Alaska Airlines to launch new flights from Bellingham, Washington to Kona, Hawaii this weekend

SEATTLE, Nov. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines inaugurates new weekly flights between Bellingham, Washington (BLI) and Kona (KOA), on the island of Hawaii this Saturday. The nonstop, seasonal service begins Nov. 12 and ends April 1, 2017.

"This new flight offers customers living in Northwest Washington and British Columbia, Canada, nonstop travel to beautiful beaches, incredible stargazing, one of the world's most active volcanoes and the best poke in the Islands," said John Kirby, Alaska Airlines' vice president of capacity planning.

With the new flights, Alaska serves four Hawaiian islands with 86 weekly flights from the West Coast. Alaska also serves Maui seasonally from Bellingham between Nov. 6 and April 2, 2017.

"The island of Hawaii is one of the top rated travel destinations in the world and we are delighted Alaska Airlines is going to provide our customers with nonstop service to this incredible location," said Sunil Harman, Bellingham International Airport's aviation director. "Alaska Airlines is offering very competitive fares and we anticipate high demand for these flights."

Learn more about Kona on the Alaska Airlines blog: 5 must-do's on Hawaii's Big Island

"We value Alaska Airlines' continued commitment to serving the island of Hawaii by offering this new seasonal flight into Kona International Airport, which will provide added convenience and a good option for travelers from the Pacific Northwest," said Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau. "The nonstop route will help to fulfill the demand for a Hawaii Island vacation and make it even easier for visitors to experience all that is unique to our destination — from remarkable landscapes, diversity of climate zones, rich culture and history, outdoor adventures, to five national parks including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site."

Summary of new service:

Flight times based on local times zones.

Alaska is operating the new flights with fuel-efficient, next generation Boeing 737 aircraft. Customers can enjoy free entertainment on their own devices and power at every seat, as well as Northwest-inspired food and beverages, such as Beecher's Flagship cheese, and exclusively blended Canoe Ridge wine.

Alaska Airlines, together with its regional partners, flies 32 million customers a year to more than 110 cities with an average of 970 daily flights throughout the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico and soon Cuba. With Alaska's global airline partners, customers can earn and redeem miles to more than 800 destinations worldwide. Onboard, customers are invited to make the most of their flight with amenities like power outlets at every seat, streaming entertainment direct to their device, Wi-Fi and an inspired food and beverage selection featured on most flights. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study for nine consecutive years from 2008 to 2016. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan also ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. Alaska Airlines is a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK). Learn more on the airline's newsroom, blog, alaskaair.com, @AlaskaAir, facebook.com/alaskaairlines and linkedin.com/company/alaska-airlines.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines