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Donate Alaska Airlines miles fhcrc.org | Alaska Airlines Magazine "Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers and itsybitsyyoga.com | Indian airlines,Indian domestic airlines,Kingfisher airlines,deccan... hipreplacementindia.com |
 Alaska Airlines, (NYSE: ALK) is an airline based in SeaTac, Washington, United States, near Seattle.[3][4][5] It operates four hubs located at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Portland International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.
[edit] HistoryThe airline traces its roots to McGee Airways, which flew its inaugural service between Anchorage and Bristol Bay in 1932 with a Stinson single-engined, three-passenger aircraft. Mergers and acquisitions produced changes in the name and saw business expand throughout Alaska. As of 1942, the airline was known as "Alaska Star Airlines." The name Alaska Airlines was adopted in 1944 having narrowly beat a competitor applying for the name.[6] Alaska Airlines moved to the jet age when it introduced a Convair CV-880 in 1961.[7] In the early 1960s Alaska had its headquarters in what is now the Belltown area of Seattle.[8] In 1985, Alaska Air Group was formed as a holding company for Alaska Airlines. In 1986 Alaska Air Group acquired Horizon Air. Jet America Airlines, was merged into Alaska Airlines in 1987. Currently, Alaska Air Group operates two subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air[7][9] [edit] Destinations    Main article: Alaska Airlines destinations Alaska's route system spans more than 92 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. During the 1980s Alaska Airlines operated a unique interchange of aircraft and aircrews to Texas with first, Braniff International and subsequently American Airlines, after the demise of Braniff in 1982. The airline operated charter flights to the Russian Far East starting in the late 1960s, and was known for the 1988 Friendship Flight to Provideniya that broke the old Soviet border.[citation needed] The airline began scheduled operations to the Russian Far East in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, but suspended the service in 1998 following the 1998 Russian financial crisis. The airline flew MD-80 aircraft on these routes[10]. Alaska has historically been one of the largest carriers on the US west coast as well as to and within the state of Alaska, with strong presences in Seattle, Portland, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles Metro Area (serving all five LA-area and four Bay Area major airports). With the delivery of 737 Next-Generation aircraft starting in 1999, Alaska began launching more long-haul flights. In 2000, Alaska started service between Anchorage and Chicago. In 2001, the airline was granted slot exemptions by the Department of Transportation to operate a nonstop flight from Washington National Airport (DCA) to Seattle, which was halted after a few days due to the September 11, 2001 attacks[11]. The service resumed the following year, with an additional flight from Washington National to Seattle added in 2004, as well as new non-stop service between Washington National and Los Angeles. Other long-haul flights from Seattle were launched starting in 2001, including flights to Orlando (2002)[12], Miami (2002)[13], Newark (2002) [14], Boston (2003)[15], and Dallas. In October 2007, Alaska Airlines began service to Hawaii and currently provides non-stop service to Honolulu, Lihue, Kahului, and Kona from Seattle and Kahului and Honolulu from Anchorage. Alaska also flies flights to Hawaii through other cities and hubs such as Portland and Oakland. Alaska recently launched new service from Seattle to Minneapolis – Saint Paul (2008), Kona, and Austin (2009). Service from Seattle to Houston began on September 23, 2009, from Seattle to Atlanta began on October 23, 2009[16],and from Oakland to both Kahului and Kona began in the 2nd week of November, 2009.[17]. On November 10, 2009 Alaska Airlines announced that it will begin service between San Jose, CA and Kahului and Kona, Hawaii in March 2010. On March 26, 2010 Alaska will begin service between Sacramento, CA and Kahului, HI.[18] These latter non-stop additions, for which neither Oakland, Sacramento, Kona, or Kahului, are hubs/focus cities of Alaska, is a rarity in today's commercial airline industry where the tendency is for an airline to concentrate its flights around some sort of "hub and spoke" route system. In spite of the many economic difficulties that have pegged the industry since the turn of the century, Alaska Airlines has managed to grow its route system by an impressive rate of 40 percent over the course of this last decade. Alaska Airlines's regional carrier, Horizon Air, is closely integrated into Alaska's operations, with Alaska and Horizon sharing many routes. Alaska and Horizon are owned by the same parent company, Alaska Air Group. The airline's frequent flyer program is called Mileage Plan. Alaska Airlines is not part of any of the three major airline alliances, but Mileage Plan airline partners include prominent members of SkyTeam, such as Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, Northwest Airlines, KLM, and Air France, as well as members of Oneworld, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas Alaska partnered with Continental Airlines until Continental joined the Star Alliance on October 25, 2009. [edit] FleetThe Alaska Airlines all-Boeing 737 fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of July 2009):[19]
[edit] Services[edit] Board RoomBoard Room is the Alaska Air Group airport lounge, and are located in seven west coast airports including: Anchorage, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver. Board Room Members also have access to Delta Air Lines Sky Club at airports across the country.[20] Memberships start at $30 for a single-day pass, up to $850 for a new three-year membership. MVP members receive a 50% discount on the initiation fee and MVP Gold members have their initiation fee waived. Both MVP and MVP Gold are still responsible for the actual annual membership fee.[21][22] [edit] Mileage Plan Mileage Plan is the travel rewards program of the Alaska Air Group, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. The program's airline partners also include Oneworld member airlines American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, LAN, and Qantas; SkyTeam member airlines Air France,Delta Air Lines, and Northwest Airlines; as well as Air Pacific, Era Aviation, Frontier Alaska, Mokulele Airlines, and PenAir.[23] MVP and MVP Gold are Mileage Plan's top tiers for experienced travelers.