Alaska Airlines Is Launching a New Cross-country Route Next Year

Alaska Airlines continues to grow its Portland hub, introducing a new flight from Oregon’s capital to Nashville.

Starting March 14, 2024, Alaska will begin flying the new route daily between Nashville and Portland, a city it has served for over 20 years. This service will operate year-round, departing Portland in the morning before leaving Nashville late afternoon. 

Nashville will become the airline’s 53rd destination from Portland, which Alaska touted as the most of any carrier. 

"We're always focused on better connecting the Pacific Northwest with new nonstops in our network," said Kirsten Amrine, vice president of revenue management and network planning for Alaska Airlines, in a statement. "We know there's a strong desire by our guests for an easier way to travel between Portland and Nashville. Our new flight will link a pair of exciting regions that both have wide-ranging, festive entertainment and sports scenes as well as growing business centers."

The inaugural flight will be on the airline’s newest Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft, which can seat up to 178 passengers. The plane also features Alaska’s refreshed first class seats, where passengers can enjoy complimentary breakfast from Portland to Nashville and dinner service from Nashville to Portland, as confirmed by Alaska Airlines to T+L. 

Alaska will continue to receive deliveries of more than 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft through 2027, although the carrier states that “newly delivered aircraft may operate for a short time without Wi-Fi.” When the jets do come equipped with high-speed satellite Wi-Fi, passengers can purchase it for $8 for the entire flight. 

The airline has been steadily increasing new flights to its Portland hub to other destinations nationwide. This week, Alaska will inaugurate daily, year-round service to Miami and resume its seasonal hop to Bend, Oregon, on Thanksgiving Day. 

In total, Alaska serves more than 120 destinations across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and beyond, with brand-new service to the Bahamas and Guatemala starting next month. The airline joined the Oneworld alliance in 2021, so passengers can travel to more than 1,000 destinations, as well as earn and redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles for partner airlines like American Airlines and British Airways.