Fly to These Popular National Parks for Less This Summer With Alaska Airlines' Increased Service

07.06.2024 - 17:27 / travelandleisure.com / John F.Kennedy / Jackson Hole

Alaska Airlines will fly its largest summer schedule this season and is boosting flights to some of America’s most popular national parks in the process.

The airline is adding 16 percent more flights to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, according to the carrier, which serves as a gateway city to both Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Alaska flies direct to Jackson Hole from several West Coast cities, including Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego.

“This summer, we’re prepared to do more flying and welcome more guests to experience not only a safe operation, but also a premium experience,” Andrew Harrison, the chief commercial officer at Alaska Airlines, said in a statement. “We’ve been hard at work on elevating all aspects of the travel journey for our guests from start to finish.”

While summer is high season at Yellowstone, it’s also one of the best times to visit, especially to spot elk, moose, bison, and mountain goats in the park.

During a Google Flights search, Travel + Leisure found flights to Jackson Hole starting as low as $119 one-way from Seattle, and starting as low as $159 one-way from San Diego or San Francisco.

In addition to making it easier to access Yellowstone and Grand Teton, Alaska Airlines will launch direct flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Anchorage, Alaska, this month. The new flight will mark the only direct route from the New York hub to Anchorage and become the longest flight in the carrier’s network. 

Alaska also recently launched flights between San Diego and Anchorage. In total, the airline will boost its schedule to Anchorage by 13 percent.

These fights make it easier to access Alaska’s many national parks, including beloved spots like Denali National Park and Preserve along with less-visited options like Katmai National Park and Preserve (known for its famous fat bears) and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, which is a popular cruise ship stop.

A Google Flights search showed one-way flights to Anchorage for as low as $221 from San Diego and as low as $277 from New York City.

The airline is also making it more comfortable to fly for a few lucky travelers by offering one main cabin passenger a complimentary upgrade to premium class every day this summer. And to save money, the airline has introduced a paid subscription service with discounts on Wi-Fi as well as first dibs on sales.