Alaska Airlines, the Mariners’ official airline sponsor, announced an additional flight to Toronto departing at 7:18 a.m. Sunday to accommodate fans traveling to playoff games.
This follows a previous flight from Seattle to Toronto on the Mariners aircraft, which departed at 9:18 a.m. Saturday.
On Friday, the Mariners advanced to the AL Championship Series by defeating the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in the longest winner-take-all postseason game in baseball history. The Mariners advanced to the ALCS for the first time since 2001.
The team faces the AL East champion Blue Jays, beginning Sunday night in Toronto.
Fans wanting to support the team in Canada have several airlines to choose from when booking flights from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but Alaska Airlines has been the official Mariners partner since 2001.
The airline expressed pride in the team’s achievements: “As the official airline sponsor of the Mariners, we couldn’t be prouder of this amazing team.”
Alaska Airlines has actively facilitated fans’ travel to playoff games this postseason, adding capacity for fans seeking to attend away games. The airline operates the Mariners-branded aircraft as part of its sports team partnerships.
The special flights demonstrate Alaska Airlines’ strategy of leveraging its Mariners sponsorship to generate goodwill and revenue during playoff runs, while providing convenient travel options for fans willing to travel to Canada for championship series games.
Sunday’s early morning departure allows fans to arrive in Toronto well before the evening game, providing time for travel from the airport to the stadium and pre-game activities.
