Alaska to fly Seattle to Osaka and Tahiti on Hawaiian A330s

Alaska Airlines has announced two new long-haul routes from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: four weekly flights to Osaka Kansai from 14 May 2027 and three weekly flights to Papeete, Tahiti, from 11 June 2027. Both will be flown by Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330s, and tickets are on sale, according to AirlineGeeks.

Schedules and aircraft

Seattle–Osaka will operate year-round. Per One Mile at a Time, AS867 leaves Seattle at 12:10pm and arrives at 4:00pm the next day, while AS868 leaves Osaka at 6:00pm and reaches Seattle at 12:20pm. Westbound flights run on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; eastbound flights run on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Scheduled times are 11 hours 50 minutes westbound and 10 hours 20 minutes eastbound.

Seattle–Papeete flights run southbound on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and northbound on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, according to AirlineGeeks. One Mile at a Time lists AS987 departing Seattle at 11:55pm and arriving at 7:20am the next day, and AS988 departing Papeete at 5:00pm and arriving at 6:00am. Block times are 10 hours 25 minutes southbound and 10 hours northbound. Note that One Mile at a Time lists the northbound days slightly differently (including Thursday, Saturday and Sunday), consistent with the other sources.

One Mile at a Time says the A330s seat 278 passengers, with 18 in business class and 260 in economy, and have Starlink Wi-Fi but dated interiors. The Points Guy notes the business class is a legacy 2-2-2 layout. A full cabin retrofit, including new Leihoku Suites and premium economy, is planned from 2028 and will not be ready for the 2027 launches.

Seattle hub strategy

The Points Guy reports that the routes bring Alaska Air Group to four transpacific routes from Seattle, adding to existing Tokyo and Seoul service, and to nine long-haul routes from the airport in total. Paris and Athens were announced in August. The group aims for at least 15 long-haul destinations from Seattle by 2030; One Mile at a Time says that target was originally 12. Chief commercial officer Andrew Harrison said on 29 September that new destinations would be a mix of Asia and Europe, "but a little bit more toward Asia".

In a news release quoted by AirlineGeeks, chief executive Ben Minicucci said more international destinations are on the horizon.

Competition and Honolulu questions

One Mile at a Time says Osaka is otherwise served from the US mainland only by United from San Francisco and Japan Airlines from Los Angeles. For French Polynesia, it lists French Bee and United from San Francisco, plus Air France and Air Tahiti Nui from Los Angeles. Air Tahiti Nui previously tried Seattle–Papeete and withdrew, per One Mile at a Time and Live and Let's Fly.

Hawaiian already flies to both cities from Honolulu. The Points Guy says Alaska states those routes will continue, and Live and Let's Fly notes both remain on sale. Both outlets' commentary questions whether they will last long term, but this is speculation rather than an announced change. One Mile at a Time also calls the branding confusing, as Hawaiian-liveried aircraft will fly without touching Hawaii.

What this means for travellers

• Seattle-area and Atmos Rewards travellers gain nonstop access to Osaka without connecting via Tokyo, as The Points Guy points out.
• Osaka is the closest long-haul airport to Kyoto, according to One Mile at a Time.
• The Papeete flight arrives in the morning, which Live and Let's Fly says could suit onward connections, such as to Bora Bora, subject to schedules.
• Expect the older A330 cabin at launch; new interiors come later.
• Honolulu–Osaka and Honolulu–Tahiti remain on sale. Fares have not been reported in the sources.

Sources: One Mile at a Time, The Points Guy, AirlineGeeks, Live and Let's Fly.