Qatar Airways is all set to participate in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Final Draw Event, will bring back 4 A380s

Qatar Airways has made this announcement:

The eyes of the world will be on Qatar for the Final Draw of the 22^nd edition of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ on Friday 1 April, to witness the grouping of all teams for the flagship competition.

The much-anticipated ceremony will be held at The Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, starting at 19:00 (Doha time). The Final Draw will be graced by a delegation of Qatar Airways’ senior management who will be present to share the excitement amongst several former champions of the prestigious tournament in attendance.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “What was once a dream is now a reality. Many world-class footballers will be present to play their part in deciding who will face who in this year’s FIFA World Cup™ in Qatar.”

With 29 out of the 32 participants confirmed at the time of the Final Draw, qualified teams will be separated into four pots based on the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking. Pot four will include three placeholders representing the two intercontinental play-off winners and the European play-off winner, who will only be determined in June.

Qatar Airways is inviting football fans to experience the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East, with a range of all-inclusive travel packages starting from USD $3,400 per person*. With just a few easy steps to follow, fans across the world can book their complete travel packages with flexible booking options for the mega event. To guarantee their experience, fans can choose from seven-tiered travel packages which include return flights, match tickets and accommodation options. Customers can secure their spot now and follow their favorite team at qatarairways.com/FIFA2022.

As of today, 15 teams including the host nation, Qatar, have already qualified for the tournament including: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Iran, Netherlands, Serbia, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland. Fans are encouraged to begin preparing for their journey, with less than eight months until the mega-event, in what promises to be an experience of a lifetime.

The tournament will be held across eight world-class stadiums which are designed to inspire the various symbols of Arabian culture. The Al Bayt Stadium will host the opening game with a capacity of 60,000 seats, while Lusail Stadium is set to host the final match of the tournament, with a capacity of 80,000 seats. The remaining stadiums will house 40,000 spectators. These include: Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Education City Stadium, Stadium 974 and Al Thumama Stadium.

As FIFA’s Official Airline Partner since 2017, Qatar Airways has sponsored mega events including the 2019 and 2020 editions of the FIFA Club World Cup™, and the FIFA Arab Cup™, all of which were hosted in Qatar. The airline is also eagerly anticipating the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ – the first in the Middle East, and offering a seamless journey from almost 150 destinations across the globe to fans attending this world-class event.

In its goal to bring communities together through sport, the World’s Best Airline has an extensive global sports partnership portfolio that includes football-governing bodies such as FIFA, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. The airline also sponsors some of the world’s biggest football clubs including Al Sadd SC, Boca Juniors, FC Bayern München, K.A.S. Eupen and Paris Saint-Germain.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax, in addition to securing five additional awards including World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge, World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat, World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering and Best Airline in the Middle East. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021). The airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), was also recently recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the World 2021’, ranking at number one in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021.

*Starting price per person in a double room for comparison purpose only. This is subject to change depending on your city of departure and exchange rate.

In other news, the company is bringing back four additional Airbus A380s adding to the four already back in service.

Iberia to fly 85% of its capacity this summer

Iberia has made this announcement:

Iberia and Iberia Express were the most punctual network and low cost airline in the world in January and, in February, Iberia was the second most punctual in the world and Iberia Express the second in Europe

The United States will be its star market, with the premiere of the routes to Dallas and Washington and the recovery of San Francisco

In Latin America, Iberia recovers the two daily flights with Argentina, Colombia and Mexico

In Europe, the airline will operate 100% of the capacity it had before the pandemic

And in Spain, Iberia Express has scheduled 27 percent more seats than in 2019 with the Balearic and Canary islands, where it will offer up to 2.7 million seats

If the evolution of the current socio-political context allows it, Iberia will recover this summer 85 percent of the capacity it offered in 2019. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the airline has opted to stimulate demand by offering the largest possible capacity and, in the next summer season and, despite the difficult socio-political context, it has already recovered almost the entire network of destinations and has been incorporating frequencies in the markets where restrictions have been lifted and demand is still recovering.

Specifically, Iberia will operate this summer up to 340 weekly long-haul flights, 220 with Latin America and another 120 between Europe and the North Atlantic; the airline will reach pre-pandemic levels in Europe and its subsidiary Iberia Express will increase its capacity in the Balearic and Canary Islands by about 30 percent over 2019.

