Alaska Airlines guests traveling to Hawaii can now pre-clear on the West Coast, avoiding lines and bypassing the airport screening process after they arrive in Hawaii with an approved negative COVID-19 test. Alaska’s Pre-Clear program, launched this week in coordination with the State of Hawaii, is the first of its kind to allow guests to obtain an exemption from the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine before departure.

In mid-October, Hawaii began a pre-travel testing program that allows anyone entering the state who tests negative for COVID-19 in advance to proceed without the current two-week mandatory quarantine. To help with the long wait times that travelers arriving in the Islands have experienced as part of this program, Alaska has received approval to pre-clear guests who complete the state’s requirements prior to check-in, so that no additional screening is needed after arrival at Hawaii’s airports.

“As guests start planning their 2021 travel to Hawaii, we’re focused on making the journey as safe, easy and hassle-free as possible,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines’ president, who flew to Honolulu on the first day of the pre-travel testing program to experience the arrival process first-hand. “We appreciate Hawaii’s partnership to help ensure our guests are well-informed and visit these beautiful islands responsibly, wearing a mask and following the state’s safety guidelines.”

Alaska began piloting the Hawaii Pre-Clear program over the past week with its flights from the West Coast to Maui. Starting the week of Dec. 14, the program will be rolled out on all flights to Oahu and Kona on Hawaii Island. Due to the temporary pause in Kauai’s participation in the state’s pre-travel testing program, Alaska’s flights to Kauai have been suspended and will not be included in the Hawaii Pre-Clear program at this time.

“On behalf of the State of Hawaii, we appreciate Alaska’s commitment in helping to keep our community safe,” said Hawaii Governor David Ige. “Alaska has been a true partner from the very start of the pre-travel testing program by communicating with their guests about the state’s requirements so that they are well-prepared for their visit. Alaska’s Pre-Clear program adds another layer of safety by helping to ensure that the majority, if not all, of Alaska’s guests arrive in Hawaii with proof of their negative COVID-19 test results.”

To be eligible for the Hawaii Pre-Clear program, Alaska will send guests an email prior to departure asking them to complete the following steps:

• Every adult traveler must have a Safe Travels profile.
• All flight details and lodging information have been added.
• Negative test results from a trusted testing partner have been uploaded as a PDF.
• Mandatory travel health questionnaire has been completed.

Once the above requirements are met, the guest will be pre-cleared and will receive a pre-clear wristband at check-in or at the departure gate.

This month, Alaska Airlines operates an average of 18 daily nonstop flights to Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island from Seattle; Portland, Oregon; Oakland, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego, California; and Anchorage, Alaska.

Alaska Airlines has made this announcement:

With Alaska Airlines’ membership in oneworld less than four months away, both companies announced today that Alaska’s elite Mileage Plan members will receive matching oneworld tier status in the global alliance:

• MVP Gold 75K = oneworld Emerald
• MVP Gold = oneworld Sapphire
• MVP = oneworld Ruby

Many of the benefits elite flyers currently enjoy on Alaska with their status will seamlessly carry over to the oneworld tiers when they travel on any of the 13 global oneworld member airlines. This means they’ll be able to take advantage of a variety of privileges, including priority check-in, access to international first and business class lounges, preferred boarding, fast track through security, baggage benefits and more.

Alaska joins oneworld on March 31, 2021. Matching oneworld tier status happens automatically at that time.

For example, beginning March 31, an Alaska MVP Gold member will receive oneworld Sapphire status right away. If that traveler then takes a trip from San Francisco to Doha on Qatar Airways, they’ll have access to business class lounges, business class priority check-in and priority boarding, regardless of the class of service they’re flying in.

Alaska will be the 14^th full member of oneworld. The current 13 full members of the alliance are: American Airlines; British Airways; Cathay Pacific; Finnair; Iberia; Japan Airlines; Malaysia Airlines; Qantas; Qatar Airways; Royal Air Maroc; Royal Jordanian; S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines. Fiji Airways is a oneworld connect partner. Prior to COVID-19, the alliance’s global network offered flights to more than 1,000 destinations in more than 170 countries and territories.

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Boeing):

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show (Boeing):

Alaska Airlines announced a transaction today that continues the optimization of its mainline fleet. As part of the agreement, Alaska will sell 10 Airbus A320s to Air Lease Corporation, and subsequently lease 13 new Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft from them. The 13 737-9 MAX aircraft will be delivered from fourth quarter 2021 through 2022. Alaska will lease the A320s back from Air Lease for a short period of time after the transaction closes.

The MAX aircraft are 20 percent more fuel efficient and generate 20 percent less carbon emissions per seat than the A320s they will replace. The aircraft is also able to fly 600 miles farther than Alaska’s current A320, which opens the possibility of additional nonstop routes and new destinations.

