Alaska Airlines today expanded Next-Level Care, the culmination of nearly 100 different measures put in place to enhance the safety and well-being of guests and employees.

“Caring for our guests and employees and ensuring their safety has always been our number one priority. COVID-19 has touched all of us in some way and it prompted us to fundamentally change the entire travel experience,” said Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden. “Next-Level Care has been informed by medical experts, employees and guests, to ensure our customers are safe, whenever they’re ready to fly.”

Drawing on the expertise of the UW Medicine’s infectious disease experts, Alaska Airlines’ long-time medical advisors, guests flying today will notice changes designed with safety and comfort in mind:

• Pre-travel and wellness agreement: Guests are encouraged to use the Alaska mobile app to enjoy a smooth and contactless trip. Starting June 30, flyers will be required to complete a health agreement during check-in and verify that they haven’t exhibited COVID-19 symptoms in the past 72 hours, come into contact with someone who is symptomatic and agree to bring and wear a face mask or covering.
• Physical distancing onboard: Guests can enjoy extra space on board. Through July 31, middle seats are blocked and flights will be capped at 65% capacity to allow for extra space between guests not traveling together. Families or large groups can request to sit together by calling Reservations.
• Guest and employee face masks and hand sanitizer: Face masks are required for all guests 12 and over, and for all airline employees. Customers are expected to bring their own mask and wear it at the airport and during their flight. Additional supplies are available for anyone who forgets a face covering. Hand sanitizer is available throughout the airport including the lobby and gate areas. Personal hand sanitizing wipes will be available onboard starting in July.
• HEPA air filters: With one of the newest fleets in the country, Alaska’s planes have the latest air filtration technology. Planes are equipped with two hospital-grade HEPA filters that remove 99.95% of airborne contaminants like COVID-19. The air filtration system cycles outside air on board to fully refresh cabin air every three minutes. Studies have shown with frequent air recirculation, cabin air filtration is comparable to the air quality found in hospitals. Guests can enjoy additional filtered air by opening their personal air vent after boarding.
• Enhanced cleaning: Alaska Airlines is exceeding CDC cleaning guidelines, using high-grade, EPA-certified disinfectant to clean critical areas throughout the plane. Overnight every plane receives a deep clean and all surfaces, including high-touch areas, are sanitized.
• Electrostatic sprayers: In addition to traditional cleaning with high-level disinfectant, planes are sanitized with electrostatic sprayers that disinfect surfaces throughout the cabin. The electrostatic sprayer allows the disinfectant to wrap around and cling to curved and cornered surfaces for an additional level of protection.
• Safety measures at airports: Employees clean all surfaces throughout the airport including counters, kiosks and other high-traffic areas several times a day. Social distancing decals have been placed throughout the airport to remind people to “Mind Your Wingspan.” The stickers span six feet apart and help minimize crowding and promote distancing at ticketing counters, baggage drops, customer service centers and gate areas.
• Boarding changes: At the gate, guests now board by row numbers in smaller groups, from the back to the front, to enable appropriate spacing.
• Limited onboard service: To reduce interaction between flight crews and guests, inflight food and beverage service has been temporarily reduced. Flyers may bring their own snacks and water bottles to #FillBeforeYouFly. All seatback content except for the safety card has been removed to limit the spread of germs. Alaska’s Beyond Entertainment is still free for guests to enjoy hundreds of movies and TV shows streamed directly to their device.
• Peace of mind policies: Change and cancellation fees are waived for travel for tickets purchased before June 30, 2020. Current elite status will be extended through 2021. Elite-qualifying miles earned between January-April 2020 will be rolled into 2021 to give guests a head start on earning status for 2022. Additionally, all active Lounge memberships as of April 1 will be extended by six months.

These are some of the nearly 100 policies, procedures and actions that together offer guests and employees layers of safety and it’s making a difference. In post-flight surveys of guests last month, 82% shared that they experienced a safe and healthy environment and 95% said their seat area was clean.

Alaska Airlines consults with UW Medicine medical advisors Dr. John Lynch and Dr. Chloe Bryson-Cahn, both UW Medicine infectious diseases physicians and infection prevention experts.

“People should think of flying the same way that they would when they shop at a grocery store,” said Bryson-Cahn. “Wear a mask, wash your hands, or use hand sanitizer, cover your cough and stay home if you have any COVID-19 symptoms. We’re all in this together.”

