Alaska Airlines is cutting more flights from the West Coast to Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), slashing its nonstop route to San Diego (SAN) at the start of 2020 as a part of broader cuts to flights to the Midwest and beyond.
Alaska Airlines confirmed to Thrifty Traveler Wednesday it would stop flying between Minneapolis and the popular southern California tourist spot as of Jan. 7, 2020. It's part of a larger change-up in Alaska's route network, as the airline launches several new routes while scrapping several more, including:
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Philadelphia (PHL), ending NOv. 5
- San Francisco (SFO) to Albuquerque (ABQ), ending Nov. 5
- San Francisco (SFO) to Kansas City (MCI), ending Nov. 5
- San Diego (SAN) to Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), ending Jan. 7
- San Diego (SAN) to Albuquerque (ABQ), ending Nov. 5
- San Diego (SAN) to Kansas City (MCI), ending Jan. 7
- San Diego (SAN) to Omaha (OMA), ending Nov. 5
- San Diego (SAN) to St. Louis (STL), ending Nov. 5
It's another reminder of Alaska's renewed focus on shuttling passengers north and south on the West Coast. Many of their new routes announced Wednesday reinforce that business model – at the expense of flying to the Midwest and beyond.
Alaska has struggled to break through at Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), where Delta has a near-stranglehold on the market, since it first started flying there in 2008. Stopping flights to San Diego leaves just two Alaska flights: to its Seattle (SEA) hub and Portland (PDX).
And it wouldn't be Alaska's first cut to flights to Minneapolis. The airline stopped flying to San Francisco (SFO) in 2018, just a year after launching direct service.
Officials from the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which runs the Minneapolis airport, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Thanks to reader Adrian W. for the tip.