Alaska Airlines Launches Second Daily Nonstop Flight Between Los Angeles and Mexico City

Alaska Airlines will add a second daily nonstop flight between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Mexico City, marking the latest step in the airline’s expanding service to Mexico.

The new flight, starting Oct. 30, will offer one-stop continuing service to and from Portland, Ore. The airline’s initial flight between LAX and Mexico City, which began in August, provides one-stop continuing service to and from Seattle. Both flights offer convenient connections to cities throughout the Pacific Northwest.

"The additional flight to Mexico City supports Alaska Airlines’ strategy to expand our service to Mexico’s key business centers," said Gregg Saretsky, Alaska’s executive vice president of marketing and planning. "Our flight schedule to Mexico’s beach resorts is already second to none. We are confident that demand for our business-focused Mexico routes will continue to build as we offer more schedule options and as new customers become more familiar with Alaska’s unique style of service."

Offering convenient daytime departures and arrivals, the additional flight will complement the existing overnight and early morning schedules of Alaska’s first Mexico City flight. Traveling southbound, Flight 252 will leave LAX at 10:20 a.m. Pacific time and arrive in Mexico City at 3:55 p.m. Central time. This flight will originate in Portland at 7 a.m. Pacific time, offering continuing service to Mexico City via LAX. Traveling northbound, Flight 253 will depart Mexico City at 4:55 p.m. Central time and arrive at LAX at 6:55 p.m. Pacific time. The flight will continue to Portland, arriving at 10:43 p.m. Pacific time.

Alaska’s first Mexico City route, introduced on Aug. 2, includes flights 250 and 245. Traveling southbound, Flight 250 leaves LAX at 12:10 a.m. Pacific time and arrives in Mexico City at 5:45 a.m. Central time. This flight originates in Seattle at 8:45 p.m. Pacific time the evening before, offering continuing service to Mexico City via LAX. Traveling northbound, Flight 245 departs Mexico City at 6:45 a.m. Central time and arrives at LAX at 8:43 a.m. Pacific time. The flight continues to Seattle, arriving at 1:11 p.m. Pacific time.

All flights to and from Mexico City are served by Boeing 737-700 aircraft with leather seats, 12 in first class and 112 in coach. The flights include a complimentary hot snack or meal service.

"Alaska Airlines has offered friendly and reliable air service between Mexico and U.S. destinations at competitive fares for more than 17 years," said Julian Acosta y Castella, director general for Alaska’s Mexico operations. "We look forward to increasing the frequency and expanding our Mexico route structure to best serve the needs of both Mexican and American travelers."

Alaska Airlines had pursued approval to serve Mexico City for more than a decade, after recognizing the importance of the market to its Mexico route structure. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Alaska the route in May, making it one of only four airlines authorized to provide service between Los Angeles and Mexico City. The United States-Mexico bilateral agreement, which governs air service between the two countries, limits service on the route to two carriers from each country.

Alaska began service to Mexico in 1988 and now flies more than a million passengers annually to nine Mexican destinations. In addition to Mexico City, the airline flies between Los Angeles and Loreto, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mazatlan, Guadalajara and Cancun.

Alaska Airlines and sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve 88 cities through an expansive network throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air newsroom at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com/

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines