Beginning in January, Alaska Airlines will offer nonstop service between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, a Central Coast destination popular for wine tasting.

The new daily flight, which will start Jan. 7, marks the first time that the San Diego International Airport will have nonstop service to San Luis Obispo. Alaska also announced on Wednesday that it will be flying between Portland and San Luis Obispo, a new itinerary that will start next June.

“We are excited to add nonstop service to San Diego and Portland, Oregon, from San Luis Obispo, furthering our commitment to California’s Central Coast,” said Brett Catlin, Alaska Airlines’ managing director of capacity planning and alliances.

Tickets are now on sale for the San Luis Obispo flight, which will depart San Diego each day at 11:55 a.m. and arrive a little more than an hour later. Prices for one-way flights in January are as low as $99, according to Alaska’s website.

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Kevin Blumen, airport director for San Luis Obispo. said the new flights are the culmination of years of planning.

The new route should pair well with Alaska’s Wine Flies Free program, where passengers can check a case of wine with no baggage fee, a promotion available in 31 West Coast destinations, including San Luis Obispo.

In recent years, Alaska Airlines has been expanding its presence in San Diego County, adding a number of new destinations. Although still trailing Southwest Airlines, which is the dominant air carrier in San Diego County, Alaska added the second highest number of passengers in 2018, carrying 456,360 more than in 2017.

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