Tag Archives: alaska air group inc

Despite increased competition from Delta, Alaska Airlines’ traffic and passenger numbers increase but the load factor drops

Alaska Air Group Inc. (Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air) (Seattle/Tacoma) despite increased competition, especially from Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) at its Seattle/Tacoma hub, has managed to increase its traffic and passenger numbers for the first nine months of 2014, mostly through its vigorous expansion. However the number of passengers has not kept up with the expansion and this has lead to a lower load factor.

The Group reported September and year-to-date operational results for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, and on a combined basis. Detailed information is provided below.

Air Group:

On a combined basis, Air Group reported a 9.0 percent increase in traffic on a 9.9 percent increase in capacity compared to September 2013. This resulted in a 0.7 point decrease in load factor to 81.9 percent. These statistics include flights operated by Alaska and those under capacity purchase agreements, including Horizon, SkyWest and PenAir.

The following table shows the operational results for September and year-to-date 2014, compared to the prior-year periods:

The Group and Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Horizon – Horizon Air:

Copyright Photo: Arnd Wolf/AirlinersGallery.com. Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737-890 N569AS (msn 35184) in the 75th Anniversary retrojet scheme arrives in Las Vegas.

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Horizon:

Alaska Air Group reports 4Q net income of $78 million and $508 net income for 2013, a new record

Alaska Air Group Inc. (Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air) (Seattle/Tacoma) today reported fourth quarter 2013 GAAP net income of $78 million, or $1.11 per diluted share, compared to GAAP net income of $44 million, or $0.61 per diluted share in 2012. Excluding mark-to-market fuel hedge gains of $2 million ($1 million after tax, or $0.01 per diluted share), the company reported record fourth quarter 2013 net income of $77 million, or $1.10 per diluted share, compared to net income excluding mark-to-market fuel hedge losses of $50 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, in 2012.

The company reported full-year 2013 GAAP net income of $508 million, compared to $316 million in the prior year. Excluding the impact of the items noted in the table below, the company reported record net income of $383 million, or $5.40 per diluted share for 2013, compared to net income of $339 million, or $4.73 per diluted share in 2012. This marks the fourth year in a row the company has exceeded its goal of a 10 percent return on invested capital.

The following table reconciles the company’s adjusted net income and earnings per diluted share (EPS) during the full year and fourth quarters of 2013 and 2012 to amounts as reported in accordance with GAAP:

	Three Months Ended Dec. 31,
	2013				2012
(in millions, except per share amounts)	Dollars		Diluted EPS		Dollars		Diluted EPS
Reported GAAP net income	$	78	$	1.11	$	44	$	0.61
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments, net of tax	(1)		(0.01)		6		0.09
Non-GAAP adjusted income and per share amounts	$	77	$	1.10	$	50	$	0.70

	12 Months Ended Dec. 31,
	2013				2012
(in millions, except per share amounts)	Dollars		Diluted EPS		Dollars		Diluted EPS
Reported GAAP net income	$	508	$	7.16	$	316	$	4.40
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments, net of tax	(5)		(0.06)		23		0.33
Special mileage plan revenue, net of tax	$	(120)	$	(1.70)	$	—	$	—
Non-GAAP adjusted income and per share amounts	$	383	$	5.40	$	339	$	4.73

Financial Highlights:

Record fourth quarter net income, excluding special items, of $77 million, or $1.10 per diluted share, compared to $50 million, or $0.70 per diluted share in 2012. This quarter’s results compare to a First Call analyst consensus estimate of $1.07 per share.
Record full-year net income, excluding special items, of $383 million, or $5.40 per diluted share, compared to$339 million, or $4.73 per diluted share in 2012.
Net income for the fourth quarter under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of $78 million, or$1.11 per diluted share, compared to net income of $44 million, or $0.61 per diluted share in 2012. Full-year GAAP net income of $508 million, or $7.16 per diluted share, compared to net income of $316 million, or $4.40per diluted share in 2012.
Air Group employees earned $105 million in incentive pay in 2013, or nearly five weeks of pay for most employees. Over the last four years, employees have earned more than $357 million in incentive pay, averaging 8.8% of annual pay for most employees.
Achieved return on invested capital of 13.6% in 2013, compared to 13% in 2012.
Lowered adjusted debt-to-total capitalization ratio to 35% as of Dec. 31, 2013.
Fully funded the company’s defined benefit pension plans in 2013.
Held $1.3 billion in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of Dec. 31, 2013.
Repurchased 2,492,093 shares of common stock for approximately $159 million in 2013. Since 2007, Air Group has used $478 million to repurchase 21 million shares.
Modified affinity card agreement with Bank of America and extended through 2017, estimated to generate $55 million in additional cash flows annually.
Received a credit rating upgrade from Standard and Poor’s to “BB+” with a stable outlook.

Other Highlights and Achievements:

Ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers” by J.D. Power for the sixth year in a row.
Ranked as the best U.S. major airline by The Wall Street Journal’s “Middle Seat” scorecard.
Named Airline Industry Leader in the 2013 Temkin Customer Service Rankings.
Held the top spot in U.S. Department of Transportation on-time performance among major U.S. airlines for the 12 months ended November 2013.
Alaska Airlines received the FAA’s “Diamond Certificate of Excellence” award for the 12th consecutive year; and Horizon Air received the certificate for the 12th time in the last 14 years.
Improved employee productivity in 2013 by 4.0% compared to 2012.
Signed five-year collective bargaining agreements with Alaska pilots and Horizon flight attendants.
Named most fuel-efficient airline in the U.S. in a report released by the International Council on Clean Transportation.
Donated $7.6 million to more than 1,300 charitable organizations, including support for the grand opening of Aviation High School in Seattle and other educational efforts. Our employees also volunteered more than 10,500 hours of community service.
Signed an exclusive multi-year partnership with Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson, and named him our “Chief Football Officer.”

