Low fare carrier jetBlue announced today it intends to offer daily red-eye service between Anchorage and Seattle, beginning on May 17.
The launch date coincides with the resumption of jetBlue's seasonal nonstop service between Anchorage and Long Beach, CA.
Since the Long Beach service started in 2010, fares from Anchorage to the L.A. basin's airports including Los Angeles International (LAX), Orange County (SNA), Burbank (BUR) and Ontario (ONT) have dropped to as low as $300 roundtrip. Currently, jetBlue offers its 2013 Long Beach flights from Anchorage starting at $327 roundtrip. Alaska Airlines responded, offering nonstop flights from Anchorage to LAX for as little as $299 roundtrip. Currently, Alaska's price to LAX is $327 roundtrip.
Prices for the Anchorage-Seattle flights are expected to be released in December, according to a jetBlue news release. Currently, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines charge $545 roundtrip.
From Seattle, jetBlue offers flights to Long Beach and Boston (with a 5.5-hour layover on the outbound leg). JetBlue also offers nonstop service from Seattle to New York's JFK airport, but that flight is a red-eye at leaves Seattle at 9:30pm.