The United States, the big bet

Washington

The United States will be the country where Iberia deploys the largest capacity: in the summer season it will go from six to nine destinations with more than 120 weekly flights between Spain and the United States. Starting in June, the airline will launch the route to Washington that it announced before the pandemic, to which it adds Dallas and the recovery of San Francisco. In addition, it increases flights to Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. More specifically:

Iberia will fly direct from Spain to Washington. From June 1 to October 29, the airline has scheduled four weekly flights (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) with the capital of the United States where the main government institutions of that country are concentrated: the Capitol, the White House and the Supreme Court.

Flight	Origin	Destiny	Exit	Arrival*
IB6131	Madrid	Washington	12:10	15:15
IB6132	Washington	Madrid	16:45	06:30

*Schedules vary slightly depending on the month of operation

Starting June 1, Iberia will also operate to Dallas, the great metropolis of North Texas. Flights have been scheduled from June 1 to October 29, with four weekly frequencies (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday). Dallas is the great hub of American Airlines, which ensures great connectivity within the United States for Iberia customers within its joint business agreement with American Airlines, British Airways and Finnair for the operation of routes between Europe and the North Atlantic.

Dallas

Vuelo	Origen	Destino	Salida	Llegada*
IB6146	Madrid	Dallas	15:55	19:50
IB6147	Dallas	Madrid	21:25	14:20

*Los horarios varían ligeramente en función del mes de operación

Iberia recupera también la ruta a San Francisco desde el 1 de junio y hasta el 30 de septiembre con tres frecuencias semanales (lunes, miércoles y viernes). Solo las aerolíneas del grupo IAG ofrecen vuelos directos con San Francisco; Iberia desde Madrid y LEVEL desde Barcelona, a partir del 29 de marzo y con cuatro frecuencias semanales (martes, jueves, sábados y domingos)

Vuelo	Origen	Destino	Salida	Llegada
IB6193	Madrid	San Francisco	12:20	16:15
IB6174	San Francisco	Madrid	17:50	14:10

San Francisco

In addition, Iberia will have up to 14 weekly flights Madrid-New York, which are in addition to the daily LEVEL flight from Barcelona. It will offer another 14 flights with Miami; Chicago will have up to seven flights a week, and Boston will also arrive on the daily flight in July and August, an operation that is complemented by LEVEL’s four weekly Barcelona-Boston frequencies. Los Angeles will have up to five weekly Iberia frequencies from Madrid and four more FROM LEVEL from Barcelona.

The offer is completed with up to five weekly flights to San Juan de Puerto Rico, a destination that is also part of the joint business agreement for the routes between Europe and the North Atlantic that Iberia maintains together with American Airlines, British Airways and Finnair.

Double daily flight to Argentina, Colombia and Mexico

In this summer season, Iberia will also recover a good part of the frequencies it offered in its main markets in Latin America, and will already reach 220 weekly flights in July and August.

Starting in June, it will offer 19 weekly flights with Mexico, which is already very close to the three daily flights it operated before the pandemic. In Colombia, Iberia exceeds the capacity of the pandemic with two daily flights (four more than in 2019), and in Argentina it will also reach two daily flights in July and August.

With Peru, Chile and Brazil Iberia consolidates its flight daily, with Ecuador there will also be seven flights a week, four to Quito and another three to Guayaquil, and with Uruguay it will offer between four and five weekly flights.

In the Caribbean, Iberia will reach nine weekly flights with the Dominican Republic in July and August, and in Cuba it increases its offer to four weekly flights.

In Central America, Iberia maintains its operation with direct flights to Costa Rica (up to six weekly flights), Guatemala-El Salvador (four weekly flights) and Panama (up to five weekly flights).

In Europe, pre-pandemic levels are reached

This summer, Iberia and Iberia Express fully recover the capacity it offered in 2019 in the short and medium radius and even exceeds it in some destinations, such as flights with the Canary islands and the Balearic Islands.

One more summer, Iberia is betting on destinations where you can do outdoor activities. In Portugal it will offer flights to Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Funchal and, for the second consecutive year, it will fly to the Azores Islands, to Ponta Delgada.

Italy will also have a large deployment in terms of destinations and frequencies. It will fly to 11 destinations: Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Naples, Bologna and Turin and, from mid-June, Catania, Olbia, Cagliari (operated by Iberia) and Bari (operated by Iberia Express) will be added.

Croatia is one of the most attractive international destinations for outdoor activities. This summer Iberia will once again offer flights to three destinations that allow you to travel the country: Dubrovnik, Zagreb and Split.

And Greece completes the quartet of summer offers, with flights to Athens and Corfu, operated by Iberia and to Mykonos, Crete and Santorini, operated by Iberia Express.

Given the good reception of the routes with Bergen (Norway) and Keflavik (Iceland), and for the most adventurous customers, Iberia and Iberia Express will respectfully offer up to two weekly flights originating in the Spanish capital.

About 30 percent more seats in the Balearic and Canary Islands

Iberia Express has scheduled 27 percent more seats than in 2019 with the Balearic and Canary islands, where it will offer up to 2.7 million seats between both archipelagos.

Iberia Express land

Specifically, it will offer more than 1.7 million seats with the Canary Islands, highlighting,

especially, the increase in capacity on routes to Lanzarote (+42% compared to 2019), Gran Canaria (+25%) and Fuerteventura (+23%). This means that Iberia Express will operate an average of 48 weekly frequencies to Tenerife (34 to Tenerife North and 14 to Tenerife South), 48 to Gran Canaria, 18 to Lanzarote, 15 to Fuerteventura and 10 to La Palma. The operation with the Canary Islands is completed with up to two weekly frequencies on the transversal routes Oviedo-Tenerife North and Tenerife North-Vigo.

The Balearic Islands is another of Iberia Express’ big bets for this summer, and has scheduled close to one million seats. Mallorca will have an average of 45 weekly frequencies, – up to 7 daily return flights -, Ibiza with 22 and Menorca with 13.

The most punctual in the world in January

Iberia and Iberia Express have started the year with excellent punctuality quotas, as reflected by the Cirium platform, a specialist in aviation data analysis.

In January, Iberia was the most punctual network airline in the world and Iberia Express the most punctual low cost in the world and in February, Iberia the second in the world and Iberia Express the second Europe. In the case of Iberia, both months exceeded 94 percent of flights in hour; while Iberia Express exceeded 95 percent of hourly flights in January and more than 90 percent in February.

Frontier Airlines launches new service between Orlando and Aguadilla

Frontier Airlines on March 24 launched service for the first time between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Rafael Hernandez International Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (BQN) (above and below), a charming town on Puerto Rico’s western coast known for its stunning beaches and engaging attractions. The new service operates three to four times weekly and marks the airline’s 13^th route serving Puerto Rico from destinations in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

Puerto Rican Coquí Llanero Wins Tropical Tails Contest

During an event today in Aguadilla to commemorate the first flight, Frontier announced the winner of its recently conducted Tropical Tails contest, which invited consumers to choose the next endangered animal to be featured on the tail of a Frontier aircraft. There were more than 86,000 votes received during the contest period and the coquí llanero, a tiny tree frog found in Puerto Rico, was deemed the winner.

Consumers chose the coquí from among six animals in total representing a variety of countries Frontier serves within the Caribbean and Latin America. The Puerto Rican lowland coquí is one of the smallest tree frogs in the world. Mature llaneros are no wider than a dime and generally yellowish in color. Their tiny stature squeezes their vocal range in to the highest pitch of almost any frog – just barely audible to human ears, making the sound they are so famously known for and named after — “Ko-Kee.” The coquí llanero is listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Consumers are Invited to Help Name the Coquí

All Frontier plane tails feature a unique animal with a special name and back story, many of which are endangered. The coquí llanero that will be featured on an upcoming new aircraft still needs a name. Consumers are invited to choose the coquí’s name by going to Frontier’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter between now and April 4 to vote. Choices include ‘Rios,’ ‘Atabey,’ and ‘Bori.’

Support the Endangered Coquí Llanero Through Adopt a Coqui Program

Consumers are also invited to participate in the Adopt a Coquí program, launched by Discover Puerto Rico, in partnership with local environmental research and conservation organization Conservación ConCiencia. By making a donation starting at $25 USD, coquí adopters receive a keepsake adoption certificate commemorating their support of conservation, sustainability and climate resilience efforts in Puerto Rico. Click here to Adopt a Coquí

Frontier's newest animal, the Coqui, doesn't have a name yet. Will you help us choose? VOTE in the comments using one of the following emojis:

– 💚 Bori
– ✈️ Rios
– 🐸 Atabey@discover_PR #ConservaciónConCiencia @CTPuertoRico @VoyTuristeando #CoquíFliesFrontier #FlyFrontier pic.twitter.com/WrXd2uM64c

