Alaska-Delta battle bringing lower fares to local travelers

Alaska Airlines might not be too happy about Delta Air Lines’ big push into Sea-Tac Airport, but it’s proving to be good news for travelers seeking lower fares on some routes.

While Alaska remains the leading carrier at Sea-Tac with over three times as many flights than Delta, Atlanta-based Delta has significantly increased the number of flights out of Sea-Tac.

KIRO Radio travel analyst Steve Danishek says the new competition has led to lower prices on some competing routes such as Seattle-San Jose.

The real benefit is a significantly increased supply of lower fares to cities serviced by both carriers.

“If there’s just Alaska flying on a route, when their cheap seats are full, they’re gone. Now, we have more cheap seats,” says Danishek.

Among the destinations where travelers are seeing more low fares are Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Jose, says Danishek.

As both add routes out of Seattle, travelers should reap the benefits to more places, including Hawaii and Alaska.

While some travelers who previously flew Alaska exclusively may opt for Delta, Danishek says the local carrier should be just fine.

He says Delta’s incursion into Seattle is in large part to establish a new international hub to serve Asia and other foreign destinations, while Alaska’s focus is exclusively domestic.

Danishek also says if fares between the two airlines are similar, most local travelers will choose the hometown carrier because of its quality and out of brand loyalty. Many have long established frequent flier accounts or mileage credit cards that make switching carriers unappealing.