Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - Why no SLC service?

So I am going to be visiting the Salt Lake City area in August for business. I am planning a side trip to Seattle for a few days. Anyway, I thought of booking with Alaska Air to get to SEA. However, come to find out they don't offer SLC service. I thought at one time they flew SLC? I was surprised at this considering Delta is one of their primary codeshare partners and SLC is a DL hub. Also, Alaska is a big player in the Pacific Northwest and western regional area so I thought SLC would be included in their routes. Does anybody know why Alaska Air does not serve SLC?

In the meantime, I guess I will book Delta or Southwest for SLC-SEA.

Too much competition from DL I assume. That and i'm guessing there's something in their partnership agreement regarding route competition.

So I am going to be visiting the Salt Lake City area in August for business. I am planning a side trip to Seattle for a few days. Anyway, I thought of booking with Alaska Air to get to SEA. However, come to find out they don't offer SLC service. I thought at one time they flew SLC? I was surprised at this considering Delta is one of their primary codeshare partners and SLC is a DL hub. Also, Alaska is a big player in the Pacific Northwest and western regional area so I thought SLC would be included in their routes. Does anybody know why Alaska Air does not serve SLC?

In the meantime, I guess I will book Delta or Southwest for SLC-SEA.

I think you can book AS flights but operated by DL... so in other words you get an AS flight number. I could be wrong though.

That sir, is an excellent question!

IMO, Alaska sees it as a borderline route. Maybe on the verge of deserving its own metal. But with the codeshare in place on DL metal, and the average fare depression that would occur if AS were to add 112-148 seats to the daily market, there may still be bigger fish to fry at this point.

Too much competition from DL I assume. That and i'm guessing there's something in their partnership agreement regarding route competition.

DL and AS have a code share agreement. I don't believe there's an anti-trust-immunized joint venture to permit limits to route competition.

Southwest. Delta. No money in it.

I think you can book AS flights but operated by DL... so in other words you get an AS flight number. I could be wrong though.

Technically yes, however AS is kind of greedy about forcing you to fly at least one segment on their own metal rather than letting you book the nonstop DL flight as a pure codeshare. For example: Try booking SEA-SLC on AS, and they route through PDX. Conversely, if you want to fly PDX-SLC, they route you through SEA.

On the other hand, try to book SEA-LAX on DL and they offer you a ton of AS nonstops.

Too much competition from DL I assume. That and i'm guessing there's something in their partnership agreement regarding route competition.

If this were true, the DOJ would smack them so hard for antitrust on that one you would feel it.

Technically yes, however AS is kind of greedy about forcing you to fly at least one segment on their own metal rather than letting you book the nonstop DL flight as a pure codeshare. For example: Try booking SEA-SLC on AS, and they route through PDX. Conversely, if you want to fly PDX-SLC, they route you through SEA.

On the other hand, try to book SEA-LAX on DL and they offer you a ton of AS nonstops.

Odd they pop up as connection necessary on dl.com if you search ANC-SEA or ANC-LAX, no N/S AS codeshare option, but SEA-LAX works.

Odd they pop up as connection necessary on dl.com if you search ANC-SEA or ANC-LAX, no N/S AS codeshare option, but SEA-LAX works.

While SEA-LAX and SEA-SFO are often sold under AA and DL flight numbers and SEA-PHX is occasionally sold under AA flight numbers, most other routes will require onward connections on the ticketing carrier. On the AS side, PDX-ATL and PDX-DFW are sold as standalone flights.

SLC likely does not see AS service as DL often sells SLC connections to compete with AS nonstop routes. As it stands now, DL seems content to change the aircraft flying SEA-SLC, ranging from a CR7 to a 757-300, based on demand. In addition, the late connecting flight (11:01 PM SEA arrival) is not operating when SLC does not have the later bank of evening flights.

While not as centrally-located, LAX is used by both DL and AA for many of the same purposes as SLC (UA uses DEN, SFO, and LAX). While DL did put some SkyWest CR7s on SEA-LAX for a short time, AS is getting revenue from both DL and AA for taking passengers to/from SEA/PDX/YVR.

If an AS-operated SEA-SLC became reality, AS would likely position SLC as a destination flight and DL would sell some connections through SLC, using the AS flight(s) as additional capacity.