— Frontier Airlines (@FlyFrontier) March 24, 2022

Frontier aircraft photo gallery:

Southwest completes a new hangar at Denver

Southwest Airlines is celebrating the completion of a major infrastructure investment to support its long-term vision for its Denver operation with the opening of a new Technical Operations complex at Denver International Airport (DEN). The nearly three-year, $100 million, 130,000 square foot project includes a large aircraft maintenance hangar and room for offices, training, and warehousing to support the carrier’s Technical Operations Team; and represents Southwest’s^® continued commitment to Denver by bringing more job opportunities to the community.

Colorado One parked inside Southwest Airlines’ Technical Operations Hangar in Denver, Colo.

The new hangar adds an important location within Southwest’s network to support scheduled, overnight maintenance of its fleet of nearly 730 Boeing 737 aircraft*. The facility includes:

A 130,000 square-foot hangar with offices, a training area, warehouse space, and maintenance shops;
Space inside the hangar for three Boeing 737s and room for eight additional 737s outdoors;
And serves as the new home for Southwest’s more than 100 Denver-based Technical Operations Employees.

The Technical Operations Team will begin moving into the facility in the coming weeks. The hangar joins six other Southwest Airlines^® aircraft maintenance hangars located throughout the country including Atlanta, Chicago (Midway), Dallas (Love Field), Houston (Hobby), Orlando, and Phoenix.

Supporting More Growth at DEN

Southwest Airlines will begin moving into the first gates of a 16-gate expansion project on the C concourse within the next few months. Once completed, Southwest will have the ability to use up to 40 gates, the most gates it has at any airport it serves.

With the anticipated growth in the coming years, the airline is doing preliminary work to build larger spaces for its Provisioning, Ground Support Equipment, and Cargo Teams. It is also creating an expanded People Department at DEN, which will support the airline’s robust recruiting efforts. Today, the airline is one of the largest employers in the city with nearly 5,000 People based in Denver.

Lynx Air unveils crew uniforms as it readies for takeoff

Lynx Air, Canada’s new ultra-affordable airline, takes to the skies in just two weeks and the airline is providing a sneak preview of its crew uniforms. The uniforms will feature the signature red and white color scheme of the airline’s bold but friendly brand. The distinctive Lynx paw print makes a cameo appearance in sky blue, roaming across a snow-white neck scarf.

(CNW Group/Lynx Air)

To celebrate the upcoming launch, the airline is announcing a competition to win a weekend away from Vancouver to Calgary, Toronto, or Kelowna. Each weekend getaway package includes two return Lynx flights, flying on the airline’s brand-new Boeing 737 aircraft, and a two-night hotel stay at one of the three destinations. For full contest details and to sign up, visit Lynx Air on Facebook or Instagram. The contest closes at 20:00 MST on March 27, 2022.

Lynx will be flying coast to coast across Canada, from Victoria to St. John’s, and eight other destinations in between:

Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Hamilton, and Halifax. One-way airfares start at $39*. The airline’s first flight will take off from Calgary to Vancouver and back on April 7 and the network will ramp up quickly from there (see table below). Lynx is on a mission to make air travel accessible to all, with low fares and great customer service. The airline will launch with a fleet of three brand-new Boeing 737 aircraft, which will expand to a total of 46 aircraft over the next seven years.

Flights are now available for booking at FlyLynx.com.

Details of Lynx’s flight schedule:

Round Trip Market	Service Starts	Weekly Frequencies
Calgary, AB to Vancouver, BC	April 7, 2022	7x 14x (from May 20)
Calgary, AB to Toronto, ON	April 11, 2022	4x 7x (from April 18) 12 x (from June 28)
Vancouver, BC to Kelowna, BC	April 15, 2022	2x
Calgary, AB to Kelowna, BC	April 15, 2022	2x 3x (from June 22)
Calgary, AB to Winnipeg, MB	April 19, 2022	2x 4x (from May 5)
Vancouver, BC to Winnipeg, MB	April 19, 2022	2x
Vancouver, BC to Toronto, ON	April 28, 2022	7x
Toronto, ON to Winnipeg, MB	May 5, 2022	2x
Calgary, AB to Victoria, BC	May 12, 2022	2x 3x (from June 22)
Toronto, ON to St. John’s, NL	June 28, 2022	2x 7x (from July 29)
Calgary, AB to Hamilton, ON	June 29, 2022	2x 4x (from July 29)
Toronto, ON to Halifax, NS	June 30, 2022	3x 5x (from July 30)
Hamilton, ON to Halifax, NS Edmonton, AB to Toronto, ON	June 30, 2022 July 28, 2022	2x 7x

Please note that dates are subject to change. Visit the website for full schedule details.