New routes:

New routes launched and announced in the fourth quarter are as follows:

New Nonstop Routes Launched in Q4	New Nonstop Routes (Launch Date)
Seattle – Colorado Springs	Portland – Salt Lake City (6/9/14)
Portland – Tucson	San Diego – Salt Lake City (6/10/14)
Portland – Boise	Los Angeles – Salt Lake City (6/11/14)
San Diego – Boise	San Jose – Salt Lake City (6/12/14)
Seattle – Omaha	Boise – Salt Lake City (6/16/14)
Portland – Reno	Las Vegas – Salt Lake City (6/16/14)
Seattle – Steamboat Springs	San Francisco – Salt Lake City (6/18/14)
Anchorage – Phoenix
Anchorage – Las Vegas
San Diego – Mammoth Lakes

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-990 N318AS (msn 30018) in the “We’re Going to Disneyland Resort” special livery arrives in Los Angeles.

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Horizon:

Horizon Air:

Alaska Air Group reports 1Q net income of $37 million

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air) (Seattle/Tacoma) today reported first quarter 2013 GAAP net income of $37 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, compared to $41 million, or $0.56 per diluted share in 2012. Excluding the impact of mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments of $12 million ($7 million after tax, or $0.11 per diluted share), the company reported record first quarter 2013 net income of $44 million, or $0.62 per diluted share, compared to net income excluding mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments of $28 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, in 2012.

“Our record performance in what is seasonally our weakest quarter is due to steady demand that kept pace with our growth, and to the many changes we’ve made to improve our business over the last several years,” Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden said. “Looking ahead, we’re facing increased competition in certain markets, and we will closely monitor the environment and continue to adjust our plans to appropriately address these challenges. Our first quarter results, and our ability to be flexible and adapt to an ever-changing industry landscape, would not be possible without the dedication and determination of our employees at Alaska and Horizon.”

The following table reconciles the company’s reported GAAP net income and earnings per diluted share (EPS) during the first quarters of 2013 and 2012 to adjusted amounts:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013				2012
(in millions, except per-share amounts)	Dollars		Diluted EPS		Dollars		Diluted EPS
Reported GAAP net income	$	37	$	0.51	$	41	$	0.56
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments, net of tax	7		0.11		(13)		(0.17)
Non-GAAP adjusted income and per-share amounts	$	44	$	0.62	$	28	$	0.39

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Pulling together, Boeing 737-490 N705AS (msn 29318) in the “Spirit of Alaska Statehood” livery approaches Los Angeles International Airport.

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Horizon:

Horizon Air:

Alaska Air Group reports net income of $163.4 million in the third quarter

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (Alaska Airlines and Horzon Air) (Seattle/Tacoma) reported third quarter 2012 GAAP net income of $163.4 million, or $2.27 per diluted share, compared to $77.5 million, or $1.06 per diluted share in 2011. Excluding the favorable impact of mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments of $21.2 million ($13.1 million after tax, or $0.18 per diluted share), the company reported record third quarter 2012 net income of $150.3 million, or $2.09 per diluted share, compared to net income excluding special items of $131.1 million, or $1.79 per diluted share, in 2011.

Third quarter highlights with comparison to 2011:

Reported record third quarter net income, excluding special items, of $150.3 million, or $2.09 per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $131.1 million, or $1.79 per diluted share. This quarter’s results compare to a First Call mean estimate of $2.08 per share.
Earned net income under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of $163.4 million, or $2.27 per diluted share, compared to net income of $77.5 million, or $1.06 per diluted share.
Held the No. 1 spot in U.S. Department of Transportation on-time performance among the 10 largest U.S. airlines for the 12 months ended August 2012.
Announced a new $250 million share repurchase program, representing approximately 10 percent of our market capitalization, while completing our previously announced $50 million share repurchase program.
Achieved trailing 12-month return on invested capital of 12.7 percent, compared to 12.0 percent in the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 2011.
Lowered adjusted debt-to-total capitalization ratio by 8 points, to 54 percent, since Dec. 31, 2011.
Held $1.2 billion in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of Sept. 30, 2012.
Received “2012 Global Vision Award” by Travel + Leisure magazine for Alaska Airlines’ sustainability efforts.

New routes:

Began new service between Seattle and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C.; and Seattle and San Antonio in the third quarter.
Announced expanded service between Los Angeles and Anchorage beginning in summer 2013.

Boeing order:

Signed an aircraft purchase agreement with Boeing for 50 new 737 aircraft, including 37 of Boeing’s new 737 MAX aircraft with deliveries expected in 2015 through 2024. This order positions Alaska to replace aging aircraft over the next decade and grow the fleet, assuming profitability and return-on-invested-capital targets can be met.

The following table reconciles the company’s reported GAAP net income and earnings per diluted share (EPS) during the third quarters of 2012 and 2011 to adjusted amounts:

	Three Months Ended September 30,
	2012				2011
(in millions, except per share amounts)	Dollars		Diluted EPS		Dollars		Diluted EPS
Reported GAAP net income	$	163.4	$	2.27	$	77.5	$	1.06
Fleet transition costs, net of tax	—		—		1.2		0.02
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments, net of tax	(13.1)		(0.18)		52.4		0.71
Non-GAAP adjusted income and per share amounts	$	150.3	$	2.09	$	131.1	$	1.79

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737-490 N791AS (msn 28886) decorated as “Follow Me to Disneyland/50 Years” completes its final approach into the Seattle/Tacoma hub.

All of the Horizon Air aircraft have now been rebranded as Alaska Horizon.

Alaska Airlines: