Tag Archives: Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines launches first-ever flight subscription service in the US called Flight Pass

Alaska Airlines made this announcement:

As the only major airline headquartered on the West Coast, Alaska Airlines is blazing a new path for travel with the debut of Flight Pass, an innovative, subscription-based travel offering that takes value and flexibility to the next level. Available starting today, Flight Pass members can fly up to 24 roundtrip flights a year to the most popular routes withinย California, as well as nonstop service fromย Californiaย airports toย Reno,ย Phoenixย andย Las Vegas, for a fixed monthly rate. With annual plans starting atย $49ย per month, this new way to fly allows travelers to lock in main cabin deals for a full year and rewards subscribers with lower than average fares on eligible flights.

Flight Pass subscribers can choose between two annual plans โ€“ based on the best value or most flexibility โ€“ that differ only in the length of the required advanced booking time. Subscribers will receive credits deposited monthly or bi-monthly into their Flight Pass account, to be redeemed for 6, 12 or 24 nonstop trips a year toย eligible destinations. Flyers are still required to pay applicable government taxes and airport fees on each flight, in addition to the monthly subscription fee and nominal fare (most flights the fare is onlyย $0.01).

Travel trend reports reveal that most Americans are planning domestic travel in 2022, particularly to warm-weather and beach destinations โ€“ and some are even more willing to be spontaneous and flexible on future trips.1ย Anyone with 2022 goals to see and do more are in luck. Flight Pass locks in a great deal for a year of travel with varying options that will fit every budget and lifestyle.

How To Take Flight with Flight Pass

  • Sign up by creating an account atย www.flightpass.alaskaair.com.
  • Pick your preferred plan:
    • Best value โ€“ Flight Pass:ย Starts atย $49ย per month, requiresย booking at least 14 days before travel, and as early as 90 days in advance.
    • Most flexible โ€“ Flight Pass Pro:ย Starts atย $199ย per month,ย allows same-day booking up to two hours before departure, and as early as 90 days in advance.
  • Choose the number of roundtrips you would like annually: 6, 12 or 24 roundtrip flights.
  • Redeem your credits and book your trip on an eligible flight.
    • Choose from 100 daily flights connecting 13 California airports to each other and toย Reno,ย Phoenix, and Vegas
  • Enjoy your flight!

Airline liveries designed by Teague, how Alaska’s N932AK was developed

2021 special "Orca" livery

From Teague: How they developed the Orca design on N932AK for Alaska Airlines.

By Jim Farmer.

You may have never flown on a commercial airplane. Still, chances are pretty high you’ve seen oneโ€”which means it’s likely you’ve seen a livery designed by Teague. Liveries are graphic schemes applied to the exteriors of airplanes. And we’ve created hundreds. Teague has a livery team whose sole purpose is to partner with airlines around the world to design and wrap such schemes. Post-design process, these graphics are usually hand painted. In rare instances, they’re printed on decals. But what if you could print graphics directly onto an airplane?

Livery graphics are usually hand painted. What if you could print graphics directly onto an airplane?

On a traditionally painted livery, each color is sprayed from a paint gun separately and by hand. This means no fades, no color blending; think paint by numbers, but with fewer colors. Extra layout, more spray time, and additional drying cycles equate to more hours and more money. On the other hand, with a printer, anything goes. And instead of taking days to paint, any design could be printed in a matter of hours.

Always the innovator, Boeing set out to develop a custom printer capable of producing large-scale images. In 2019 they were ready to pilot a new direct-to-shape 3D inkjet printer backed by 120 patents. The canvas: a white 737 vertical stabilizer, i.e., a plane’s tail. It sat waiting in an airplane hangar as Boeing began talks with Alaska Airlines, asking if the airline would be the first to try out their first-of-its-kind printer. Alaska agreed, and talk turned to graphics. Boeing wanted ideas that could show off the benefits of inkjet technology. Alaska liked ideas that highlighted the surroundings of their headquarters in the Pacific Northwest.

Teague has collaborated with Boeing for 76 years and Alaska Airlines for 20+. So, when asked to design graphic concepts, we jumped at the chance to pilot the new technology. Our designers came up with ideas ranging from West Coast birds, orcas, the northern lights, and even an octopus illustrating with its own squirted ink. After many reviews, Alaska decided their 737 should pay tribute to the mighty orca. It was a perfect fit. For thousands of years, the orca whale has been revered as a symbol of the West Coast and considered a guardian of the sea, a protector of humans, and an icon of power.

Together our teams decided a photograph would best showcase the color blending capabilities of the inkjet printer. After mocking up a selection of photos on Alaska planes, a vertically posed orca photo taken by Jane Cogan, a retired Boeing engineer who volunteers with the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island, was chosen and sized to fit a 24-foot tall vertical stabilizer. The Boeing printer was then mounted, turned on, and left to work its magic. The half breaching mammal was revealed line by line. The result was beautiful and fast; it took just 12 hours to print both sides of the tail, a quick job compared to the many days and large crew it would take to hand paint such a design.

Because the new printing technology was designed for the tail, fuselage graphics would still have to be hand-painted by Boeing’s talented paint crew, requiring a new Teague illustration that had to pair perfectly with the printed photo. Our livery designers went to work, grabbing pencils, mouses, and styluses. We created gorgeous concepts of all things orca, ranging from tribal to modern, abstract to representational. For a month, Alaska considered three final concepts. Each one from a different Teague designer, each showcasing a unique composition, each a standout.

Once Alaska Airlines picked a final design, we quickly pivoted from conceptual to concrete. While our livery designers focus on composing and illustrating graphics, Teague’s Catia designers step in for engineering. Still part of the livery team, this group understands each measurable surface of every commercial aircraft exterior. They took the scheme and wrapped it around lights, doors, windows, and wingsโ€”tucking, pinching, altering, and fitting the graphics onto the aircraft with precision. Once everything was in place, the files were delivered to Boeing Design Engineers to create pre-mask stencils for their painters to reference.

While the direct-to-shape inkjet printer technology is new and not currently integrated into Boeing’s production process, printing directly onto a 737 vertical stabilizer is a huge step in understanding the future of livery application.

On December 2, 2021, the Boeing 737-9 MAX 9 Alaska Airlines Orca plane rolled out of the paint hangarโ€”a beautiful bird, destined for the sky and wrapped from head to tail in one of the greatest wonders of the sea.

Top Copyright Photo: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX 9 N932AK (msn 44089) (Orca) BFI (Joe G. Walker). Image: 956311.
More from Teague:

Alaska Airlines unveils a major investment to expand and remodel its lounges in Seattle/Tacoma and Portland

Alaska Airlines has targeted a significant, multi-million dollar renovation and expansion of our most popular Lounges with plans for all-new locations at both atย Seattleย andย Portlandย airports in the coming years. The revitalization of two current Lounges โ€“ scheduled to get underway this spring โ€“ will eventually pave the way for completely new spaces in 2025-26. The investment continues the dramatic improvements we’ve made in our Lounges, which includes the opening of our 15,000-square-foot Flagship Lounge at N Concourse inย Seattleย in 2019 and our new location at Terminal 2 inย San Franciscoย last summer.

The Bistro area that will be added to the Alaska Airlines Lounge at the D Concourse in Seattle.

A hefty amount of work will start soon at our Lounges to make the guest experience even better. As that happens, the initial planning and designing of our completely new Lounge locations gets underway with a targeted opening of 2025-26. Here’s what’s ahead this year alone at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport andย Portlandย International Airport โ€“ each of them crucial hubs in our network:

Reimagined space coming to the Alaska Airlines Lounge at the D Concourse in Seattle.

SEATTLE

  • We’re investing nearlyย $7 millionย for Lounge upgrades inย Seattleย for 2022-23.
  • The first phase of work involves the C Concourse Lounge and it’s scheduled to begin in late spring or early summer. We’re adding nearly 60 seats as the overall space grows by an additional 3,000 square feet as we convert neighboring offices. The Lounge will remain open during construction with little impact to guests.
  • The second phase of renovations targets the Lounge in D Concourse โ€“ our first lounge location we opened more than 40 years ago and its first renovation in nearly 20 years. After the expanded space in C Concourse Lounge opens, we’re planning a six-month closure and total overhaul of the D Concourse Lounge. We’re expanding seating by nearly 30%, adding new product features and giving the area better flow. This location will also receive a new bistro bar located near the lounge entrance, making it easier for guests to grab a hand-crafted espresso drink when they’re in a hurry. It’s set to reopen in early summer 2023.
  • As part of the Port ofย Seattle’sย C Concourse Expansion Project, the opening of an all-new, more than 20,000-square-foot Alaska Lounge is on the radar for 2026. It would eventually become the primary Lounge for our guests departing from C and D Concourses.

Alaska Airlines new patio area that’s planned for the Lounge at Concourse C in Portland.

PORTLAND

  • We’re investing nearlyย $1.5 millionย for Lounge upgrades inย Portlandย for 2022.
  • We’ll enlarge the Lounge by 1,000 square feet with an enclosed patio area that extends into Concourse C. With new seating for 30 people, the total seating capacity will go to 100. Work begins in the spring and it’s scheduled to be completed this summer. During the renovation, the current Lounge will remain open to guests.
  • Now for something fun, different and super convenient. We’re adding a temporary ‘express lounge’ at theย newly-renovated Concourse Bย for our guests traveling through that section of the airport. The mini-lounge is scheduled to open in the summer with seating for up to 35 people near Gate B2, offering guests a selection of beverages and light snacks before their flights.
  • The all-new Lounge is currently scheduled to open in the 2025-26 timeframe. It’s expected to be more than 10,000 square feet โ€“ giving our guests a lot more elbow room.

A look inside Alaska Airlines new patio area that’s planned for the Lounge at Concourse C in Portland.

Alaskaย operates eight Lounges at six airports: Anchorage;ย Los Angeles; New York JFK;ย Portland;ย San Francisco; andย Seattleย (three locations). Theย Alaska Lounge Membership Programย offers two options for guests to choose from: Alaska Lounge members get access to all of our Lounge locations, and Alaska Lounge+ members get access to all our Lounges and more than 90 partner lounges around the world.

Alaska Airlines expands its Finnair codeshare

2021 "Merrier Together - Starbucks" special livery

Alaska Airlines has announced today a significant codeshare expansion withย  European oneworld partner Finnair, the latest in a series of partnership expansions forย Alaskaย since joining the global alliance inย March 2021.

Beginning now, Finnair passengers can book connecting flights through Seattle โ€“ our hometown airport โ€“ to more than 60 destinations throughout Alaska’s network for travel beginning June 1, 2022. The codeshare flights with Alaska will be identified on Finnair’s website and the carrier’s other booking platforms. Finnair’s new nonstop service between Helsinki and Seattle/Tacoma begins June 1 with flights three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) on the airline’s Airbus A330 aircraft.

Since becoming aย oneworld memberย onย March 31, 2021,ย Alaskaย has added more than 250 codeshare routes. We’ve implemented new partnerships with member airlines Qatar Airways and Iberia Airlines, and expanded cooperation with existingย oneworld partners American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines and Qantas Airways. By this summer,ย Alaskaย and these eightย oneworld airlines will offerย more than 78ย daily international flights fromย Seattle,ย Portland,ย San Franciscoย andย Los Angeles, enabling seamless connectivityย toย Alaska’s comprehensive networkย up and down the West Coast.

Top Copyright Photo: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-990 ER SSWL N238AK (msn 62681) (Merrier Together – Starbucks) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 956489.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show (Boeing):

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

 

Alaska Airlines “West Coast Wonders” livery

2021 "West Coast Wonders (Orca)" special livery

Alaska Airlines has offered an explanation for the special “Orca” livery on N932AK. It is called a “West Coast Wonders” livery. Will there be more in this series?

From Alaska Airlines:

The West Coast Wondersโ€ฏaircraft isโ€ฏinspired byโ€ฏtheโ€ฏbeautifulโ€ฏplaces we fly toโ€ฏand encourages everyone toโ€ฏtake actionโ€ฏwith us to protect our planet.โ€ฏThe design for this Boeing 737-9 MAX honorsโ€ฏthe shores we call home and the natural life of the Pacific Ocean and West Coast waters. Alaska Airlines set environmental sustainabilityย goals for 2025 and beyondย “This indicates a link to an external site that may not meet accessibility guidelines.”ย to reduce our climate impact through carbon, waste, and water.

Did you know that orcas migrate each year between the Baja peninsula and Alaska? Many of our aircraft follow the same path!

Top Copyright Photo: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX 9 N932AK (msn 44089) (Orca) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 956598.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show (Boeing):

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

 

Alaska Air Group delivers strong fourth quarter 2021 and full-year results

Alaska Air Group Inc. today announced another quarter of improvement in its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021, and provided an outlook for the first quarter ending March 31, 2022.

“While recovery in our industry is never linear, our caring and dedicated people and the strength of our competitive advantages position us for success no matter what challenges we face,” said CEOย Ben Minicucci. “Despite operational disruption from omicron and severe winter weather in December, our fourth quarter adjusted pre-tax margin was 2.4%, marking one of the industry’s most profitable performances in Q4 and the second half of the year. We have laid a solid foundation for our return to 100% of our pre-COVID flying by summer 2022 and we’re poised to grow from there.”

Alaska’sย fourth quarter and full year 2021 results reflect a disciplined focus on cost management and a measured approach to bringing back capacity in recovery. In addition to delivering profitability in the second half of the year,ย Alaska’sย financial performance enabled the company to restore its debt-to-capitalization ratio to pre-pandemic levels in the fourth quarter, priming the airlines for profitable growth in 2022.

Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year:

  • Reported net income for the fourth quarter and full year 2021 under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) ofย $18 million, orย $0.14ย per diluted share, andย $478 million, orย $3.77ย per diluted share. These results compare to a net loss for the fourth quarter and full year 2020 ofย $447 million, orย $3.60ย per share, andย $1.3 billion, orย $10.72ย per share.
  • Reported net income for the fourth quarter and net loss for the full year 2021, excluding special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, ofย $31 million, orย $0.24ย per diluted share, andย $256 million, orย $2.03ย per share. These results compare to a net loss for the fourth quarter and full year 2020, excluding special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, ofย $316 million, orย $2.54ย per share, andย $1.3 billion, orย $10.17ย per share.
  • Reported adjusted pre-tax margin for the fourth quarter of 2021 of 2.4%, marking the second profitable quarter on an adjusted basis since the onset of the pandemic.
  • Recordedย $42 millionย andย $151 millionย of incentive pay in the fourth quarter and full year 2021 earned by employees for meeting or exceeding cash flow, cost management, and safety goals, representing approximately three weeks pay for most employees.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity at Year End:

  • Reported a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 49%, a reduction of 12 points from Decemberย 31, 2020, and the lowest level since the first quarter of 2020.
  • For the full year, generatedย $138 millionย in operating cash flows, net of Payroll Support Program grant funds received.
  • Repaidย $112 millionย in debt in the fourth quarter, bringing total debt payments toย $1.3 billionย for the year.
  • Heldย $3.1 billionย in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as ofย December 31, 2021.

Operational Updates and Milestones for the Fourth Quarter:

  • Announced nonstop service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport andย Miami, marking the 100th nonstop destination fromย Alaska’sย Seattleย hub.
  • Expandedย oneworld partnership with new West Coast international flights betweenย Portlandย and London Heathrow on British Airways and betweenย Seattleย andย Helsinkiย on Finnair. Expanded service will provideย Alaska’sย guests more than 100 nonstop flights onย oneworld partners from the West Coast toย Europeย by summer 2022.
  • Launched new MVP Goldย 100kย tier for Mileage Plan members, providing enhanced benefits for those traveling 100,000 miles or more in one year.
  • Named the safest U.S. airline by AirlineRatings.com in their annual Top 20 Safest Airline Report.
  • Received four 737-9 aircraft during the quarter, bringing total additions in 2021 to 11.
  • Began nonstop service toย Belizeย fromย Seattleย andย Los Angelesย in November, marking the fourth countryย Alaskaย flies to from its West Coast hubs.

Fourth Quarter Environmental, Social, and Governance Updates:

  • Announced the appointment ofย Diana Birkett Rakowย as senior vice president of public affairs and sustainability, emphasizingย Alaska’sย commitment to protect the places it flies and support the communities it serves.
  • Announced collaboration with ZeroAvia to begin development on a hydrogen-electric powertrain engine capable of flying regional aircraft in excess of 500 nautical miles.
  • Expanded inflight sustainability efforts by trading plastic water bottles and cups for Boxed Water Is Betterยฎ plant-based cartons and recyclable paper cups. This change will eliminate an estimated 1.8 million pounds of single-use plastics over the next year.
  • Launched partnership with travel2change, aย Hawaii-based social and environmental impact organization that connects travelers with sustainable volunteer projects while visitingย Hawaii.

The following table reconciles the company’s reported GAAP net income (loss) per share (EPS) for the three and twelve months endedย December 31, 2021ย and 2020 to adjusted amounts.

Three Months Ended December 31,
2021 2020
(in millions, except per share amounts) Dollars Diluted EPS Dollars EPS
Reported GAAP net income (loss) and diluted EPS $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  18 $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  0.14 $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  (447) $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย (3.60)
Payroll support program wage offset โ€” โ€” (22) (0.18)
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments 21 0.16 (8) (0.06)
Special items – impairment charges and other (6) (0.05) 277 2.23
Special items – restructuring charges 2 0.02 (102) (0.82)
Special items – merger-related costs โ€” โ€” 1 0.01
Special items – net non-operating โ€” โ€” 26 0.21
Income tax effect on special items and fuel hedge adjustments (4) (0.03) (41) (0.33)
Non-GAAP adjusted net income (loss) and diluted EPS $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  31 $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  0.24 $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  (316) $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย (2.54)
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
2021 2020
(in millions, except per share amounts) Dollars Diluted EPS Dollars EPS
Reported GAAP net income (loss) and diluted EPS $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย 478 $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  3.77 $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย (1,324) $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย (10.72)
Payroll support program wage offset (914) (7.21) (782) (6.33)
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments (47) (0.37) (8) (0.06)
Special items – impairment charges and other (1) (0.01) 627 5.08
Special items – restructuring charges (10) (0.08) 220 1.78
Special items – merger-related costs โ€” โ€” 6 0.05
Special items – net non-operating โ€” โ€” 26 0.21
Income tax effect on special items and fuel hedge adjustments 238 1.87 (21) (0.18)
Non-GAAP adjusted net loss and diluted EPS $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  (256) $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย (2.03) $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย (1,256) $ ย  ย  ย  ย  ย (10.17)

Statistical data, as well as a reconciliation of the reported non-GAAP financial measures, can be found in the accompanying tables. A glossary of financial terms can be found on the last page of this release.

Alaska Airlines cancels nearly 25 flights out of Paine Field due to 5G restrictions

From KOMO in Seattle:

“Alaska Airlines canceled nearly 25 flights Monday at Everettโ€™s Paine Field because of 5G.

The airline confirmed 23 flights into and out of Paine Field were canceled because FAA restrictions mean the Embraer E175 airplane can not land in poor weather or low visibility because 5G could possibly interfere with systems.”

Read the full story:

https://komonews.com/news/local/alaska-airlines-cancels-nearly-25-flights-out-of-paine-field-due-to-5g-restrictions

Alaska Airlines to add larger jets to its Paine Field operation

Alaska Airlines will begin operating its own Boeing 737 aircraft from Paine Field in Everett.

Boeing 737 service from PAE to Phoenix starts on February 17 followed by Las Vegas on March according to Herald Net.

Horizon Air currently operates Embraer 175 Alaska Horizon service into PAE.

 

Alaska Airlines reduces its January schedule

Alaska Airlines released this statement:

As we have entered 2022,ย the continued impacts of omicron have been disruptive in all our livesย and unprecedented employee sick calls have impacted our ability to operate our airline reliably.ย We are deeply grateful for how our incredible employees have pulled together to take care of our guests and each other,โ€ฏoperate safely andโ€ฏmake the best of aโ€ฏvery difficultโ€ฏsituation. To our guests, we apologize for the considerable inconvenience and are working hard to return to the level of service they know and expect from us.

We’reย at ourโ€ฏbest when we are safe, reliable and caring.โ€ฏAnd right now, we need to build more reliabilityย backย into ourย operation as we deal with the impacts of omicron and during a time when guestsย generallyย flyย less.ย We’ve decided toย reduce departures byย aboutย 10% throughย the end of January.ย This will giveย us the flexibility and capacity needed toย resetย while continued flexible travel policies enableย guests to adjust their plans accordingly.ย Thisย will alsoย give us time and spaceย to find our path forwardย together, withย Covid-19ย as aย continuedย reality in our businessย and our world.

We will learn from these challenges, improve where we must and deliver on our promise to deliver nonstop care each and every day.

Alaska cancels 170 flights today, with more expected throughout the week

Alaska Airlines issued this statement:

Winter weather, displaced crew members and aircraft, and the continued impact of the omicron variant on staffing levels are converging to causeย more canceled and delayed flightsย for Alaska Airlines this week.

Today, 170 flights were canceled acrossย Alaska’sย network, withย more cancellations and delays expected throughout the week. As we head into Wednesday and Thursday, we’re proactively thinningย Seattleย departures by about 20% to allow for the additional time it takes to deice aircraft, a requirement during winter weather.

The weather inย Seattleย is impacting guests beyond the Pacific Northwest. We strongly urge flyers with non-essential travelย scheduled beforeย January 2, 2022, to consider changing their travel to a later date using ourย flexible travel policy. With more snow expected and limited seats available during an already busy holiday week, we’re not able to re-accommodate most guests for at least three days.

“We deeply apologize for the inconvenience this winter storm has on our guests and employees and are working hard to return to the level of service you know and expect from us, while operating safely,” saidย Constance von Muehlen, Alaska Airlines chief operating officer and executive vice president.

If guests cannot reschedule their flights at this time, rest assured we will hold the value of their ticket until they are ready to travel again.

Tips for guests traveling this week:

  • Before heading to the airport, check your email orย alaskaair.comย to see if your flight is impacted.
  • If your flight has been canceled, do not go to the airport to change your itinerary.
  • Managing yourย reservation onlineย is the best option. Our Contact Center is experiencing hold times of more than 20 hours. To reduce long hold times, guests without immediate needs are asked to wait to contact us about their itineraries until next week.
  • Guests impacted by cancellations and delays may be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses by providing flight information and expense detailsย here.
  • If your flight is canceled while you’re at the airport and you’ve checked a bag, please immediately claim it at the baggage carousel before leaving the airport.

Our baggage service teams are working around the clock to reunite unclaimed bags with their owners. It will take several days to complete this work, but our agents will contact every guest to arrange pick-up or delivery.

We greatly appreciate the patience of our guests and tireless efforts from our employees during this busy travel period.

Weather Map (USA) for today:

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-990 ER SSWL N487AS (msn 44108) (Oneworld) BUR (Michael B. Ing). Image: 955615.

Above Copyright Photo: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-990 ER SSWL N487AS (msn 44108) (Oneworld) BUR (Michael B. Ing). Image: 955615.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show (Boeing):

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery: