Tag Archives: 737-890

Alaska Airlines protects its most important Seattle/Tacoma markets with double miles

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) is stepping up to protect its top markets from the Seattle/Tacoma hub with a double miles offer through 2014. The company just issued this statement:

Alaska Airlines is making it easier for travelers flying to and from Seattle/Tacoma to fly more with double frequent flier miles* on eight of its most popular routes to and from the Emerald City.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members who enroll in the program before their first qualifying flights will earn double miles on flights through December 31, 2014, between Seattle/Tacoma and the following cities:

Anchorage, Alaska
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Oakland, California
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose, California
Vancouver, British Columbia

The carrier will also offer double miles** from June 1 to Sept. 1, 2014, on flights between Seattle/Tacoma and Fairbanks, Alaska, and Seattle/Tacoma and Juneau, Alaska.

Alaska Airlines operates 279 peak-day departures nonstop to 73 destinations from Seattle. It also operates more daily flights (170 during peak season) to more destinations (28) within the state of Alaska and from Alaska to the Lower 48 states and Hawaii than any other major carrier.

* Double miles promotion terms: Registration is required prior to your first qualifying flight, and must be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2014. Double miles offer is valid only on qualifying paid nonstop flights between Seattle and Anchorage; Seattle and Los Angeles; Seattle and Oakland; Seattle and San Diego; Seattle and San Francisco; Seattle and San Jose; Seattle and Vancouver; and Seattle and Las Vegas from June 1, 2014, through Dec. 31, 2014. Flights must be marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines. Flight miles must be credited to your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ account in order to earn double miles. All travel must be completed by Dec. 31, 2014. Not valid on free or award travel. Double miles do not count toward Mileage Plan elite status. Please allow four to six weeks for miles to be credited to your Mileage Plan account. All terms and conditions of the Mileage Plan program apply. Offer subject to change without notice.

** Double miles offer terms: Registration is required for non-Club 49 members prior to your first qualifying flight, and must be completed no later than Sept. 1, 2014. Club 49 members will automatically be registered for this promotion. Double miles offer is valid only on qualifying paid nonstop flights between Seattle and Fairbanks and between Seattle and Juneau from June 1, 2014, through Sept. 1, 2014. Flights must be marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines. Flight miles must be credited to your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account in order to earn double miles. All travel must be completed by Sept. 1, 2014. Not valid on free or award travel. Double miles do not count towards Mileage Plan Elite Status. Please allow four to six weeks for miles to be credited to your Mileage Plan account. All terms and conditions of the Mileage Plan program apply. Offer subject to change without notice.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-890 N552AS (msn 34595) departs from Anchorage International Airport (ANC).

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Airlines files an application to fly from Seattle/Tacoma to Cancun

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) has submitted its application today to begin seasonal nonstop service between Seattle/Tacoma and Cancun, Mexico. Pending approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Mexico Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC), the airline plans to begin its daily service to Cancun on November 6.

Alaska Airlines introduced service to Mexico in 1988 and operates more nonstop flights between the West Coast and Mexico than any other carrier, flying an average of 1.5 million passengers a year. Alaska already serves six Mexico beach destinations — Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta — in addition to Guadalajara and Mexico City.

With the new flights, Alaska Airlines will now offer 279 peak-day departures nonstop to 79 destinations from Seattle, more than any other carrier.

Summary of new daily Seattle/Tacoma service:

Seattle/Tacoma – New Orleans: starting June 12
Seattle/Tacoma – Tampa: starting June 20
Seattle/Tacoma – Baltimore/Washington (BWI): starting September 2
Seattle/Tacoma – Detroit: starting September 4
Seattle/Tacoma – Albuquerque: starting September 18
Seattle/Tacoma – Cancun: starting November 6 pending governmental approval

When approved, the Seattle/Tacoma-Cancun route will be operated with Boeing 737 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-890 N534AS (msn 35202) taxies to the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Airlines will start Seattle/Tacoma-Baltimore/Washington nonstop flights on September 2

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) has announced new nonstop service today from its Seattle/Tacoma hub to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) starting on September 2.

This will be followed by Seattle/Tacoma-Albuquerque, New Mexico nonstop flights starting on September 18.

Alaska Airlines issued this statement and also deleted routes:

Alaska Airlines is growing its Seattle/Tacoma hub again with the addition of new daily nonstop service to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Baltimore. The cities are in addition to previously announced service to Detroit, New Orleans and Tampa, Florida, scheduled to begin this June and September.

With the new flights, Alaska Airlines will now offer 279 peak-day departures nonstop to 78 destinations from Seattle.

Summary of new daily service:

Seattle – New Orleans: starting June 12
Seattle – Tampa: starting June 20
Seattle – Baltimore: starting September 2
Seattle – Detroit: starting September 4
Seattle – Albuquerque: starting September 18

Other Schedule Changes

As part of its overall network strategy, Alaska Airlines is discontinuing service between four city pairs: Los Angeles and San Jose, California, on April 5; Portland, Oregon, and Long Beach, California, on August 23; Atlanta and Portland on September 1; and previously announced summer Anchorage-Denver flights.

Introducing Albuquerque and Baltimore

The new routes will be flown with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Alaska already serves the area through Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA). BWI is the stronghold of rival Southwest Airlines. Boeing 737-890 N528AS (msn 35696) completes the river approach into DCA.

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Airlines and the IAM tentatively agree on a new five-year contract

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) have reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract for the carrier’s 2,500 clerical, office and passenger service employees.

The proposed contract includes pay raises and job security provisions, among other improvements.

The current three-year contract became amendable on January 1. Results of a ratification vote on the new contract are expected in early April. Contracts in the airline industry do not expire. Once they become amendable, the current contract remains in effect until a new agreement is ratified.

Copyright Photo: James Helbock/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-890 N570AS (msn 35185) decorated in the “Follow Us to Disneyland Resort – Disney Cars” motif arrives in Los Angeles.

Alaska Airlines:

Is Alaska Airlines moving closer to American Airlines?

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma), as we have previously reported, has been trading “I will match you” route additions with Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) at their respective hubs at Seattle/Tacoma (SEA) and Salt Lake City (SLC). These moves come even though Alaska Airlines has an extensive feeder and code-share relationship with Delta. Delta even named a new Boeing 737 after the city of Seattle! Simply put, each carrier feeds each other at both SEA and SLC. However that close relationship began to unravel when Delta started adding feeder routes of its own at SEA, basically inferring to Alaska the relationship could be on the rocks. The aggressive move at SEA by Delta may have spurred Alaska to look to the new American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) (soon to become the largest airline in the world) for help and possibly a closer relationship. The two carriers already have a code-share relationship. A merger is probably out of the question since AA is becoming the largest carrier already and already had to overcome DOJ merger objections. The question will be in 2014 and beyond, will both carriers expand their relationship to fight off the advances of Delta at SEA?

Ted Reed of The Street (of Jim Cramer fame) looks at this intriguing question: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-890 N586AS (msn 35189), despite the Hawaiian Lei on the tail, arrives at a frigid Washington Reagan National Airport on January 18, 2014. The famous Eskimo tail emblem is expected to survive the next livery for Alaska Airlines that has been promised for this year.

Alaska Airlines:

Will Delta Air Lines make a bid to take over and merge Alaska Airlines?

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) and Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) have been adding competitive routes at their rival’s hubs in Seattle/Tacoma and Salt Lake City. Something is going with these partners as each carrier is doing a tit for tat with new routes.

The bigger question now being raised is will Delta make a hostile bid to acquire and merge Alaska? Assuming it would be approved, it would allow Delta to leap again back to being the largest carrier in thew world again.

Alaska is a profitable airline and has always preferred to stay independent.

Will a bidding war develop for Alaska? If not, will Delta continue adding routes to and from Seattle/Tacoma?

Can Alaska remain independent?

Bloomberg explores these possibilities.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Delta’s Airbus A320-212 N365NW (msn 964) taxies to the runway at SeaTac.

Alaska Airlines:

Delta Air Lines:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Alaska’s Boeing 737-890 N590AS (msn 35687) also taxies at the SeaTac hub.

Alaska Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants reach a tentative agreement

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) and the Association of Flight Attendants announced they have reached tentative agreement on a new five-year contract for the carrier’s 3,300 flight attendants.

Once the tentative agreement is approved by the union’s leadership, Alaska Airlines’ flight attendants will conduct a ratification vote that is expected to be completed in mid-February 2014.

The current contract became amendable on May 1, 2012. Contracts in the airline industry do not expire. Once they become amendable, the current contract remains in effect until a new agreement is ratified.

Copyright Photo: Eddie Maloney/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-890 N568AS (msn 35183) in the special “Employee powered” livery arrives in Las Vegas.

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Airlines introduces its fifth Disneyland logojet today

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) today introduced its fifth Disney logojet in rainy Seattle. Boeing 737-890 N570AS (msn 35185) has been painted in this special “Follow us to Disneyland Resort” color scheme. Oddly instead of promoting the recent “Disney Planes” movie the characters are from “Disney Cars”.

Alaska Airlines later in the day issued this statement:

The newest themed airplane in Alaska Airlines’ fleet flew into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport today (November 7), featuring one of America’s most beloved and rusty tow trucks.

Adorned with the familiar images of Disney-Pixar’s animated Cars characters Mater, Lightning McQueen, Guido and Luigi, the colorful Boeing 737-800 named “Adventure of Disneyland Resort” celebrates Alaska’s partnership with Walt Disney’s original theme park.

It is the fifth Disney-themed airplane born out of the successful partnership between Seattle-based Alaska Airlines and Disneyland Resort.

“Our Disney planes generate a lot of excitement among our passengers young and old wherever they fly,” said Jeff Butler, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of customer service-airports and cargo, and board member of Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our strong partnership than to launch this flying invitation to visit Disneyland Resort’s newest attraction and Mater’s home in Cars Land.”

At a special airport event, Mater himself made a satellite appearance from Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park, providing travelers with updates on the arrival of the plane as it neared Seattle. After the ceremony, the aircraft officially joined the Alaska fleet on a flight to Orange County, Calif., and will then fly throughout the carrier’s 65-city network.

“Adventure of Disneyland Resort is a great example of taking beloved, iconic Disney-Pixar characters and bringing them to life in new and unexpected ways,” said Sharon Siskie, Disney Destinations’ vice president of travel industry sales. “It’s been our great privilege to be part of this collaborative effort with Alaska Airlines, and we’re delighted that today’s inaugural flight will create some very powerful memories for special guests from Make-A-Wish.”

Joining passengers flying on Flight 500 were four Make-A-Wish children from Washington and Alaska, ages 3 to 7, and their families, who will spend the next several days at the Disneyland Resort. During their visit, they will be treated to special activities and enjoy overnight accommodations at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel at the Resort.

“Since our inception, we’ve granted life-affirming wishes to more than 5,300 children in Alaska and Washington and it’s only because of the partnerships that we have with companies like Alaska Airlines and Disney,” said Barry McConnell, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington.

Since granting its first wish in 1986, Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington has granted 2,257 Disney wishes and sent 1,051 children and their families on wish trips via Alaska Airlines. Disney helps Make-A-Wish America® grant more than 5,000 wishes annually, making a trip to a Disney Park the most frequent wish requested by Make-A-Wish children.

Alaska Airlines has supported Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington since 1986 and provides air transportation for about 225 Wish kids and their families to travel each year. Alaska invites members of its Mileage Plan to donate frequent-flier miles to Make-A-Wish through the Charity Miles program.

The Adventure of Disneyland Resort aircraft received its new livery at Aviation Technical Services in Everett, Washington. A team of specialists from Associated Painters Inc. accomplished the complicated painting process, including a sponge-type application to re-create Mater’s rust-colored finish.

Adventure of Disneyland Resort trivia:

A 34-member crew worked around the clock for 29 days at Associated Painters Inc. to paint the plane.
Painters painstakingly airbrushed the aircraft with 70 unique colors and applied more than 10,000 square feet of vinyl graphics to create the lifelike characters, including the headlights, tire rims and eyes.
More than 72,000 linear feet of masking tape was used during the painting of the Adventure of Disneyland Resort.
Mater’s rustic-looking muffler, which is located on the tail of the jet, will naturally change color over time due to the plane’s normal exhaust stains.
The 129-foot-long Boeing 737-800 has a wingspan of 117 feet and a cruising speed of 530 mph.
The plane accommodates 157 passengers and six crew members.

Top Copyright Photo: Brandon Farris/AirlinersGallery.com. The weather did not cooperate at SEA today for the unveiling as a storm system moved through the area. Cockpit Copyright Photo: Alaska Airlines.

Video of the painting Process:

Alaska Airlines Slide Show (see all of the logojets):

Alaska Airlines to thank its employees with a special “Employee powered” logojet

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) today is expected to formally unveil this new “Employee powered” Boeing 737-800 logojet as a way of thanking its employees. Here is a sneak preview.

The dashes between the two stripes are signatures of employees that attended the FlightPath meetings of Alaska Airlines.

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean/AirlinersGallery.com. Formerly painted in the “Follow Apolo to Hawaii” special scheme, the pictured Boeing 737-890 N568AS (msn 35183) at Paine Field in Everett, WA now wears this special color scheme dedicated to its employees. It is not a new livery for Alaska but the company has been rumored to be testing new designs to replace its current 1990 livery.

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Airlines launches nonstop flights between Portland, Oregon and Atlanta

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) today (August 26) inaugurated nonstop service between Portland, Oregon and Atlanta.

Alaska Airlines has added eight new routes from Portland within the last 12 months which also includes new service to Dallas-Fort Worth starting on September 16.

Summary of new service:

Start date	City pair	Departs	Arrives	Frequency

Aug. 26	Portland-Atlanta	9:50 a.m.	5:35 p.m.	Daily

Aug. 26	Atlanta-Portland	5:10 p.m.	7:30 p.m.	Daily

Flight times based on local time zones.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-890 N518AS (msn 35693) completes the “River Approach” into Washington’s Reagan National Airport.

Alaska Airlines: