Alaska Airlines expands flights to Love Field in Dallas, steps up competition with Southwest

Alaska Airlines and its Virgin America affiliate are expanding flights between Seattle and Dallas' Love Field to attract business travellers headed to North Texas. Alaska is doing the same from 3 other West Coast airports, launching new routes between Love Field and Portland, Oregon, and from San Diego, and San Jose, in California. Combined, the airlines' expanded flights will serve 8 destinations from Love Field with 18 daily peak season departures. The moves also put Alaska in head-to-head competition with rival Southwest Airlines, which dominates Love Field air operations because it controls 18 of the small facility's 20 gates. Alaska Airlines, which has traditionally operated from Dallas-Fort Worth International, inherited 2 gates at Love Field when it acquired Virgin America for US$2.6b last December. <br/>