Seattle flyers just got two more reasons to skip a connection. Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary Hawaiian have announced a pair of new transpacific nonstops from Seattle-Tacoma International: Osaka, Japan, starting 14 May 2027, and Papeete in Tahiti, French Polynesia, from 11 June 2027.
The Osaka service to Kansai International will run four times a week, while Tahiti's Faa'a International gets three weekly flights. Both will be flown by Hawaiian's Airbus A330s, at least initially — the same widebodies Hawaiian has long used on its Honolulu routes to both cities. Those Hawaii services will continue, so Hawaiian metal will now serve Osaka and Papeete from two hubs.
One caveat if you're eyeing a lie-flat seat: these A330s still have Hawaiian's older business class in a 2-2-2 layout. A full retrofit with new Leihoku Suites and premium economy is planned, but it won't be finished in time for next summer's launches.
The two routes are part of a much bigger push. Once they start, Alaska Air Group will fly four transpacific routes from Seattle, joining existing service to Tokyo and Seoul. Add the recently announced Paris and Athens flights and the group will operate nine long-haul routes from Seattle by mid-2027, with a target of at least 15 by 2030. Chief commercial officer Andrew Harrison told investors in late September that future expansion will lean more toward Asia than Europe.
For travellers, the practical win is convenience. Osaka — Japan's food-and-nightlife second city and the gateway to Kyoto — is now reachable from the Pacific Northwest without transiting Tokyo. And Tahiti is the launch point for ferries and flights to Bora Bora and the rest of French Polynesia, making an island-hopping trip far simpler to book on one airline. Atmos Rewards members get a direct earning path on both, and an A330 means a proper widebody experience even in economy.
If you're planning around these flights, book early for summer 2027: new widebody routes tend to open with promotional fares, and award seats on Hawaiian A330s are often the easiest way to reach Tahiti in business class using points.
