SUMMARY
United Airlines exclusively schedules 737 MAX on routes to Alaska – with six unique routes identified.
737 MAX 9 offers advantages with higher capacity on significant routes compared to 737 MAX 8.
Using more significant variants on key routes indicates a strong demand for air travel in Alaska, which is favorable for tourism.
The Boeing 737 MAX (including all variants) is one of the most widely utilized new-generation narrowbody aircraft worldwide. Since its inception in 2011, the program has garnered over 6,000 orders, and close to 2,000 units have been successfully delivered to customers.
MAXing it to Alaska
In this article, we will explore United Airlines ‘ unique situation regarding its operations in Alaska, the 49th state of the US. According to data from Cirium, the Chicago-based carrier schedules solely 737 MAX on its routes to destinations throughout the state.
A look in more detail
So, which flights are operated by the MAX exactly according to Cirium? Let’s take a deeper look at the schedule for August (organized by sectors with the most flights)
Denver to Anchorage (DEN-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 62
Seats: 10,292
ASMs: 24,752,260
Denver to Fairbanks (DEN-FAI): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 23
Seats: 3,818
ASMs: 9,277,740
Newark to Anchorage (EWR-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,146
ASMs: 17,336,874
Dulles to Anchorage (IAD-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,146
ASMs: 17,269,976
Houston to Anchorage (IAH-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 13
Seats: 2,158
ASMs: 7,045,870
Houston to Anchorage (IAH-ANC): 737 MAX 9
Flights: 18
Seats: 3,222
ASMs: 10,519,830
Chicago to Anchorage (ORD-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,146
ASMs: 14,645,516
Chicago to Anchorage (ORD-ANC): 737 MAX 9
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,549
ASMs: 15,792,454
Chicago to Fairbanks (ORD-FAI): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,146
ASMs: 14,331,610
San Francisco to Anchorage (SFO-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 15
Seats: 2,490
ASMs: 5,024,820
San Francisco to Anchorage (SFO-ANC): 737 MAX 9
Flights: 21
Seats: 3,759
ASMs: 7,585,662
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Only Boeing 737 MAX Flights: Analyzing United Airlines’ Alaska Network
United Airlines
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By
Benjamin Cooper
20 hours ago
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United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 Photo: Welshboy2020 | Shutterstock
SUMMARY
United Airlines exclusively schedules 737 MAX on routes to Alaska – with six unique routes identified.
737 MAX 9 offers advantages with higher capacity on significant routes compared to 737 MAX 8.
Using more significant variants on key routes indicates a strong demand for air travel in Alaska, which is favorable for tourism.
The Boeing 737 MAX (including all variants) is one of the most widely utilized new-generation narrowbody aircraft worldwide. Since its inception in 2011, the program has garnered over 6,000 orders, and close to 2,000 units have been successfully delivered to customers.
MAXing it to Alaska
In this article, we will explore United Airlines ‘ unique situation regarding its operations in Alaska, the 49th state of the US. According to data from Cirium, the Chicago-based carrier schedules solely 737 MAX on its routes to destinations throughout the state.
A Boeing 737 MAX 10 landing at sunset
Photo: Boeing
Of course, while customers on Alaska-bound flights will usually fly on state-of-the-art aircraft, aviation is very dynamic, and the assigned aircraft can change due to operational reasons.
A look in more detail
So, which flights are operated by the MAX exactly according to Cirium? Let’s take a deeper look at the schedule for August (organized by sectors with the most flights)
Denver to Anchorage (DEN-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 62
Seats: 10,292
ASMs: 24,752,260
Denver to Fairbanks (DEN-FAI): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 23
Seats: 3,818
ASMs: 9,277,740
Newark to Anchorage (EWR-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,146
ASMs: 17,336,874
Dulles to Anchorage (IAD-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,146
ASMs: 17,269,976
Houston to Anchorage (IAH-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 13
Seats: 2,158
ASMs: 7,045,870
Houston to Anchorage (IAH-ANC): 737 MAX 9
Flights: 18
Seats: 3,222
ASMs: 10,519,830
Chicago to Anchorage (ORD-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,146
ASMs: 14,645,516
Chicago to Anchorage (ORD-ANC): 737 MAX 9
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,549
ASMs: 15,792,454
Chicago to Fairbanks (ORD-FAI): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 31
Seats: 5,146
ASMs: 14,331,610
San Francisco to Anchorage (SFO-ANC): 737 MAX 8
Flights: 15
Seats: 2,490
ASMs: 5,024,820
San Francisco to Anchorage (SFO-ANC): 737 MAX 9
Flights: 21
Seats: 3,759
ASMs: 7,585,662
United Airlines Boeing 776-400ER Routes Custom Thumbnail
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Note: ASM stands for Available Seat Miles, a measure of airline capacity.
Which 737 MAX 8 or 9 is the most prominent?
Overall, the 737 MAX 9 has some real advantages in UA’s Alaska network of destinations.
For instance, on the Houston to Anchorage (IAH-ANC) route, when transitioning from the MAX 8 to the MAX 9, the number of flights increases from 13 to 18, seats increase from 2,158 to 3,222, and Available Seat Miles (ASMs) increase from 7,045,870 to 10,519,830.
Similarly, on the Chicago to Anchorage (ORD-ANC) route, both aircraft operate 31 flights; however, the MAX 9 accommodates more passengers with 5,549 seats compared to the MAX 8’s 5,146 and achieves higher ASMs, 15,792,454 compared to 14,645,516.
This pattern is echoed on the San Francisco to Anchorage (SFO-ANC) route, where the MAX 9 not only provides more flights—21 compared to 15—but also increases seats from 2,490 to 3,759 and ASMs from 5,024,820 to 7,585,662.
Final thoughts
The use of the larger variant on key routes indicates strong demand for air travel in the US Great North, which is positive for the state’s tourism. Although this is just a sample of United Airlines’ extensive nationwide network, it also indicates sustained demand for air travel — This is good news after several years of downturn.
