Alaska Airlines has announced the introduction of its longest flight to date, with new daily seasonal service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in Anchorage, Alaska. The airline's Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets will operate the route, which is set to commence on June 13, 2024, and run through August 19.

Spanning a distance of 3,386 miles, the New York-to-Anchorage flight will become Alaska Airlines' longest route in its network. The airline has scheduled a travel time of seven hours and 45 minutes in the westbound direction and seven hours and five minutes in the eastbound direction.

Prior to this announcement, Alaska's three longest flights were Chicago to Anchorage (2,846 miles), Honolulu to Anchorage (2,777 miles), and Miami to Seattle (2,724 miles). The new route will exceed these distances by over 500 miles.

Alaska Airlines' schedule for the New York-to-Anchorage flight reveals a departure from New York in the morning and arrival in Alaska in the midafternoon. The return trip operates as a red-eye, departing at 8 p.m. and landing in New York the following morning at 7:05 a.m.

Alaska plans to introduce once-weekly flights between San Diego and Anchorage as well, operated by the standard version of the Boeing 737. These new routes bring the airline's total nonstop destinations to and from Anchorage during the summer season to 14, including popular cities such as Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Alaska Airlines is set to receive the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in the coming months. The specific cabin configuration has not been revealed. The carrier currently has 15 of these jets on order.

Although Alaska Airlines' expansion is remarkable, it will face stiff competition from United Airlines, which already offers daily summer seasonal service between Newark and Anchorage. Interestingly, both airlines will operate the Boeing 737 MAX 8 on their respective routes, with slightly different schedules.

Two years ago, Delta Air Lines also operated flights between New York and Anchorage, but their service has not resumed since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Marilyn Romano, Alaska's regional vice president, expressed enthusiasm for the new routes, stating, "Alaskans love nonstop flights to and from the state. We like having great travel options, and adding places such as New York and San Diego definitely fit the bill."

The addition of the New York-to-Anchorage route further expands Alaska Airlines' offerings and provides travelers with more convenient travel options to and from Alaska.