[24] The Mileage Plan program has no membership fee and any mileage will be valid to the last day of the 24th month following the month of the last flight or transaction date. In addition, if a Mileage Plan member does not accumulate mileage within nine months after becoming a member, or a Mileage Plan member's account remains inactive at zero mileage for a consecutive 24 month period, the Mileage Plan account will be canceled.[25] [edit] MVP and MVP GoldThe MVP and MVP Gold program is the frequent flyer service status program and is divided into two membership levels, MVP and MVP Gold based on the member's travel in the last calendar year. Higher-tiered members are provided with increased travel benefits such as bonus mileage, priority boarding and airport lounge access.[21] [edit] MVPMVP level is achieved or retained when the member earns 20,000 miles on Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air, 25,000 miles on Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Air France, LAN, or Northwest Airlines, or 30 one-way segments on any combination of Mileage Plan members. Membership benefits include 50 percent bonus mileage, priority check-in at First Class counters, priority seating on board Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights, as well as a 50 percent discount on Board Room membership. Members booked in fare class Y and YAS can be upgraded to First Class at anytime, and all other rate categories with in 48 hours of flight.[21] [edit] MVP GoldMVP level is achieved or retained when the member earns 40,000 miles on Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air, 50,000 miles on Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Air France, LAN, or Northwest Airlines, or 60 one-way segments on any combination of Mileage Plan members. Membership benefits include 100 percent bonus mileage, priority check-in at First Class counters, priority seating on board Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights. Members booked in fare class Y, S, B, M, H, or Value and Full Flex fares can be upgraded to First Class at anytime, and all other rate categories with in 72 hours of flight. Companions also receive this benefit, and members are given four complimentary upgrade certificates for guests annually. A 50,000 mile bonus is awarded to MVP Gold members who travel at least 75,000 miles on Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, American Airlines, Air France, Delta Air Lines, LAN, KLM, or Northwest Airlines, or 100 total one-way segments.[21] [edit] On board Meals
[edit] On board Entertainment
[edit] On board Internet access[edit] Alaska Airlines does not participate in any major global airline alliances, but the airline has codeshare agreements with several United States airlines. It currently has codeshare agreements with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines (which is to be gradually absorbed into Delta throughout 2009–2010 due to the merger), PenAir, and Era Aviation. It also has a codeshare partnership with Mokulele Airlines of Hawaii, operated by Shuttle America. Alaska Airlines also has codeshare agreements with foreign carriers, such as Air France-KLM, Air Pacific, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, LAN Airlines, Qantas and V Australia. On July 8, 2008 Alaska Airlines announced Frontier Flying Service (d/b/a Frontier Alaska) as a new codeshare partner beginning in fall of 2008. In October, 2008 it was announced that Alaska Airlines, and its affiliate Horizon Air, flights would be allowed as part of oneworld Global Explorer fares.[34] In November 2008, it was announced that Alaska Airlines, along with its affiliate Horizon Air, would be forging a new partnership with Delta Air Lines, thereby mirroring the long-standing relationship that Alaska Airlines has with Northwest Airlines. Part of the announcement was that by the end of 2009, Delta Crown Room and Northwest WorldClub members would receive access to Alaska Airlines's Board Room lounges in Anchorage, Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco and Vancouver, British Columbia. Alaska Airlines Board Room members would receive access to the Delta Crown Room lounges and Northwest WorldClubs lounges.[35] (Delta subsequently announced that its Crown Room lounges would be merging with Northwest's WorldClubs lounges to form the brand-new Delta Sky Club lounge.[36]) The other major part of the announcement from Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines was that Delta SkyMiles members who are gold or platinum and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members frequent fliers who are MVP or MVP Gold members would have reciprocity in priority boarding, check-in and seat assignment benefits by the end of 2009.[35] In May 2009, Alaska Airlines and Fiji-based Air Pacific announced a codeshare agreement.[37] [edit] EmployeesAs of 2008, Alaska Airlines employs 13,550 employees.[38] Since 2005, Alaska has outsourced its baggage handling duties at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Menzies Aviation. Menzies also handles Alaska's ramp services at a number of other airports along the West Coast and in Mexico, while Alaska retains its own ramp employees in the State of Alaska. Alaska's heavy aircraft maintenance used to be performed by the carrier in Oakland, California, but since 2005 it has been performed by companies at Paine Field in Everett, WA, Abbotsford, British Columbia, and Oklahoma City. The airline still performs routine maintenance at its hangar at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Alaska's pilot group consists of approximately 1300 pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International. [edit] Livery Alaska's first livery consisted of the words "Alaska" in gold on its tails. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, a painting of a native Alaskan, still used by the carrier today, was added to the livery. There are numerous anecdotes linking the Eskimo face wearing a parka to different celebrities, including once to Chester Seveck by an Alaskan senator.[39] In 1988, the airline hired a design firm and planned to replace the native face with a new logo, featuring a stylized image of a mountain, citing customer confusion with the original logo among its other markets in California and Southwestern United States. The plan was ultimately withdrawn after many Alaskans became upset with the idea of abandoning the original Eskimo design.[39] Today most of its aircraft are white with a blue and teal stripe running the length of the left and right sides of the fuselage, with "Alaska" in the company's present-day wordmark displayed prominently on the sides, and the native Alaskan portrait on the vertical stabilizer.[40] The carrier also has several special liveries:
[edit] Incidents and accidents
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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