Kirsten Amrine travel tips

Alaska Airlines has been in the news lately for the carrier's proposed merger with Hawaiian Airlines, a move that Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said will "expand options for West Coast and Hawai'i travelers."

Travelers who live on the West Coast of the United States have long bemoaned the lack of direct flights to the Caribbean from international airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. Normally, flying to the Caribbean from the West Coast requires stopovers and plane changes in hubs like Atlanta, New York, Houston, or Miami. Between the time difference and the layovers, flying from the West Coast to the Caribbean can easily take at least a full day—or may even require an overnight stop. With closer warm-weather destinations like Mexico and Hawai‘i beckoning, many travelers in the Pacific time zone simply skip the Caribbean.

As the largest carrier at Sonoma County Airport since 2007, Alaska Airlines now offering service to seven nonstop destinations.

There may be something of an airline turf war heating up in California's wine country.

Alaska Airlines will launch a new flight between Portland, Oregon, and Atlanta this fall, continuing its efforts to expand its network this year.

Delta Air Lines added a second flight to view the total solar eclipse from 30,000 feet after the first flight the airline announced sold out in less than 24 hours.

Alaska Airlines is making it easier to see April’s epic solar eclipse with a series of flights heading to destinations along the path of totality — and they're selling out. The specific routes, which fly to places like Mazatlán, Mexico, Texas, and Ohio, have seen a threefold increase in demand compared to previous years, Alaska Airlines shared with Travel + Leisure. And that increased demand has led to increasingly sold-out flights.

Alaska Airlines is expanding flight service from its hub at Portland International Airport (PDX).On Monday, the Seattle-based carrier announced plans to add more than 20 daily departures to popular destinations starting this summer. Alaska, which is in the midst of a potential merger with Hawaiian Airlines, said its capacity has increased by 25 percent.Alaska plans to increase service from PDX to a handful of cities, including Las Vegas, Reno, Sacramento and Ontario, California beginning August 20. Starting October 1, the airline will increase service from PDX to Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Phoenix, Fresno and Medford, Oregon.The carrier will also add a second daily roundtrip flight between Portland and Redmond/Bend on October 1 and has extended nonstop seasonal flying from PDX to Billings, Kansas City and Minneapolis until the end of the year.Alaska currently serves 53 nonstop destinations from Portland, recently launching nonstop service to Miami. Meanwhile, year-round flights to Nashville start on March 14. By summer, the airline will have more than 100 average daily departures from Portland."We've been the largest carrier in Portland for more than 20 years. We don't take that for granted. It's important for us to provide our guests with a variety of convenient flight options at PDX along with the addition of new routes. We know travelers have a choice and we want them to fly with us," Kirsten Amrine, vice president of revenue management and network planning for Alaska Airlines, said in a statement."We're thrilled about the added flights out of PDX," added Dan Pippenger, chief aviation officer at the Port of Portland. "As our largest carrier, more Alaska flights means even more options for travelers, whether they're flying cross-country or within the state. And the increase in service means more visitors for our concession and ground travel partners – the local businesses that are the heart of our region and bring so much excitement to our airport."Contact your travel advisor or visit AlaskaAir.com to book the airline's expanded service from PDX.

Alaska Airlines is expanding its presence from Portland, Oregon, with an increased seat capacity of more than 25 percent, the carrier announced Monday.

This week, The Islands of The Bahamas and Alaska Airlines marked a significant milestone jointly welcoming first-ever passengers from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in Nassau, the nation’s booming capital. Respectively launched on December 14 and 15, the new nonstop routes provide West Coast travellers with greater access to the coveted Caribbean paradise renowned for its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters and vibrant culture.

Alaska Airlines is starting some new routes.

Alaska Airlines launched new daily, year-round nonstop flights between Seattle/Everett and Honolulu, as well as Portland and Miami.

Alaska Airlines has launched a pair of warm-weather getaways just as the winter weather approaches.

Alaska Airlines is celebrating more than three decades of flying to Mexico with a 3-day sale that has flights starting at just $99.

Alaska Airlines continues to grow its Portland hub, introducing a new flight from Oregon’s capital to Nashville.

Portland, Oregon, will soon get nonstop flights to and from the Music City.

Alaska Airlines will expand its presence in San Diego next year, adding a new flight from the Southern California city to Atlanta.

Alaska Airlines is planning ahead for warm-weather winter getaways with new routes from the West Coast to the Bahamas and Mexico.

Alaska Airlines is heading to Guatemala with a brand-new route from Los Angeles to the capital of Guatemala City.