> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thecontrail.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Delta and Alaska Are Fighting Over Seattle. Travelers Heading to Tokyo Are Winning - URL: https://www.thecontrail.org/seattle-to-tokyo-flights-delta-alaska/ - Published: 2026-11-02T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-02T15:00:00.000Z - Description: Seattle has quietly become one of the most competitive places in America to fly to Japan. Alaska and Delta are now neck and neck, and both just added more flights. What the fight means for your fare and which plane you'll get. - Author: Zach Benitez - Tags: News, Alaska, Delta Seattle to Tokyo flights have become one of the hottest tickets in American air travel, and two airlines are fighting hard over them. Alaska Airlines, Seattle's hometown airline, and Delta, which has spent more than a decade building its own hub there, now carry almost exactly the same share of seats between the two cities. Both just announced more flights to Japan. For anyone flying from the Pacific Northwest to Asia, that rivalry is about the best thing that could happen to your fare. --- ## How Seattle Became a Battleground Delta and Alaska used to be partners. Until 2017, they shared flights and let travelers earn miles on each other, with Alaska feeding passengers from small West Coast cities into Delta's international flights. That arrangement fell apart as Delta started building Seattle into its own gateway to Asia, and the two airlines have been competing directly ever since. Alaska joined the oneworld alliance in 2021, which put it alongside Japan Airlines, British Airways and American. The real turning point came when Alaska bought Hawaiian Airlines in 2024\. Before that, Alaska only flew single-aisle planes, which couldn't reach Asia or Europe. Hawaiian came with widebody planes, and Alaska immediately put them to work out of Seattle. It launched Tokyo in May 2025, Seoul that September, then Rome, London Heathrow and Reykjavik in 2026\. Athens, Paris, Osaka and Tahiti are coming in 2027, and Alaska says it wants at least 15 long-haul destinations from Seattle by 2030. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/11/IMG_4140.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/11/IMG_4214.JPG) --- ## Who's Winning Right Now At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport overall, it isn't close. Alaska and its sister airline Horizon carry about 52% of passengers, more than double Delta's roughly 24%. Delta's edge has been long-haul flying, where it's been at it for years. Tokyo is where the two are evenly matched. This summer, Alaska had 29.1% of the seats between Seattle and Tokyo and Delta had 28.6%, according to schedule data from OAG. Japan's two big airlines, ANA and JAL, split most of the rest. Demand is strong: passengers flying between Seattle and Japan jumped 23% in 2025, helped by a weak yen that's made Japan one of the best-value big trips for Americans in years. ## Know Before You Fly Delays, strikes, new routes and the airline news that actually affects your trip, explained for normal travelers. Free in your inbox. Get Contrail Free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Both airlines are claiming success. Alaska says its Tokyo flight turned a profit within its first year, though government traffic data analyzed by travel blogger Gary Leff suggests its planes have flown emptier than JAL's on the same route. Delta's CEO, Ed Bastian, has said the two can "cohabitate a bit" in Seattle. Alaska's leadership has a more direct goal: becoming Seattle's top international airline by 2030. --- ## What's Coming in 2027 The next round of moves lands next spring. - **Delta adds Seattle to Tokyo Narita** from March 27, 2027, daily on an Airbus A330-900neo. It's on top of Delta's existing Seattle to Haneda flight, which gives Delta two Tokyo flights a day from Seattle and marks its return to Narita after seven years. Delta says Narita offers easier access to parts of Greater Tokyo and strong cargo facilities. - **Alaska adds Seattle to Osaka** from May 14, 2027, four times a week. It's the first time Alaska will fly to a Japanese city other than Tokyo. - **Alaska adds Anchorage to Tokyo Narita** from May 13, 2027, pending government approval. The twist is the plane. Alaska is flying it on a Boeing 737 MAX 8, the same single-aisle jet it uses on domestic routes, for a flight of about eight hours. Seattle ยท Tokyo ### A Near Tie for Seattle's Tokyo Flyers Share of seats between Seattle and Tokyo, summer 2026 Alaska29.1% Delta28.6% ANA22.2% JAL20.1% Coming in 2027 **Delta: Seattle to Tokyo Narita**Daily from Mar. 27 **Alaska: Anchorage to Tokyo Narita (737)**Daily from May 13 **Alaska: Seattle to Osaka**4x weekly from May 14 Contrail --- ## What It Means for Your Trip More seats and more airlines on the same route usually mean lower fares, and that's the most direct payoff for travelers. When Delta's second Tokyo flight starts next March, Seattle travelers will be able to fly nonstop to Tokyo on four different airlines. If you're planning a spring or summer 2027 trip, it's worth watching fares as the new flights go on sale, since airlines often launch with promotional prices. Alaska is already offering round trips from Anchorage to Tokyo from $999 for early travel, though that sale ends Oct. 31. The other thing to pay attention to is the plane. Delta's A330-900neo, Alaska's Boeing 787-9 and Alaska's 737 MAX 8 are very different ways to spend eight to 11 hours in the air, from lie-flat business class seats to recliners in first class on the 737\. Before you book, [check which plane](https://www.thecontrail.org/which-plane-am-i-flying/) you'll actually be on. It can matter more than which airline you pick. Loyalty matters too. If you collect Alaska miles, you can also earn and use them on JAL, while Delta pairs with Korean Air, which connects to 15 more Japanese cities through Seoul. In a city where two airlines are working this hard for your business, it's a good time to be choosy.