Following the announcement that Alaska Airlines generated better than expected results for Q3 2019, Johanna Bonhill-Smith, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

“Alaska Airlines’ continual success boils down to its cost differentiation strategy, consistent market analysis, its termination of under-performing routes while identifying new routes, and extra passenger capacity in areas where chances are most successful.

“By 2020, Alaska Airlines intends to launch eight new routes from California to the Pacific Northwest, but Delta Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest are the key competitors threatening the success of new routes.

“The launch of these routes looks promising for the airline, however, having previously launched and then revoked these routes in 2017 due to bustling competition, this still remains the airlines biggest threat.”