Stumptown bound
Alaska Airlines takes off with new nonstop flight from Houston to Portland
If you've yee'd a little too much for your haw, consider visiting picturesque and hipstertastic Portland, Oregon thanks to a new non-stop flight from Houston from Alaska Airlines. Daily flights between Portland and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) start May 15, just in time to escape the Texas heat for the land of Douglas fir trees Pine State Biscuits.
The new flight will depart 10:30 am Portland time and 6:30 pm Houston time. Houston was the largest city not yet connected by a nonstop flight from Alaska Airlines. The route will be serviced by an Embraer E175 aircraft.
"We're based in Seattle, but Portland is a second home for us where we've been the largest carrier for more than 20 years," said Kirsten Amrine, vice president of network planning and revenue management at Alaska Airlines. "Our new flights out of Portland, Eugene, and Medford show our continued focus on connecting Oregon with the rest of the country."
Houston is the third Texas city to receive routes from Alaska Airlines. Nonstop flights leave from both Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin. The latter makes sense considering that Fred Armisen moved to Austin in the sixth season of the cult comedy series Portlandia. Granted, that was a fictional version of the capital where Kyle McLachlan is the mayor.
"As passenger traffic at PDX continues to grow, so does the opportunity for airlines," said Dan Pippenger, chief aviation officer at the Port of Portland. "We appreciate the continued partnership with Alaska that gives travelers more options to connect to major markets and more flights within our state."
Alaska Airline flights are notable for having the most legroom of any U.S. legacy airline excluding lie-flat seats as well as no middle seats. Flyers get a premium flight experience that includes free movies and Wi-Fi, device charges at every seat, and the ability to pre-order meals.
Unfortunately, TSA Red Carpet is not a feature available at this time (that was the last Portlandia joke, we promise).