Alaska Airlines has made this announcement:

Starting today, Alaska Airlines customers and members of the award-winning Mileage Plan have three new promotions to enjoy. In addition to guaranteeing 2020 elite status through 2021, the airline is extending a 50% bonus of elite qualifying miles for flights taken through the end of the year. Plus, for the first time ever, Alaska Airlines Visa^® cardholders can use their card to earn elite qualifying miles, and consumer cardholders can earn double miles for qualifying restaurant purchases.

50% Bonus of Elite Qualifying Miles – Limited Time Offer

• For all flights completed June 1 through Dec. 31, 2020, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members will receive a 50% bonus of elite qualifying miles to help earn higher elite status more quickly. (*Registration isn’t required for this special, limited time offer.)

Alaska Airlines Visa Cardholders – First Time Limited Time Offers

• Earn toward status while you spend. Cardholders can earn 2,500 elite qualifying miles for every $5,000spent on purchases with an Alaska Airlines consumer or business Visa card from June 1 through Sept. 30, 2020, up to a maximum of 10,000 elite qualifying miles per cardholder.

• Want to support your favorite local restaurants? Alaska Visa consumer cardholders can earn two miles for every dollar spent, up to $1,500, at restaurants and take-out, including delivery services from June 1 through July 31, 2020.

Alaska’s Mileage Plan features 16 global partners, which fly to more than 800 destinations around the world.

From Alaska Airlines blog:

Photos by Ingrid Barrentine

One taste is all it takes to fall in love with Copper River salmon. Known for its bright orange or red color and mouthwatering taste, anyone lucky enough to enjoy a fresh filet of this wild, not farmed, fish won’t be disappointed by its flavor and freshness.

The salmon made its way from the state of Alaska to Seattle this morning by Alaska Air Cargo – the first of many shipments expected this season, which runs now through September.

“Alaska Air Cargo has long been a partner of the Alaska seafood industry,” said Torque Zubeck, managing director of cargo for Alaska Airlines. “Now more than ever, we provide a critical service that directly impacts the economic vitality of the region. In Cordova alone, more than half of its 2,200 residents are directly involved in the fishery or related business and industry.”

Photos:

More than 200 health care workers at Swedish Medical Center – Ballard will be among the first to enjoy the season’s first catch of prized Copper River salmon in appreciation for their efforts to help stop the coronavirus.

Alaska Airlines, Trident Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, and Copper River Seafoods – the region’s largest seafood processors, Copper River Marketing Association and famed Seattle chef Tom Douglas are partnering to provide a delicious meal to health care workers, as well as  feed the community while raising money for Food Lifeline.

Safety from first catch to delivery

With guidance from government and medical professionals, Trident Seafoods CEO Joe Bundrant, along with others in the fishing industry, put extraordinary workforce and community protection measures in place, with the goal of  ensuring a safe and successful season this year.

“Our No. 1 priority at Trident Seafoods is keeping our communities, our employees and our fishermen safe,” said Bundrant. “We are doing everything in our power to deliver seafood safely and in record time to allow our customers to enjoy our Alaska salmon products fresh and ready to serve thanks to Alaska Air Cargo.”

To keep our employees safe and to align with Centers for Disease Control recommendation, Alaska Air Cargo employees who cannot maintain six feet of social distance during interaction with co-workers have also started to wear face coverings.

Alaska Airlines has made this announcement:

To align with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations and to keep employees and guests safe, face masks will be mandatory for guests starting May 11 and for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air employees who cannot maintain six feet of social distance from guests or co-workers, starting May 4. This includes pilots, flight attendants and customer service agents.

Guests will be expected a to bring their own mask and will be required to wear it throughout the airport and flight experience. Additional supplies will be available for anyone who forgets a face mask. Specific details about the face mask requirements will be shared with guests later next week and in pre-trip communications before their date of travel. The temporary policy will be reevaluated periodically as guidance evolves.

The face mask requirements are a few of several safety and social distancing measures Alaska Airlines is taking at the airport and in the air to support our employees and guests.