The 13 leased aircraft are in addition to the 32 MAX Alaska currently has on order with Boeing – five of which are expected to be flying by summer 2021. Alaska will begin flying the 737-9 MAX in March 2021. 

After permanently parking all A319s and some A320s earlier this summer, this deal leaves Alaska Airlines with 39 A320s in the operating fleet along with 10 A321neos.

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Airbus):

Alaska Airlines has 32 MAX 9s on order. The airline has provided this update on the Boeing 737 MAX:

This March, Alaska Airlines is scheduled to start welcoming guests on our first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. We currently don’t have a MAX in our fleet. We expect delivery of the first plane in January, followed by several more throughout 2021.

On November 18, 2020 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the MAX, giving the approval to all airlines to begin the process of bringing the aircraft back into service. Our guests will only fly on a MAX aircraft after we’ve tested and verified all required and necessary processes to prepare the aircraft for passenger service.

We have high expectations and confidence that Boeing has made the required changes and necessary improvements to the MAX. With these enhancements and the FAA’s thorough inspection processes, this aircraft will meet the high safety standards we expect.

For us, safety is always priority number one. If an aircraft is not safe, we won’t fly it.

“As a safety professional with decades of experience, including many years with the FAA, I’ve had the opportunity to stay very close to the FAA and Boeing through the grounding and recertification of the 737 MAX,” said Max Tidwell, Alaska’s vice president of safety and security. “I’m very confident with all the steps the FAA and Boeing have taken and the steps we’re taking at Alaska to prepare us to safely bring this aircraft into our fleet.”

Once our first MAX is delivered, we’ll begin two months of testing and verifying all the necessary processes to prepare the aircraft for passenger service, which is scheduled to begin in March. Our teams will put the plane through its paces, which includes flying it more than 19,000 miles and over 50 flight hours all over the country, including Alaska and Hawaii.

In the coming weeks, our pilots will also begin the required eight hours of flight simulator and computer-based training that focuses on the operation of the MAX. Our pilot training program for the MAX is more extensive than what’s required by the FAA. All of our maintenance technicians undergo a minimum 40 hours of training on the variations between the MAX and our existing 737 NG fleet, with certain technicians receiving additional specialized training.

Before the MAX is added to our fleet, our team of pilots, maintenance technicians and safety experts will put the plane through its paces – flying more than 19,000 miles and over 50 flight hours to test the aircraft. We will activate our training programs and make sure our employees are ready. We’ve been closely testing, verifying and implementing all the necessary processes to ensure the MAX aircraft meets our high safety standards.

At Alaska, safety is always priority number one. If an aircraft is not safe, we won’t fly it.

Testing and more testing.

50+

Flight Hours

19,000

Miles

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-700 (N615AS) hit and killed a female brown bear on the runway while landing at Yakutat, Alaska on Saturday (November 14).

The flight was flight AS66 from Cordova.

The left engine sustained damage.

Social media:

Alaska Airlines has made this announcement:

Microsoft Corporation employees who fly between their global headquarters in Redmond, Washington, and California on Alaska Airlines will fly more sustainably thanks to the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to cover their business travel. The SAF, supplied by SkyNRG, is an important option for the aviation industry to reduce CO₂ emissions on a life-cycle basis. This first U.S. partnership of its kind is a model for other companies and organizations committed to reducing the environmental impact of business air travel.

The agreement applies to CO₂ emissions from Microsoft employee travel between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to San Francisco International Airport, San Jose International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport — the three most popular routes traveled by Microsoft employees on Alaska Airlines. Under a separate partnership agreement, Microsoft will purchase SAF credits from SkyNRG, and the SAF will be delivered to the airport fueling system used by Alaska Airlines. The companies will explore expanding the program in the future.

“After a decade advancing sustainable aviation fuel, this partnership marks a significant milestone in the work to make SAF a commercially-viable aviation fuel alternative,” said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines. “SAF enables us to fly cleaner and reduce our impact on the environment. However, we cannot do this alone — we must work together with other industries and business leaders like Microsoft and SkyNRG, among others who are thinking big, to achieve our goals and grow the marketplace for SAF.”

“We are excited to partner with Alaska Airlines to make business air travel a little greener by using sustainable aviation fuel supplied by SkyNRG to reduce the carbon impact of the flights Microsoft employees fly most,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Worldwide Commercial Business. “We hope this sustainable aviation fuel model will be used by other companies as a way to reduce the environmental impact of their business travel.”

