Alamo City to Emerald City

San Antonio's newest nonstop flies to this Pacific Northwest hot spot

Alaska Airlines is adding a new nonstop flight from San Antonio.

Flying from Alamo City to the Emerald City is easier than ever thanks to a new nonstop flight from Alaska Airlines. On January 2, the City of San Antonio announced an additional flight from Seattle International Airport to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Beginning July 16, San Antonians can trade margaritas for macchiatos when the new daily nonstop takes from SAT at 6:45 am, landing in SEA at 9:05 am. Return flights on the Boeing 737 aircraft depart from Seattle at 5:45 pm and arrive in San Antonio at 11:55 pm.

This is actually the second San Antonio-to-Seattle route for Alaska. Currently, more than 166,000 passengers fly between the two cities each year. After traffic increased by 11 percent in 2018 alone, the Seattle-based airline decided to increase its daily service between its hub and the South Texas city.

“We are excited about the additional flight, because Seattle has been an underserved market and is quickly growing,” said Russ Handy, aviation director for the City of San Antonio, in a release. “This new service will allow more access to Seattle and the entire Alaska Airlines network.”

As the City of San Antonio points out, the two cities share common industries such as technology and bioscience, making it a natural fit for expansion.

Currently, Alaskan offers a daily nonstop from Seattle, departing from SEA at 11:50 am and arriving in SAT at 5:50 pm. The return flight leaves San Antonio at 6:55 pm and lands in Seattle at 9:30 pm. Flights for the newly announced nonstop are on sale now.

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Airline News

San Antonio gets nonstop flights to this Washington, DC airport

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

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American Airlines will soon introduce long-awaited nonstop flights between San Antonio (SAT) and Washington, D.C. (DCA). One flight will be scheduled daily, starting in March.

Tickets for the new service will be available on sale starting December 23 through aa.com or American’s mobile app.

The route was tentatively announced in October, but the U.S. Department of Transportation has now formally approved the application by American Airlines.

“This new service will offer convenient nonstop access to our nation’s capital for San Antonians, while helping further connect customers to our comprehensive global network," said Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning, in a press release. "American thanks the many elected officials and citizens who supported our application, and we look forward to welcoming customers onboard this new service soon.”

Flight 1718, reflecting the year San Antonio was founded, will depart SAT at 6:35 am and arrive in DCA at 10:41 am. Flight 1947, reflecting the year the U.S. Air Force was established, will depart DCA at 7:45 pm and arrive in SAT at 10:43 pm.

“This long-awaited connection to our nation’s capital is a game changer for our community, opening doors to countless opportunities for travel and economic development,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “I’m grateful to those who have championed this effort and for the bipartisan support of our representatives in the Senate and House, whose advocacy was instrumental in making these flights a reality. We look forward to the positive impact this nonstop service will have for years to come."

San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh echoed the sentiments about economic development and pointed out some growth already happening in San Antonio. The release also notes that San Antonio is the largest city in Texas lacking nonstop service to DCA and the largest city in the U.S. with a majority Hispanic population without nonstop service to DCA.

“Serving the fastest-growing city in the country, SAT has achieved record-breaking passenger numbers throughout 2024. This nonstop service to and from DCA addresses a need for our military, business, educational and research communities, among others. It also promotes competition and offers more travel options for passengers flying to and from San Antonio, enhancing connectivity as we continue making progress on the airport Terminal Development Program.”

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