Alaska Airlines surprises employees with 90,000 miles to travel the globe
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Photos by Ingrid Barrentine
Alaska Airlines is celebrating its 90th anniversary by giving all employees the gift of travel.
While many of us were instructed to stay home during the pandemic, airline employees were part of the essential workforce who remained on the front lines. Each day brought new challenges, regulations and precautions that our people had to carefully navigate while continuing to care for our guests, communities and each other.
As we inch our way to a new normal—happily seeing travelers’ pent-up desire to hop on a plane—Alaska is taking a moment to thank each employee for their relentless commitment to caring for our guests for 90 years & counting by giving them 90,000 miles to fly anywhere in the world.
As we celebrate 90 years of flying, we wouldn’t be where we are today without our incredible people who work nonstop to keep things moving, even throughout a global pandemic,” said CEO Ben Minicucci. “When you think about how many airlines have come and gone since 1932, it’s an amazing achievement that we’re still here and stronger than ever—it’s because of the genuine care and hard work our people bring to our operation every day.”
The great thing about miles is they never expire and offer flexibility to travel not just on Alaska, but also on our oneworld partners like British Airways, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Finnair and our other airline partners. Travel awards begin at just 5,000 miles, and can be used to book First Class tickets, a relaxing stay at a hotel or tickets to an anticipated event—there are so many ways to use airline miles!
With 90,000 miles, you can plan a trip to almost anywhere in the world:
- For instance, a roundtrip flight from Seattle up and down the West Coast starts at just 10,000 roundtrip, which means you can get you up to nine roundtrip flights!
- Roundtrips from Seattle to New York start at 25,000 miles, or even visit Hawaii from San Francisco starting at 30,000 miles roundtrip.
- Want to travel internationally? A roundtrip flight to Europe from the West Coast starts at 60,000 miles through our oneworld partners. Mileage prices do vary so search for your travel dates to see the prices for the dates and cabins you want to travel in.
Watch COO Constance von Muehlen surprise a few of our hardworking employees today with this exciting news:
Travel is what we do. It’s who we are.
Here are some reasons why we love it:
Many of our employees come to work for an airline because of a passion for adventure and travel, so what better way to honor 90 years of flying than with the gift of travel?
In one word, we asked our network of employees to tell us why they travel and what motivates them to keep flying. We hope their answers inspire you to start planning your next trip.
I travel for nature,” says Matt, a senior software engineer in Seattle. “I try to find the natural beauty everywhere I roam.”
I travel to escape,” says Amanda, who works as an accounting specialist in Seattle. “This means I travel to get away from normal life, learn new things and then I appreciate the life I already have when I return!”
I travel for Knowledge,” says Nick, a customer care representative in Seattle. “I’m a huge science and history buff and I love the outdoors, so I travel the world visiting national parks, historical sites, museums or even just awesome mountains to climb.”
I travel because of friends,” says Ryan, a senior information security engineer. “Because I like creating fun, unique experiences. Time is the most valuable thing I have, and I like creating unique opportunities with them.”