Alaska Airlines has announced plans to expand its intercontinental route network from Seattle by introducing seasonal nonstop flights to Athens and Paris starting in May 2027. Under the carrier's announced schedule, the new Athens route will operate three times weekly beginning May 12, while the Paris service will operate five times weekly starting May 25. Both long-haul routes are scheduled to be operated using Alaska Airlines' Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner widebody aircraft.
However, the expansion plans come as the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), the labor union representing flight attendants at the airline, raised operational concerns regarding staffing levels on the Boeing 787-9 fleet. The union stated that current cabin crew staffing levels make it impossible to deliver the premium onboard service promised by airline management, emphasizing that the existing service model creates an unsustainable working pace for cabin crew members.
According to the AFA, Alaska Airlines management had previously instituted a 30-day observation period when Alaska-branded Boeing 787 international flights launched in April, with a commitment to gather feedback and make operational improvements. The union stated that this review period concluded on May 28 without management implementing the changes sought by flight attendants. Consequently, the union has called on the airline to either increase cabin crew staffing or establish agreed service standards that realistically reflect available resources.
These new route additions fit into Alaska Airlines' broader strategy to operate more than 12 international long-haul routes out of Seattle in the coming years, with at least five additional intercontinental destinations planned by 2030. According to verified archive records, tickets for the new Seattle-Athens service (operating as flight AS196) and the Seattle-Paris service (operating as flight AS136) officially went on sale on August 20, 2026.
