New Airline Bets You’ll Stop in Alaska for a Cheaper Flight to Asia
Northern Pacific figures leisure travelers won’t mind making a connection in Anchorage to save 20% on fares.
At the unveiling of the new livery on the carrier’s Boeing 757s in January in San Bernardino, Calif.
Source: Northern Pacific
Until the spread of widebody jets in the 1970s, taking a commercial trans-Pacific flight usually involved a refueling or technical stop en route, often in Alaska. Now, a mix of pandemic-era entrepreneurialism and cryptocurrency fervor is birthing a new airline whose strategy is to connect price-sensitive leisure travelers between the U.S. and Asia via a stop in the 49th State.
Northern Pacific Airways aims to start flying later this year, pending U.S. regulatory approvals, using single-aisle Boeing Co. 757-200 jets with 197 seats, including 12 in business class. The company plans to charge 10% to 20% less than the economy fares on competing nonstop routes; all its flights will connect through Anchorage. Alaska tourism officials also hope the carrier could become a conduit for an influx of new visitors.