Other measures include:

• Expanded enhanced cleaning on flights, which includes use of high-grade, EPA registered disinfectants to sanitize critical touchpoints like tray tables, seat belts, overhead bins, armrests and lavatories.
• Expanded use of electrostatic sanitizing spray to disinfect aircraft interiors.
• Limiting the number of passengers onboard and blocking middle seats on large aircraft and aisle seats on small aircraft through May 31, 2020.
• Enhanced and more frequent cleaning of airport counters, lounges and high-traffic areas.
• Social distancing floor decals rolled out this week at airports to remind guests and employees to remain separated by at least six feet.
• Providing disposable surgical and re-usable fabric masks for employees.
• Continued use of hospital-grade air filters on all planes. These HEPA filters are proven effective in removing airborne particles and cycle new air into the cabin every three minutes.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything, and that includes how we fly. Safety is our number one priority and wearing masks will make air travel safer for everyone. We’re all in this together,” said Jeffrey Peterson, president of Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council, Association of Flight Attendants.

Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 115 destinations across the United States and North America, providing essential air service for our guests along with moving crucial cargo shipments, such as food, medicine, mail and e-commerce deliveries. With hubs in Seattle; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; and Anchorage, Alaska, the airline is known for low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. With Alaska and its Global Partners, guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 800 destinations worldwide. Learn more about Alaska at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

Alaska Air Cargo announced it will fly passenger jets as cargo-only flights to carry essential goods like mail, medical equipment, e-commerce packages and food throughout its domestic network. Filling the passenger cabin with cargo will backfill the loss in capacity across the continental United States and Hawaii after passenger flights were reduced.

“We’re determined to help protect the resiliency of our nation’s supply chain by connecting critical cargo to the communities we serve during this public health crisis,” said Torque Zubeck, managing director of Alaska Air Cargo.  “Our teams have been working tirelessly since March to identify the safest and most effective processes to increase our cargo capacity as quickly as possible.”

Alaska Air Cargo tests loading freight into the passenger cabin of an Alaska Airlines 737-900 in Seattle. Alaska will be utilizing passenger jets as freighter only aircraft to maximize critical cargo shipments of essential goods.

In addition to Air Cargo’s dedicated three freighters, six Boeing 737-900 aircraft will be utilized as cargo-only aircraft.  Boxes, mail and other items will be placed on and under seats, in overhead bins and in closets – to offer 13,500 more pounds of cargo than what a passenger-only flight could carry. In total, each flight will carry up to 30,000 pounds, which includes belly capacity.

If approved by the FAA, the passenger-only aircraft would begin flying throughout the United States in May.

Alaska Air Cargo Facts 

• Cargo freighters: 3 Boeing 737-700s
• Passenger-to-cargo planes: 6 Boeing 737-900s
• Cargo flown annually: 200 million+ pounds
• Seafood flown: 30 million+ pounds per year
• Destinations in Alaska we serve: 19 stations, only three connect by road
• Around 60% of our cargo business touches the state of Alaska in some way
• Total destinations served in 2019: 100+
• Freighter-only flights flown in 2019: 5,487

From Alaska Airlines blog:

Since making the difficult decision to reduce our flying due to the coronavirus, we’ve been looking at other ways to utilize passenger aircraft to carry essential goods to people and businesses who need it most.

On any given day before the coronavirus dramatically changed travel, we carried about 400,000 pounds of cargo per day in the “bellies” of passenger aircraft – where luggage is stored. By utilizing passenger aircraft as freighters we’ll be able to backfill some of 45% loss in capacity across Lower 48 and Hawaii where passenger flights have been reduced by 80%.

“We’re determined to make sure our nation’s supply chain stays robust and resilient, connecting critical cargo quickly to the communities we serve,” said Torque Zubeck, managing director of Alaska Air Cargo. “Our teams have been working hard to identify the safest and most effective processes to increase our cargo capacity as quickly as possible.”

Trying to pull off a passenger-to-freighter operation is no easy task. A team of 40 people have been working on the effort since March. If approved by the FAA, we could begin flying passenger aircraft dedicated to cargo within the United States as early as May.

We aim to utilize the passenger cabin on five Boeing 737-900 aircraft – placing cargo boxes, mail and other items on and under seats, in overhead bins and in closets – creating room for an additional 13,500 pounds of cargo than a traditional passenger flight. In total, each flight will carry up to 30,000 pounds, including belly capacity.

