oneworld member American Airlines has announced operational changes to its seasonal Chicago to Anchorage service, with the carrier releasing that it will deploy its Airbus A321neo for the flight, replacing the Boeing 737 MAX 8.
Three airlines connecting Alaska to the Windy City
With American operating its summer seasonal Alaskan connection, it will compete with two other US carriers on the route. United Airlines operates a seasonal service to Anchorage International Airport, while Alaska Airlines will resume its direct link on Fridays and Saturdays from March next year before increasing this to double daily during the peak summer season.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
American will deploy its A321neos on the route, allowing for 196 passengers onboard, compared to 172 on its MAX 8 aircraft.
Flights will depart daily from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), as AA375, departing Chicago at 16:45 with an expected flight time of six hours, 35 minutes. The flight will touch down at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and remain on the ground for just shy of two hours before departing as AA375 again on the return, departing at 22:10 and traveling overnight, landing in Chicago at 07:25 the following day after a flight time of six hours, 15 minutes.
196 passengers across three classes
Passengers onboard have three seating experiences to choose from, with the aircraft offering First, Main Cabin Extra, and Main Cabin. With a capacity for 20 first class travelers, they can kick back and relax with a seat pitch of 37 inches and a seat width of 21 inches. All while enjoying complimentary food and beverages onboard.
Main Cabin Extra can seat up to 47 passengers, with a seat pitch of 33 to 39 inches and a seat width between 16.6 and 18.4 inches. With a capacity for 129 Main Cabin passengers, it enjoys a 30-inch seat pitch and an 18.4-inch seat width. All those onboard can enjoy in-seat power charging, WiFi, and entertainment via their personal devices.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
American does not offer year-round services to Anchorage, opting for seasonal services from Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth over the Northern Hemisphere summer season. Outline of operators below:
| Airline | Year-round | Seasonal |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Portland (OR), Seattle Tacoma | Chicago (from March), Denver, Kahului, Kona, Minneapolis St. Paul, New York JFK, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco |
| American Airlines | – | Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth |
| Delta Air Lines | Minneapolis St. Paul, Seattle Tacoma | Atlanta, Detroit, Salt Lake City |
| Sun Country Airlines | – | Minneapolis-St. Paul |
| United Airlines | Denver | Chicago O’Hare, Houston Intercontinental, Newark, San Francisco, Washington Dulles |
Anchorage also maintains three seasonal international operators. Air Canada is adding daily 737 MAX 8 flights from Vancouver alongside Condor and Discover Airlines, which operate widebody services to Frankfurt, Germany.
Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying
Fairbanks, located 360 miles north of Anchorage, also maintains year-round and seasonal services to the mainland US. Alaska Airlines and Delta operate year-round to Seattle, with Delta adding seasonal services to Minneapolis and Salt Lake City. Over the busy summer travel period, United Airlines adds seasonal flights to Chicago and Denver.
Source: Simple Flying
