Delta boosting Las Vegas-Seattle flights to five a day

Delta Air Lines said on Tuesday that it would boost its Las Vegas-Seattle flights from once daily to five a day by April 1.

This will heat up the competition on the route that already includes Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Allegiant Air goes to nearby Bellingham, Wash.

More important to local touism promoters, the Delta service is timed to connect with its growing number of trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic flights from Seattle. This fits the strategy of encouraging more one-stop international service to Las Vegas, particularly from Asian countries.

“San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles are the three largest West Coast-to-Asia markets in the United States,” said Mike Medeiros, Delta’s vice president in charge of Seattle, in a statement.

Delta will add two of the flights on Jan. 6 and the other two on April 1. The airline is also adding service from Seattle to San Francisco and Los Angeles.