Holiday sweaters, Kristi Yamaguchi and Hallmark—oh, fly! See how Alaska Airlines surprised guests this week
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Photos by Josh Leung and Ingrid Barrentine.
Some might think palm trees and ice rinks don’t go together—but the same can be said when an ugly sweater turns out to be trendy. They grow on you, like a Hallmark Christmas classic this time of year, which is why we’re thrilled to team up with Olympic Figure Skater Kristi Yamaguchi and her Always Dream Foundation and San Jose Public Library to give South Bay Students a memorable holiday ice skating party at San Jose’s downtown ice rink.
And, of course, in true figure skating form, we upped our fashion game.
On Friday, elementary school students took to the ice with Yamaguchi, Snoopy and Woodstock for a skating clinic donning our latest holiday apparel. Followed by a tour of the San Jose Public Library’s MakerSpace Ship, an innovative mobile workshop & STEAM lab, and received books from Always Dream.
Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream is celebrating its 25th anniversary! Its mission ensures children from low-income families have access to high-quality books in the home environment and extensive family engagement support. Always Dream believes that providing children with 21st-century technology and high-quality books will help foster a love of reading and will teach and empower families to build consistent reading habits together.
Our long-standing partnership with Alaska Airlines is invaluable, from volunteering at local schools to sponsoring today’s holiday party for low-income students,” says Kristi Yamaguchi, Founder of Always Dream and Olympic gold medalist. “It’s about the power of one, working together for a common cause! Together, we level the playing field, ensuring that all students have access to 21st-century technology and quality books. Being able to read proficiently is the foundation for success in school and in life.”
Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream is also hosting a book drive at Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice in San Jose until January 9, 2022. Guests are encouraged to drop off donations of new children’s books appropriate for babies to young adults in any language.
Like Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation, we value the power an education can bring to a child and look to provide pathways for success that include career planning, life skills and mentorships among young people in communities that we serve.
We’re proud to once again be the official airline of the Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice Rink, while also supporting the Always Dream and San Jose Public Library Foundations,” said Franco Finn, Alaska’s Bay Area external relations & community manager. “At Alaska, we’re always looking for ways to give back to our communities and creating opportunities and pathways for youth to reach their goals. What a great way to give back to the community, support our youth and celebrate the holidays!”
YOU SWEATER BELIEVE IT
In honor of National Ugly Sweater Day on 12/7, Alaska gifted each child with their very own holiday sweater! Plus, today only, all guests wearing ANY holiday sweater to the airport will land priority boarding on any of our flights where we fly.
And the fun doesn’t stop there, all month long, you can get a day pass to any Alaska Lounge for just $25 when you are wearing a holiday sweater.
Cozy up, up, and away with us by booking your next flight on alaskaair.com!
COAST TO COAST SURPRISES & DELIGHTS
Today, from coast to coast, we celebrated National Ugly Sweater Day from New York City to San Francisco on a special surprise & delight flight, decked (for the hauls) in sweaters!
Guests were treated to gate celebrations, our holiday sweaters (of course) and our friends at Hallmark Channel helped put the trip over the top with amazing gift bags!
To keep your travels merry and bright, now through 12/25, you can enjoy free inflight Wi-Fi access to Hallmark Movies Now to stream hundreds of Hallmark Channel original movies.*
Plus, if you’re not already a Hallmark Movies Now subscriber, you can sign up for a FREE 7-day trial to get access to all your Hallmark Channel favorites wherever you are!
Alaska guests can also connect with friends and family from 30,000 feet in the air with our free chat feature during the flight. Just connect to our inflight Wi-Fi and select “free texting.”
From our team to you, we wish you all a very happy holiday & New Year!
* Hallmark Movie App Offer is limited to satellite Wi-Fi equipped aircraft. On most other flights, guests can stream Hallmark Channel titles via our inflight entertainment system. And, if you’d like to skate at San Jose’s downtown ice, the rink is open until Jan. 9, 2022. Tickets are available online, and proof of vaccination is required. A portion of ticket sales will benefit Kristi Yamaguchi’s “Always Dream” organization.