“Our cargo customers depend on us as much as we do them to fuel our supply chain with life-saving medical treatments, medical supplies and perishable foods that have a short shelf life,” said Rick Bendix, cargo marketing and business development program manager. “With the decrease in cargo capacity, this innovative approach allows to meet the demand of cargo customers whether “mom and pop” businesses or large freight forwarders who are working tirelessly to keep the critical goods moving.”

This week, a team of employees tested loading an aircraft, securing the shipments and mapping a safe and viable process for leveraging passenger cabin space to ship critical cargo. Protecting the areas of the passenger cabin where cargo will be stowed was incorporated in the test to ensure the passenger aircraft can easily return to carrying our guests when needed.

According to Anthony Johnson, Alaska Airlines senior engineer, the overhead bins are designed for stowage of carry-on luggage and are durable. However, we need to protect the seats by removing the life vests from under the seats and covering the leather with a protective fabric.

Our roots set us up for success

We’ve been delivering cargo to the state of Alaska for 88 years since our founding as McGee Airways. For some pilots, such as First Officer Bill Jacobson, flying the freighters is especially rewarding because he gets to see the impact cargo has on Alaska communities.

“Cargo is hugely important in the state of Alaska. We’re really the lifeline to many communities and bring things necessary to everyday life, like groceries, medicine and machine parts, just to name a few,” Jacobson said. “You usually meet the plane at one of our cargo buildings. When we’re walking through the cargo facilities, I’m often in awe of the variety of goods we’re hauling all over the state.”

These remote communities aren’t always connected by roads to the outside. When the grocery store is out of fresh produce or milk in remote communities in the state of Alaska, residents look to Alaska Airlines to deliver the supplies.

Alaska Air Cargo tests loading freight into the passenger cabin of an Alaska Airlines 737-900 in Seattle. Alaska will be utilizing passenger jets as freighter only aircraft to maximize critical cargo shipments of essential goods.

“Our cargo customers depend on us as much as we do them to fuel our supply chain with life-saving medical treatments, medical supplies and perishable foods that have a short shelf life,” said Rick Bendix, cargo marketing and business development program manager. “With the additional aircraft, we’ll be able to move these goods, as well as e-commerce orders, quickly and efficiently across the country keeping supply chains flowing and supporting our logistics and freight forwarding customers.”

From Alaska Airlines blog:

Alaska Airlines Employee Volunteer Teddie at Auburn Food Bank during Alaska’s Week of LIFT.

This is a difficult time for many, and food security is a challenge across our communities. Last week, the United Nations projected that because of COVID-19, the number of people facing severe food insecurity worldwide could double to 265 million. And here in the United States, unprecedented levels of job displacement and supply chain disruption have created a crisis for countless families, many seeking help for the first time in their lives.

Supporting the growing demands on our local food banks is a critical need and isn’t new for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Every year, our employees rally together in a “Pack the Plane” food drive and collected enough donations to fill an equivalent of over 20 cargo aircraft (providing almost a half-million meals) last year. During our inaugural “Week of LIFT” of volunteering in our communities last October, our employees worked at several West Coast food banks to pack meals and sort goods to help feed those in need.

So, when we found ourselves with fresh food on hand following the suspension of our inflight service last month, we worked with our kitchen partners to donate 273,000 meals to community food banks in 16 states, like our hometown partners Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline.

That sparked an idea about how to further support families have the food they need to thrive. Last week, the Alaska Airlines Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit, pledged $200,000 to provide 896,000 meals to 14 local food banks across Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii. Together, we’ve donated over 1 million meals, but hope to double our impact by inviting our employees and guests to join us, if they can.

“This crisis has changed so much in our country – but the values of our employees have not. They and our partners, including our Chief Football Officer Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara, Starbucks, and many others inspire us to do more,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, Alaska Airlines Vice President of External Relations. “Between now and the end of May, we’re encouraging our guests, partners and employees to join us in the #MillionMealsChallenge to help fuel another 1 million meals for local food banks feeding our communities.”

The Alaska Airlines Foundation was founded in 1998 as a way to support the communities we serve through ups and downs – including during lean times like these. “We’re thankful to have foundation funds to be able to directly support people who need it most,” said Birkett Rakow, who also serves as chair of the Alaska Airlines Foundation board of directors.