Tag Archives: Anchorage

Alaska Airlines and American Airlines expand their code-share relationship

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) and American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) are expanding their code share agreement on 16 additional routes

According to Airline Route, from December 25, 2014, Alaska will place its AS code on the following American routes:

Los Angeles – Fayetteville
Los Angeles – San Antonio
Los Angeles – Tampa
Los Angeles – Toronto
Los Angeles – Vancouver
Los Angeles – West Palm Beach

In return, American will place its AA code on the following Alaska and Alaska Horizon (Horizon Air)routes:

Salt Lake City – Las Vegas
Salt Lake City – San Diego
Salt Lake City – San Francisco
Salt Lake City – San Jose

Seattle/Tacoma – Kalispell
Seattle/Tacoma – Kelowna
Seattle/Tacoma – Lewiston
Seattle/Tacoma – Pullman
Seattle/Tacoma – Walla Walla
Seattle/Tacoma – Wenatchee

Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737-490 N795AS (msn 28890) arrives in Anchorage.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show:

American Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery):

Bottom Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A321-231 N126AN (msn 6313) arrives in Las Vegas.

UPS pilots picket the UPS investor conference

The Independent Pilots Association, representing the pilots of UPS-United Parcel Service (UPS Airlines) (Atlanta and Louisville) provided an informational picket line yesterday (November 13) at the 2014 UPS Investor Conference. The union issued this statement:

The UPS pilots, represented by the Independent Pilots Association, conducted an information picket at the 2014 UPS Investor Conference held at the Grand Hyatt New York.

“We conducted this picket to inform the investment community that UPS has neglected its airline operations by failing to finalize the pilot contract,” said IPA President, Captain Robert Travis. “We prefer to reach a negotiated agreement with UPS, but with our talks now entering a fourth year, we question whether UPS is equally committed to a resolution.”

“UPS pilots have reaffirmed our intention to fly this Christmas by not seeking a release from the National Mediation Board. This holiday season, we remain committed to safe and reliable delivery,” said Travis. Under the Railway Labor Act a request for release, if granted by the NMB, could lead to a 30-day countdown to a strike, or lockout.

The IPA invites the investment community to learn more about its dispute with UPS at http://www.ipapilot.org. “Investors will want to stay informed. As UPS pilot labor talks continue, we will keep you apprised of developments” said Travis.

UPS and IPA have been following the Railway Labor Act process for the last 39 months; direct negotiations for 29 months and mediated talks for the past 10 months. Direct negotiations began in September 2011 and continued through January 2014. In early 2014, UPS and IPA jointly requested federal mediation. The National Mediation Board docketed the case in February 2014 and assigned a staff mediator to oversee further negotiations. The parties have been in mediated talks since February 2014.

The Independent Pilots Association represents the 2,600 pilots who fly globally for United Parcel Service.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 747-4R7F N582UP (msn 29053) lands in beautiful Anchorage, Alaska.

UPS aircraft slide show:

Alaska Airlines is coming to Washington’s Dulles International Airport

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) on March 11, 2015 will begin daily nonstop service to Dulles International Airport from its SeaTac hub.

With the launch of Alaska’s Dulles flight next spring, Alaska customers will have nonstop access to all three D.C.-area airports from Seattle/Tacoma, including Reagan National Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Airport – more flights than any other carrier.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-890 N592AS (msn 35190) with Aviation Partners Boeing Split Scimitar Winglets arrives in Anchorage.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show:

Alaska Airlines expands its seasonal route network from the Pacific Northwest to Mexico

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) this week will begin service from the Pacific Northwest to Mexico, just in time for winter. The airline kicks off its new nonstop service between Seattle/Tacoma and Cancun on November 6. Flights will operate daily through April 27, 2015. The airline also is offering new nonstop flights from Portland, Oregon, to Puerto Vallarta starting November 4 through April 26, 2015 and to Los Cabos starting Nov. 20 through April 27, 2015.

All times are based on local time zones.

Alaska Airlines began flying to Mexico a quarter century ago and now operates 240 flights a week during the winter between the West Coast and Mexico—more than any other carrier. Alaska flies an average of 1.5 million passengers a year to seven Mexico beach destinations—Cancun, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta—in addition to Guadalajara and Mexico City.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-890 N590AS (msn 35887) with Aviation Partners Boeing Split Scimitar Winglets departs from Anchorage bound for Seattle/Tacoma.

Alaska Airlines Aircraft Slide Show:

FedEx Express requests NMB mediation for a new pilots contract

FedEx Express (Memphis), a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation (Memphis), has formally requested assistance from the National Mediation Board (NMB) to expedite its ongoing pilot negotiations. The NMB is the U.S. governmental agency that oversees labor agreements for entities covered by the Railway Labor Act (RLA), such as airlines, railroads and express companies.

The company and its pilots, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), have been engaged in contract talks for more than a year. The current contract became amendable on February 25, 2013 and the two sides reached a tentative agreement on 20 of the 31 contract sections in September 2014.

Under the RLA, the terms and conditions of the existing contract between the company and ALPA do not expire until the full multi-step RLA process is exhausted. In the meantime, the progression of negotiations into the mediation stage has no impact on company operations or its ability to provide highly reliable service to customers.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-FS2 N862FD (msn 37733) arrives on a cold day at Anchorage.

FedEx Express Aircraft Slide Show:

FedEx Express increases the number of countries for its International First® early delivery service to 97

FedEx is expanding solutions for global customers who need their critical deliveries to arrive as early as the start of the next business day.

FedEx Express (Memphis), a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation, and the world’s largest express transportation company, is broadening the FedEx ‘International First®’ early delivery service, increasing the number of origin markets to include the following:

Austria

Bahrain

Belize

Bolivia

China

Czech Republic

Denmark

Ecuador

El Salvador

Finland

Guiana (Guyana)

Guyana

Honduras

Hungary

India

Indonesia

Korea

Kuwait

Malaysia

Nicaragua

Norway

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Portugal

Poland

Singapore

Suriname (Surinam)

Sweden

Thailand

United Arab Emirates

This expansion brings the total number of origin markets to 97, and means that customers can now use FedEx International First to ship packages from the above countries to any of the existing International First destination markets.

Depending on origin and destination, FedEx International First shipments arrive within one to three business days, often at the start of the business day. The service is most often used for business documents, electronic and high tech equipment, medical devices, clinical trials and gear for the entertainment industry–shipments that require delivery on a tight deadline.

About FedEx International First

FedEx International First is a time-definite, customs cleared, door-to-door express service with a pre-defined delivery commitment for shipments up to 150 lbs. per package. Customers receive International First deliveries as early as 8 a.m. in the United States, 9 a.m. in Europe, and 10 a.m. in Asia, Canada and Latin America. While the range of shipments is broad, it’s often the delivery service of choice for customers shipping time-sensitive materials.

FedEx Express:

UPS reports its third quarter operating profit increased 7.8% to $1.3 billion, expects holiday packages to increase by 11%

UPS (United Parcel Service) (UPS Airlines) (Atlanta and Louisville) issued this financial statement:

UPS has announced diluted earnings per share of $1.32 for the third quarter 2014, a 13.8% improvement over the prior year period. Operating profit increased 8.3%, resulting from balanced growth across all three segments.

Daily packages in the U.S. were 6.9% higher as demand from both B2C and B2B customers improved. International Export shipments increased 9.4% with strong growth in both Asia and Europe. UPS delivered 1.1 billion packages around the world, up 6.9% over the third quarter 2013.

Cash Flow

For the nine months ended Sept. 30, UPS generated $2.8 billion in free cash flow. The company paid dividends of $1.8 billion, up 8.1% per share over the prior year, and repurchased 20.6 million shares for approximately $2.1 billion.

U.S. Domestic Package

U.S. Domestic revenue increased to $8.7 billion, up 5.3% over the third quarter 2013. Daily package volume improved 6.9%, led by gains in UPS Ground and Deferred products up 7.7% and 5.9%, respectively. E-commerce continued to drive strong B2C growth, while B2B deliveries were also higher this quarter.

Operating profit was $1.3 billion, up 7.8%. Operating margin expanded 30 basis points to 14.7%. The segment experienced positive operating leverage as investments in new technology and capacity helped lower costs.

Total revenue per package declined 1.5% as base rate improvements were offset by changes in customer and product mix. UPS SurePost shipments increased more than 50%, contributing to the mix change.

During the quarter, UPS announced the expansion of its Access Point alternate delivery solution to the New York City and Chicago areas. Plans were announced to add locations in other U.S. cities, in addition to more than 4,400 existing UPS Stores, by the end of 2015.

International Package

International revenue increased 5.5% to $3.2 billion on daily package growth of 6.7%. Export products jumped 9.4% with gains from all regions of the world. Shipments out of Asia grew 16% and Europe was up 14%.

Operating profit improved 10.3% to $460 million. Operating margin expanded 70 basis points over the prior year period, to 14.5%. Revenue and cost initiatives implemented during the quarter contributed to the margin improvements.

Currency-neutral revenue per package declined 1.0% due to changing product mix and continued strength in shorter trade lanes. Non-premium products continue to outpace premium, putting pressure on yield.

On October 7, UPS announced the acquisition of international e-commerce enabler i-parcel, LLC. The company’s experience and technology in cross-border e-commerce assists U.K. and U.S. based retailers expand their reach to consumers in over 100 countries worldwide.

Supply Chain & Freight

Supply Chain and Freight revenue was up 7.4% to $2.4 billion, resulting primarily from growth in the Distribution and UPS Freight business units. Operating profit was 7% higher at $215 million, and operating margin was 8.9%.

Forwarding revenue was higher primarily due to increased International Air Freight (IAF) tonnage which was aided by high-tech product launches and Government sector gains. Operating profit improvements in North American Air Freight and Ocean Forwarding were more than offset by continued pricing pressure in IAF.

Distribution revenue increased more than 10% over the same quarter last year. Strong demand from Healthcare and Retail sector customers contributed to the growth.

UPS Freight revenue increased 7.9% to $810 million. LTL shipments were 4.7% higher and revenue per hundredweight improved 1.1%. Operating profit and margin expanded from the third quarter last year.

Outlook

The company announced its expectations for the upcoming holiday season. UPS expects shipments delivered during the month of December to climb 11% over the prior year. As previously announced, the company committed an additional $175 million in operating expense and $500 million in capital expenditures to enhance its capabilities and prepare the network for peak and future volume growth.

UPS Aircraft Slide Show:

Video: Plane Pull at Miami: UPS Americas employees, friends and family showed their support for United Way of Miami-Dade by coming out to pull a Boeing 757 weighting more than 110,000 lb. at the UPS Americas 2014 Plane Pull. The high temperatures didn’t stop the attendance of more than 250 people at the fundraiser event. Together, we pulled for a great cause.

Alaska Airlines and its flight attendants tentatively agree on a five-year contract

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) and the Association of Flight Attendants have 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 December.

Under the Railway Labor Act, which governs collective bargaining agreements in the airline industry, contracts do not expire. Instead they become amendable. The prior contract was effective in 2010 and became amendable in May 2012.

Alaska Airlines:

FedEx Corporation’s earnings surge in the first quarter to $606 million

FedEx Corporation (FedEx Express) (Memphis) reported its earnings for its fiscal first quarter surged by 24 percent to net income of $606 million. The corporation issued this financial report:

FedEx Corporation today reported earnings of $2.10 per diluted share for the first quarter ended August 31, up 37% from last year’s $1.53 per share.

First Quarter Results

FedEx Corp. reported the following consolidated results for the first quarter:

• Revenue of $11.7 billion, up 6% from $11.0 billion the previous year

• Operating income of $987 million, up 24% from $795 million last year

• Operating margin of 8.5%, up from 7.2% the previous year

• Net income of $606 million, up 24% from last year’s $489 million

Operating income increased primarily due to higher volumes and increased yields at all three transportation segments. Results in the first quarter also include benefits from lower pension expense and the company’s profit improvement programs. These benefits were partially offset by higher aircraft maintenance expense due to the timing of certain engine maintenance events.

During the quarter, the company acquired 5.3 million shares of FedEx common stock. As of August 31, 2014, no shares remained under the existing share repurchase authorizations. Share repurchases benefited earnings in the quarter by $0.15 per diluted share.

Outlook

FedEx reaffirmed its fiscal 2015 earnings forecast of $8.50 to $9.00 per diluted share. The outlook assumes no net year-over-year fuel impact and continued moderate economic growth. The capital spending forecast for fiscal 2015 remains $4.2 billion.

“FedEx reported strong first quarter results, as all three of our transportation segments drove higher revenues and improved profitability year over year,” said Alan B. Graf, Jr., FedEx Corp. executive vice president and chief financial officer. “Our profit improvement programs are progressing as planned and we continue to expect strong earnings growth this year.”

2015 Rate Increases

As previously announced, FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight will increase shipping rates effective January 5, 2015.

FedEx Express will increase shipping rates by an average of 4.9% for U.S. domestic, U.S. export and U.S. import services.

FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery will increase shipping rates by an average of 4.9%. In addition, as announced in May, FedEx Ground will also begin applying dimensional weight pricing to all shipments.

FedEx Freight will increase shipping rates by an average of 4.9%. This rate change applies to eligible FedEx Freight shipments within the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), between the contiguous U.S. and Canada, within Canada, between the contiguous U.S. and Mexico, and within Mexico.

Details of all changes to rates and surcharges are available at fedex.com/us/2015rates.

Corporate Headquarters Costs

Effective this fiscal year, the company ceased allocating to its transportation segments the costs associated with the corporate headquarters division. These costs are now included in “Corporate, eliminations and other.” Prior year amounts in this release have been revised to conform to the current presentation.

FedEx Express Segment

For the first quarter, the FedEx Express segment reported:

• Revenue of $6.86 billion, up 4% from last year’s $6.61 billion

• Operating income of $369 million, up 35% from $273 million a year ago

• Operating margin of 5.4%, up from 4.1% the previous year

Revenue increased due to higher U.S. domestic package volume and international export package yields partially offset by lower freight revenue. U.S. domestic package volume grew 5%, as 8% growth in overnight and deferred box volume was partially offset by lower envelope volume. U.S. domestic yield increased 1% from higher fuel surcharges, changes in service mix and increased rates. FedEx International Priority® volume grew 1%, while FedEx International Economy® volume increased 3%. International export revenue per package increased 3% due to fuel surcharges, higher rates and weight per package.

Operating income and margin improved as higher U.S. domestic package volume, improved international export yield and benefits from profit improvement programs more than offset higher aircraft maintenance expense and lower freight revenues.

Copyright Photo: Steve Bailey/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-FHT N883FD (msn 39285) of FedEx Express climbs away from the runway at Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC).

FedEx Express:

Horizon Air to operate seasonal flights from Las Vegas to Mammoth Lakes, California

Horizon Air (Alaska Horizon) (Seattle/Tacoma) will operate seasonal service between Las Vegas and Mammoth Lakes, California.

Horizon Air’s nonstop flight from Las Vegas to Mammoth Lakes will operate on Mondays and Thursdays between January 15 and April 6, 2015.

Horizon Air will operate the flights with the Bombardier DHC-8-402 (marketed as the Q400) turboprop aircraft on the new route.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Horizon Air now spreads its wings from Alaska to the U.S. Southwest. Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) N443QX (man 4353) in the University of Alaska Seawolves college motif departs from Anchorage.

Alaska Horizon (Horizon Air):