JetBlue and Qatar Airways announce plans to expand existing global partnership

JetBlue Airways announced it intends to expand the depth and breadth of its existing partnership with Qatar Airways to offer customers even more benefits when booking travel to and from international destinations on the global partner airline. This will include more codesharing in additional markets in the coming months, enhanced benefits for JetBlue TrueBlue® and Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club loyalty members, expanded marketing opportunities and refinements to flight schedules to create new, convenient connections across both carriers.

Already, Qatar Airways is one of JetBlue’s top partners for connecting customers across the Americas to its global network, with traffic expected to grow further through new enhancements within the partnership. This new agreement will provide more options to travel between JetBlue’s 100+ destinations across North America and the Caribbean and Qatar Airways global network of 82 countries. JetBlue places its code on Qatar Airways flights in – or offers connections through – nine U.S. gateways.

In addition, the airlines plan to develop an integrated airside transfer option for customers connecting at New York-JFK, JetBlue’s largest focus city and Qatar Airways’ most served U.S. destination.

JetBlue customers currently enjoy travel options via Doha, Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) – named in 2021 as the Best Airport in the World – to more than 80 destinations in Africa, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. At the same time, Qatar Airways customers also already benefit from access to more than 60 destinations across JetBlue’s network. The two airlines have partnered since 2011.

Customers also currently enjoy enhancements that link the carriers’ loyalty programs. TrueBlue and Privilege Club members benefit from the ability to accrue TrueBlue points or Privilege Club Avios. In the future, those benefits will expand with the ability to redeem points on either carrier’s flights.

American introduces an Airbus A321 “Flagship Valor” special livery on N167AN

American Airlines on March 24 at its Dallas-Fort Worth hub introduced a special “Flagship Valor” livery saluting Medal of Honor recipients.

The special livery was unveiled on Airbus A321-231 N167AN.

Photo: DFW Airport.

American later issued this statement and photos:

Today, on National Medal of Honor Day, American Airlines debuts a new livery dedicated to recipients of the Medal of Honor. Flagship Valor — an Airbus A321 aircraft with a special wrap — is a flying tribute dedicated to recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest award for military valor in action.

The aircraft depicts major military conflicts and the six characteristics that embody the Medal of Honor and those who have received it.

On board, customers can scan QR codes for access to information about the Medal of Honor and its extraordinary recipients, serving as a teaching tool to pass on these remarkable stories for generations to come. Its first official mission will transport Medal of Honor recipients on an honor flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Washington D.C. (DCA) today.

Flagship Valor was unveiled Thursday evening ahead of today’s groundbreaking of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas. Expected to open in 2024, the new museum will create a permanent home for the incredible stories of our nation’s greatest heroes. Learn more about our partnership with the National Medal of Honor Museum and the important mission of the museum.

Watch as Flagship Valor comes to life at American’s Maintenance base at Tech Ops – Tulsa and as the airline welcomes special guests to Dallas-Fort Worth for the big reveal.

Video:

Alaska Air Group to retire all Airbus and Bombardier Q400 aircraft by late 2023

Alaska Air Group Inc. , the parent company of Alaska Airlines Inc. and Horizon Air Industries Inc., during its Investor Day briefing, announced it will simplify its fleet in 2023 to only Boeing and Embraer aircraft.

This means all Airbus aircraft, including the A321neo aircraft, and Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) aircraft will be retired by the end of 2023.

Runway for Profitable Growth

Members of Alaska’s leadership team outlined the competitive advantages that underpin the company’s industry-leading performance and strategic growth plan:

1. Adding depth to our expansive network: Alaska plans to grow an average of 4-8% per year through 2025, in part by investing in the depth of its network. Alaska’s 1,200 flights per day take our guests to 120 destinations across North and Central America, including nonstop flights to transcontinental business routes and four Hawaiian Islands. Alaska’s network has consistently produced industry-leading margins throughout its history and its measured approach to bringing capacity back post-pandemic enabled a return to profitability ahead of the industry. Together with the airline’s global partners in the oneworld® Alliance, guests can reach over 1,000 destinations while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world.
2. Operating a single, more efficient fleet: Today, the company will share plans to accelerate the transition of its fleet of 300+ aircraft to all-Boeing 737 for its mainline operations and all-Embraer E175 jets for regional, by the end of 2023. Consistent with Alaska’s low-cost high productivity mindset, these transitions are expected to drive significant economic benefits. As the fleet grows to 400 aircraft by mid-decade, these will manifest through operational simplicity, flexibility and scalability, better fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance costs. The company is also growing cargo business operations by converting two passenger 737-800s to freighters, bringing the total freighter fleet to five.
3. Delivering best-in-class care: Care is the foundation of Alaska’s culture, fueled by its people and reflected in everything they do. It has earned the airline high guest satisfaction and long-term loyalty. The company will continue to invest in developing its people through its Pathways program, which cultivates talent from regional to mainline operations. In addition, it is developing the next generation of pilots and training existing employees for new jobs through its Ascend Pilot Academy. The company is also committed to making measurable progress on initiatives to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.With care central to everything Alaska Airlines does, the company will continue to invest in end-to-end guest experiences that deliver on its brand promise. Today, the company announced infrastructure improvements for four of its main hubs – Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. These investments total $2.3 billion in infrastructure upgrades that will provide a more seamless and enjoyable travel experience for guests and provide access to more gates and state-of-the-art lounges and lobbies.
4. Growing Alaska’s award-winning loyalty program with a renewed co-branded partnership: Alaska and Bank of America today announced an extension of their co-branded credit card agreement through 2030. This agreement will enhance benefits for guests and drive improved profitability for the airline. Alaska’s Mileage Plan™ is the industry’s most generous loyalty rewards program, with miles earned based on flight distance rather than dollars spent and ability to earn and redeem to over 1,000 global destinations as part of oneworld Alliance. Alaska’s co-branded credit card with Bank of America currently offers cardholders Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™, free checked bag, the opportunity to earn 3x the miles on eligible Alaska purchases, 50 percent discount on day passes for Alaska Lounge access, 20 percent back on all inflight purchases and many other travel benefits.
5. Preserving a resilient business model for long-term value creation: Alaska’s legacy of industry outperformance is guided by strong principles for management and performance. Today, the company published the guidelines that drive its financial sustainability and performance, providing additional transparency around its financial management principles and capital allocation approach. Key components include:

Generating returns on capital that consistently exceed the industry and the company’s cost of capital
Managing the business and allocating capital with a long-term perspective and a consistent set of priorities
Placing a high value on producing free cash flow consistently and sustainably

Sustainable on all fronts: Alaska’s commitment to long-term value includes prioritized ESG commitments to increase diversity at all levels, to reduce the company’s impact on the climate, and to provide transparent accountability on key environmental, social and governance parameters. Last year, the airline set ambitious, but attainable sustainability goals, including being the most fuel-efficient U.S. airline and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Further embedding these commitments into its culture, Alaska has linked a portion of its annual performance-based pay plan for all employees to the carbon intensity of the operation, and a portion of executives’ compensation to achieving stronger BIPOC representation in leadership.

Full Year 2022 Outlook

“Alaska’s team is committed to outperforming the industry, even while navigating a choppy pandemic recovery and near-term economic volatility,” said Shane Tackett, executive vice president finance and Chief Financial Officer of Alaska Air Group. “As people return to travel, they are choosing Alaska. And thanks to the caring spirit of our people, when guests try us, they tend to come back. We are excited for the path ahead and confident in our ability to continue creating value for our employees, guests, communities and shareholders.”

As detailed in the company’s fourth quarter 2021 and full-year results, Alaska’s 2022 outlook includes the following metrics:

Key Metric	Range*
Capacity	Up 1% to 3%
CASM ex-Fuel (Excluding fleet transition costs and lease return expense)	Up 3% to 5%
Capital Expenditures	$1.6 billion to $1.7 billion

*Range increases are compared to 2019 levels

airBaltic to introduce a “Planies” NFT collection

airBaltic has announced on social media:

A new airBaltic #NFT collection called Planies, consisting of 10 000 unique cartoon aircraft #cryptoart, is going to launch in May 2022! ✈️ The NFT holders will be able to receive airBaltic Club points and other exciting loyalty program benefits. Follow @PlaniesNFT for updates!