Alaska will fly Seattle to Athens and Paris from May 2027: where to wait at each end

Alaska Airlines will fly nonstop from Seattle to Athens and Paris next spring. Both routes are seasonal and run through October 2027, according to Alaska's Aug. 20 announcement.

Alaska says it is the first airline to announce a Seattle–Athens nonstop. It says the flight will be the only one from the West Coast to Greece's capital, and the longest route it has ever flown. In Paris, Alaska says it will be the first oneworld airline with a nonstop from the West Coast.

The schedule

Both routes use Alaska's Boeing 787-9, with lie-flat business class suites. Tickets went on sale the day of the announcement. Alaska ran an introductory Main Cabin fare from $999 round trip, but that sale ended Aug. 26.

The release gives the flight numbers AS196 and AS136. It does not list separate numbers for the return flights, and it does not name the weekdays each route operates. Alaska says the flight numbers are a nod to the first modern Olympics in Athens, in 1896, and to the 136 museums it counts in Paris.

With these two cities, Alaska says it will serve seven intercontinental destinations from Seattle by summer 2027. The others are Reykjavík, London, Rome, Seoul and Tokyo. The airline says it plans at least five more by 2030. It also says Honolulu travelers can connect to Paris on the same day through Seattle.

Ben Minicucci, Alaska's chief executive, said Athens and Paris "have been high on that list for years," referring to where Atmos Rewards members want to go. George Kallimasias, chief executive of Athens International Airport, called it "the first-ever nonstop service to Athens from the Pacific Northwest."

Lounges in Seattle

Lounge Frog lists 12 lounges at Sea-Tac. Alaska runs three of them. All three take Alaska Lounge members and eligible oneworld travelers, according to our listings, and each has a full bar.

• Alaska Lounge (N) is the best rated, at 4.7 out of 5. It sits above gates N13 to N18 in the North Satellite, opens 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., and is the only one with showers (two). Our listing shows day passes at $65 when space allows.
• Alaska Lounge (C) rates 4.3.
• Alaska Lounge (D) rates 4.1.

The British Airways Terraces Lounge in the South Satellite is another oneworld option. Our listing shows it open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., so it covers both evening departures. Alaska has not said which concourse or gates the Athens and Paris flights will use.

The release also mentions "a new international lounge in Seattle." That is the 41,000-square-foot space Alaska plans for the C Concourse in late 2027, with a separate Aurora Lounge for intercontinental suite passengers. See our story on Alaska's Aurora and Hawaiian's Leihōkū plans. It is not due until after the 2027 summer season starts, so the first Athens and Paris passengers will use today's lounges.

Lounges in Athens

The return from Athens is the hard part for lounge seekers. Lounge Frog lists no oneworld lounge there. The Aegean business lounges are Star Alliance lounges, so an Alaska ticket or Atmos status will not get you in through the alliance.

Alaska has not said which lounge, if any, it will offer its passengers in Athens. Flights to the U.S. normally leave from the non-Schengen area, which is Hall A of the main terminal. Our listings show two Priority Pass lounges there:

• Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge, near gate A7, open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. It rates 2.9.
• Goldair Handling Lounge Extra, open around the clock, with a three-hour limit for Priority Pass members. It rates 2.8.

Both also sell entry at the door when there is space. Delta's new Detroit flight, starting a month later, faces the same lounge gap.

Lounges in Paris

Charles de Gaulle has more oneworld choices, but timing matters. Alaska has not said which terminal it will use. Our directory lists three lounges at CDG that take oneworld status or premium-cabin travelers:

• Cathay Pacific Lounge, between Terminals 2A and 2C, rated 4.6, with four showers. Our listing shows it open 6:15 a.m. to noon.
• American Airlines Admirals Club, in the same building, rated 2.9. Our listing shows it open 7:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Qatar Airways Premium Lounge, in Terminal 1, rated 4.8, open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. It sits before security, so leave time to reach your gate.

The return flight leaves Paris at 2:25 p.m. On the hours we list, both 2A/2C lounges would close before most passengers arrive. The Qatar lounge would be open, but it only helps if Alaska flies from Terminal 1. Lounge hours often change when a new airline arrives, so this could look different by May.

What we don't know yet

Alaska has not said which terminals or lounges it will use in Athens and Paris, or which weekdays the flights run. It has not given a firm end date in October. We will update this story when it does. Our Alaska Airlines page lists all the lounges the airline runs today.