and American dropped it for some odd reason, too.

AA Dropped everything out of STL. We only have AA flights to their hubs now. It's very nice of AS to pick up where AA left off - at least the STL-SEA route.

Doubtful, AS occasionally swaps from a 738 to a 739 and I could see this route getting a daily 739, but that is about it.

I am sure upgrades are not too challenging on this route for MVPG75Ks, but I do wonder how it is for DL elites.

I have a feeling you're right, any frequency addition would essentially double the available seats in the market (depending on equipment type). It would have to be an amazingly strong performer in yields, forget about loads.

That being said, if they wanted to give it a try, this period of 13 additional aircraft deliveries thru the end of 2013 (http://www.alaskaair.com/content/about-us/newsroom/as-fleet.aspx) would be the time it would happen. I think there are interesting times ahead for sure.

I have flown the KC-SEA route a 4 times since it was launched in March and it has been pretty full as well. They also seem to get a decent amount of connecting traffic to places like GEG and PDX.

I kind of wish AS would start a morning flight out of STL and KC (MCI) for better connections to places like Hawaii and Alaska