February Flying: Alaska Airlines Increases Its 737 MAX Schedule

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Alaska Airlines has 12 B737 MAX and it’s the USA’s fourth-largest user of the type in February. Across the carrier’s whole fleet, only the MAX 9 has seen an increase in flights planned next month, albeit from a low base. We see what it’ll be doing.

Alaska 737 MAX
Alaska Airlines’ first B737 MAX 9 arrived in January 2021. Photo: Alaska Airlines.

Alaska increases B737 MAX 9 flying

According to the latest schedule filing, Alaska Airlines’ MAX flights planned for February have risen by 7.3% in the past week. The increase might not seem meaningful, equating to 62 extra flights in a month. However, all the carrier’s other aircraft have either no change or fewer flights.

The B737-800 has 4.6% fewer services, the B737-900 (ER/non-ER) is down by 3.4%, and the A320 has seen an almost 3% cut. The MAX 9 has bucked the trend, with the type accounting for just over three in every 100 flights. Not that that’s much – yet.

The MAX 9 is up for two reasons. It’s mainly from multiple small increases on routes that already see it, such as Portland to Kona rising from 16 to 23 departures. Secondly, from being deployed on three additional airport-pairs, as follows, albeit in a highly limited way:

  1. Portland to Las Vegas: February 4th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th
  2. Anchorage to Portland: February 2nd, 8th, 9th, 11th 
  3. Phoenix to Anchorage: February 7th and 10th
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 N913AK (2)
The 2,551-mile (4,106km) link between Phoenix and Anchorage leaves Arizona at 19:45 and arrives at 23:49 local time. It has a block time of six hours and four minutes. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

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Alaska: by far the smallest MAX user in the US

Some 12 US and foreign airlines will use the MAX (-8 and -9 variants) to, from, or within the US next month. Between them, they’ll have just over 16,000 flights. They include Fiji Airways (between Nadi and Honolulu), Flair (to Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada), Copa, and Icelandair.

Of course, it’s almost entirely about US operators, led by Southwest (approximately 7,151 flights), United (4,287), American (3,168), and Alaska (910).

Of Alaska’s 12 MAXs, all but one (N920AK) is currently active. They all have 178 seats spread across 12 in first, 24 in premium class, and 138 in the main cabin. The first machine was delivered in January 2021 (N913AK), while the most recent arrived 12 months later (N932AK).

Alaska's MAX 9 route network February 2022
These routes will see Alaska’s MAX 9s at least once in February. Image: GCMap.

The MAX will operate 45 routes in February

According to Cirium, Seattle is responsible for over seven in ten (72%) of Alaska’s MAX flights in February, with all of the type’s top-five routes from the Washington state airport:

  1. Seattle to Anchorage
  2. Seattle to Honolulu
  3. Seattle to San Francisco
  4. Seattle to Las Vegas
  5. Seattle to Los Angeles

With 105 departures, the 1,448-mile (2,331km) link to Alaska has more services than any other route. There are between two and six MAX outbound flights a day, with the peak days February 7th and 21st. On the 21st, Alaska will have 14 departures to Anchorage, of which the MAX 9 and the B737-900 will have six apiece. How things change.

Have you flown Alaska’s MAX 9s? If so, share your experiences in the comments.



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