Seattle to Rome on 787

Alaska Airlines starts flying Seattle to Rome on April 28, opening its first Europe route under the Alaska brand with Boeing 787-9 jets. (news.alaskaair.com) The service will run daily on a seasonal schedule between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Rome Fiumicino, after Alaska raised the route from four flights a week because of what it called strong demand. The airline said roundtrip fares started at $599 when tickets went on sale in November 2025. (news.alaskaair.com) Rome was the first European destination Alaska picked for its Seattle hub when it announced the route on June 3, 2025. Alaska said the flight would be the first nonstop link ever between Seattle and Italy. (news.alaskaair.com) The route is part of Alaska Air Group’s post-merger plan to turn Seattle into a long-haul gateway after buying Hawaiian Airlines in September 2024. At its December 2024 investor day, the company said it wanted at least 12 international widebody destinations from Seattle by 2030, starting with Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon. (prnewswire.com) The airplane is the key to the whole move. Alaska’s narrowbody Boeing 737 fleet handles most of its domestic network, but Rome requires a larger twin-aisle jet built for long flights, and the 787-9s came through the Hawaiian deal. (prnewswire.com) Alaska is using the Rome launch to introduce a new long-haul premium cabin. The airline said its 787-9 business class has fully lie-flat suites with privacy doors, direct aisle access, 18-inch screens, wireless charging and lounge access for business-class passengers. (news.alaskaair.com) The 787-9 layout has 34 business-class suites in a 1-2-1 arrangement, meaning every passenger gets aisle access. Alaska has also said Starlink internet is scheduled for installation on its 787-9 fleet in fall 2026, not at the Rome launch. (news.alaskaair.com; aerolopa.com) Rome will not be Alaska’s only long-haul route from Seattle for long. Alaska said London Heathrow service is scheduled to start on May 21, 2026, and it has also tied its international push to Seoul and Tokyo flying in the wider Seattle buildout. (news.alaskaair.com; prnewswire.com) For Alaska, the Rome flight is less a one-off route than a test of whether a Seattle airline built on Boeing 737s and West Coast loyalty can sell a true intercontinental product. The first departure on April 28 will show how much of Hawaiian’s widebody operation Alaska can turn into its own. (news.alaskaair.com; prnewswire.com)