Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines Expand Palm Springs Service

PALM SPRINGS, CA — Two national airlines announced Thursday that they are capitalizing on Coachella Valley tourism.

Alaska Airlines officials said the company will launch seasonal nonstop service from Palm Springs to Austin, Texas, beginning in the fall, and Southwest Airlines announced it will add four nonstop routes from Palm Springs to Sacramento, Dallas, Chicago and Portland, Oregon.

Alaska Airlines

The new Alaska Airlines route kicks off Nov. 19 and will operate five days a week through April 18, 2022. The airline will fly its 76-seat Embraer 175 back and forth from Austin to Palm Springs International Airport once a day.

"Thanks to world famous film and music festivals and a common love of arts and culture, this is truly a match made in Heaven, and we thank Alaska Airlines for recognizing the connection," Palm Springs Mayor Christy Holstege said.

Alaska Airlines is one of a handful of carriers to begin service to Palm Springs International Airport in recent months.

The new service routes — from Southwest Airlines and Boutique Air — are contributing to the rebound in air travel at the city-owned airport that was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

In April, the airport saw its best passenger travel numbers since the pandemic began, and officials said that trend is set to continue.

Alaska Airlines, meanwhile, previously announced new routes from Palm Springs to San Jose; Reno, Nevada; and Boise, Idaho, which were set to begin service last December but postponed due to the pandemic. The airline successfully launched its service to Reno but quickly suspended it. The status of those routes was unclear.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines flights from Palm Springs International Airport to Sacramento will be offered daily year-round, while service to Dallas and Chicago will be offered daily seasonally, and to Portland on Saturdays seasonally. The Dallas, Chicago and Portland flights will be based on the Coachella Valley's tourism season.

The Sacramento route kicks off on Oct. 7 and will comprise two round-trip circuits each day to and from the state capital. The Dallas route begins Nov. 7, the Chicago route on Nov 23. and the Portland route on Nov. 20.

"We know that residents in these regions love Palm Springs for our relaxed desert lifestyle, year-round sunshine, iconic mid-century modern architecture and world-famous film and music festivals — and we are thrilled that Southwest Airlines has recognized our destination is experiencing a tremendous renaissance that continues to blossom," Palm Springs Mayor Christy Holstege said.

Southwest started serving the Coachella Valley last November with flights to Denver, Phoenix and Oakland. The Dallas-based airline expanded service to Palm Springs in May with year-round flights to Las Vegas.