An Alaska Airlines sign that says "Welcome to San Diego"

Alaska Airlines plans San Diego lounge as hub footprint grows

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Oneworld alliance member Alaska Airlines is ready to take the next step in building out its presence at San Diego International Airport (SAN). The airline, which acquired Hawaiian Airlines last year and recently bolstered its nonstop services from SAN, plans to build a 13,000-square-foot premium lounge at the airport.

The new facility will “serve guests traveling to at least 45 nonstop destinations on Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines,” it said in a statement.

Alaska and Hawaiian operate from Terminal 2 at SAN, and the new Alaska Lounge will be located in Terminal 2. Eligibility will mirror Alaska’s existing access policies, listed here. Construction of the new facility is slated to begin in early 2027.

Describing the forthcoming new space, the airline said it will “bring the best of our Lounges into a modern oasis — from our Signature Loungers for the ultimate comfort, private and quiet work areas, locally inspired refreshments and fresh local bites, a full bar featuring signature cocktails, and a barista station for handcrafted espresso beverages.”

Furthermore, the lounge will “reflect San Diego’s vibrant local culture.”

An Alaska Airlines spokesperson noted that the airline “is fairly early in its design process so we aren’t ready to share an opening date at this time, however this is a project we are very excited about, and we will have more details to share in the coming months.”

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Alaska’s news is timely. The airline this year launched nonstop service from San Diego to Phoenix, Denver, Chicago O’Hare, Reagan National in Washington D.C.Medford, Oregon, and Sun Valley, Idaho. Hawaiian Airlines, meanwhile, serves SAN from Honolulu and Kahului.

On 1 October, Alaska will launch a new Atmos loyalty program, unifying the best of its stalwart Mileage Plan with Hawaiian Airlines’ HawaiianMiles plan into a combined platform.

Its SAN lounge announcement also comes as the airport this morning cut the ribbon on its sparkling new $3.8 billion Terminal 1 facility. Terminal 1 boasts an initial 19 gates and in time will house both common use and Delta lounges.

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Featured image credited to Alaska Airlines