Microsoft, Alaska Airlines and SkyNRG hope this partnership sets an example for other companies and organizations to purchase SAF, and support the development of the SAF industry by creating a stable demand signal, increasing supply and reducing the cost of SAF. The three companies are also supporting the development of a global environmental accounting standard for voluntary corporate SAF purchases through their participation in a pilot project of the World Economic Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow initiative. The companies plan to hold supplier and corporate forums to share learnings and increase interest in using SAF to lower the carbon emissions from business travel.

Alaska Airlines is one of the most fuel-efficient airlines in the U.S. with a strong commitment to sustainability. It was among the first airlines to use SAF in passenger travel, flying nearly 80 flights over the past 10 years. With a fuel-efficient fleet and use of modern technology in the flight deck, Alaska Airlines has reduced its intensity target of greenhouse gas emissions by 16% since 2012. Learn more about the partnership at https://blog.alaskaair.com/company-news/fly-greener/alaska-microsoft-reducing-carbon-footprint/.

Microsoft has ambitious sustainability goals, including a commitment to be carbon negative by 2030 and remove from the environment more carbon than they have emitted since its founding by 2050. The purchase and use of SAF contributes to the company’s sustainability goals.

For more than a decade SkyNRG has led the development in creating a SAF market, taking a no-compromise approach to sustainability. Replacing fossil jet fuels with SAF is what SkyNRG aims for, guaranteeing social and environmental sustainability throughout the supply chain.

“The emergence of a SAF production system and market is a once-in-a-century opportunity to launch a new energy source for an entire industry, guided by strong sustainability standards from day one,” said Theye Veen, managing director, SkyNRG. “We are very pleased to be joined by leading companies Microsoft and Alaska Airlines in this next step.”

As part of Microsoft’s partnership agreement with SkyNRG, Microsoft will become the newest member of Board Now, a coalition of leading companies that aims to accelerate the transition to sustainable air travel. Organizations commit to reducing carbon emissions from flying and directly contribute to the development of new SAF production capacity.

Background on sustainable aviation fuel

Rather than being refined from petroleum, SAF is generally produced from sustainable resources, like waste oils and agricultural residues. It can even be produced from carbon captured from the air. SAF is an important solution for the aviation industry to reduce CO₂ emissions and can also contribute to other positive social and environmental benefits, such as job creation and biodiversity. SAF results in a reduction in carbon emissions across its lifecycle. The SAF supplied by SkyNRG under this agreement is produced in the U.S. by World Energy using waste oils and delivers a carbon reduction of approximately 75% compared with fossil jet fuel. SkyNRG guarantees the sustainability of the fuel it supplies through its certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), the most complete and robust standard for verification of sustainable practices, and its independent Sustainability Board, which includes representatives from WWF International, the European Climate Foundation, Solidaridad Network and the University of Groningen.

More from the Alaska Airlines blog:

Alaska Airlines and Microsoft will fly more sustainably thanks to the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supplied by SkyNRG to cover Microsoft employee travel on the routes they fly most. Microsoft has ambitious sustainability goals, including a commitment to be carbon negative by 2030 and remove all historical carbon emissions by 2050. We’re grateful for the opportunity to support them on this path.

SAF is produced from sustainable resources, including feedstocks and waste oils, and is an important way for the aviation industry to reduce CO2 emissions on a life cycle basis.

“As an airline, we are responsible for reducing the negative environmental impacts of air travel in our community and the communities where we operate. To do that, we’re focused on ongoing efforts to improve our operational efficiency, including growing our use and the market for SAF,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, vice president of external relations at Alaska Airlines. “We believe deeply in the transformational benefits of air travel. It’s what connects people—and helps communities worldwide grow and thrive. We know to continue to deliver these benefits, we must operate sustainably.”

We’re excited about this milestone and remain committed to a long journey of reducing carbon emissions, including creating a marketplace for SAF, especially here in the Pacific Northwest. More than a decade ago, we were one of the first airlines to demonstrate the use of SAF in passenger travel, and by managing a fuel-efficient fleet and using technology to make flight paths most efficient, we have reduced its intensity target of Greenhouse Gas emissions by 16% since 2012. But there is a lot more work to do, and many partners on this journey, from airports like our home hub SEA to California hubs and research institutions.

So today, we also announced a two-year investment with Washington State University to support additional research at the WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute to advance the mid- and long-term development of SAF as an economically viable option, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

What if I don’t work for Microsoft, but want to offset your carbon footprint? Good news! Travelers can invest in carbon offsets from our new partner The Good Traveler, which is then invests in carbon reduction projects that restore the climate balance. Since the inception of the program, more than 667 million miles have been flown and with the help of The Good Traveler – who also partners with airports from SEA to SFO and beyond – and 229 million pounds of CO2 has been removed from the air through funding projects like planting trees, protecting habitats, composting waste and using renewable energy.

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery: