The British—they are coming. But you've got a year to prepare for the influx of Brits bowled over by our actual mountains and affordable pints. Starting on May 26, 2017, and running through Oct 29, Delta Air Lines will offer red-eye service four days a week from PDX direct to Heathrow. Return flights back to Portland are scheduled to arrive at 3:15 pm.

The service represents the Portland airport's 11th international destination and first direct flight to Great Britain.

From yesterday's Delta/Virgin Atlantic joint press release: "Home to four Fortune 1000 companies, Portland’s growing economy outpaces the U.S. average, and London service will complement Delta’s existing long-haul international service to Amsterdam and Tokyo for Portland’s business customers. Portland is also a popular tourist destination for travelers from Europe.”

This is something other carriers know well. Recent years have seen a spike not just in traffic through PDX, but also in the airport's number of international destinations. Some airlines, like Condor and Alaska, have established brand-new routes (Frankfurt, Puerto Vallarta, etc). Others are expanding the frequency of existing seasonal service (Icelandair to Keflavik) or resuming service (Air Canada to Toronto). Fare warning (get it?)—summer in Portland is set to get very worldly.