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Alaska will begin offering a more seamless travel experience on American Airlines

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is expanding its reach with new options to earn and redeem miles on American’s full network, which will include flights that were historically US Airways flights, beginning October 17 – and other enhancements arriving even sooner. These will add value to Alaska’s frequent flyer miles and improve the benefits of MVP elite status.

American Airlines and US Airways merged in 2013 to create the world’s largest airline. Mergers happen in stages, and the pending October 17 migration to a single reservation system will be a significant moment when all US Airways flights become American Airlines flights, making them eligible for the same benefits and opportunities that Mileage Plan members already receive when they fly with American. Customers can book the flights starting today for travel Oct. 17 or later.

More Mileage Plan: 5 ways to earn more miles

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The adventures of Piglet and Aurora: Two lost toys have an Alaskan adventure

A simple ferry ride turned into an Alaskan adventure for two fuzzy stuffed animals named Piglet and Aurora, when their owner accidentally left them behind.

Petersburg, Alaska resident Lizzie Thompson had exchanged stuffed animals with family friends in Virginia for the summer, so their children could learn about each other’s homes through their stuffed animals’ adventures. Lizzie’s 8-year-old daughter Kate sent her stuffed blue-footed booby Albert to Virginia and Aurora, an orange sea turtle, came to stay with the Thompsons in Petersburg. Piglet is Kate’s favorite toy and constant travel companion.

The plan was to take the stuffed animals on summer adventures and journal about their travels as they went.

However, after being left on a ferry between Sitka and Petersburg, Piglet and Aurora ended up on an adventure of their own.

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Outdoor Adventure: Climbing the West

One of the most fantastic mountaintop views is from atop the Grand Teton, a 13,770-foot crag that towers above its namesake park in Wyoming. Look east and the Jackson Hole valley spreads out before you, with Timbered Island, a glacial moraine now heavily treed. To the west, the Jedediah Smith Wilderness with its cloud-scratching peaks is sprawled before you.

Of course, to enjoy this view, you have to climb. It’s not as daunting as you’d think. There are a couple climbing concessions in Grand Teton National Park that will both teach you how to climb, and escort you to the summit.

Ready to get outside? Explore outdoor adventure deals at alaskaair.com.

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Alaska testing biometric IDs, boarding passes

One carry-on bag. One personal item. A jacket. Your morning coffee. A boarding pass. Two hands to juggle it all as you wait to board your flight.

Something about the above equation just doesn’t add up, and Alaska Airlines’ customer research and development team knows it – which is why they’ve spent the past several months testing the use of fingerprints as a form of identification. Through this experiment, customers can use their fingerprints instead of a boarding pass and/or government-issued ID to check their bags, speed through the security checkpoint and board their flight.

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Team Russell vs. Team Joel: Game on

Squatting Suburbans, benching boats or lifting linebackers, no workout can prepare you for the ultimate challenge: a plane pull.

Update July 28, 2015, 2 p.m.: Team Russell successfully pulled the jet 25 feet in 16.9 seconds, with Team Joel coming in at over a minute. (A second pull by Team Joel actually netted a time of 15.6 seconds, but was unofficial.) All agreed that Strong Against Cancer was the real winner.

Alaska Airlines’ Chief Football Officer Russell Wilson and actor and comedian Joel McHale are facing off in an epic plane pull to raise money and awareness for Strong Against Cancer, a national initiative dedicated to ending childhood cancer.

Teams of 18 led by Wilson and McHale will compete to see who can physically pull a Boeing 737-800 25 feet in the shortest amount of time. They’re also competing to see which team can raise the most money for Strong Against Cancer.

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20 things for 20-somethings to do in Milwaukee

Milwaukee is not the usual 20-something’s idea of a vacation spot. What do they even have there, cheese and beer?

If the beer isn’t enough to get you there, it turns out Milwaukee is a creative hub for art, music and food like you’ve never seen.

Here are 20-something must-do’s for 20-somethings visiting Milwaukee:

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Ask an Alaska Pilot: Do you get to choose your flights?

By Doug Branch, Alaska Airlines captain

Doug Branch’s interest in aviation began around the same time he could say the word “plane.” Captain Branch has deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, including growing up on Bainbridge Island and learning to fly at Eastern Washington’s Big Bend Community College. After three years flying for a commuter airline in the Midwest, Doug joined Alaska Airlines in 2001. Captain Doug BranchAfter 14 years, he has a passion for doing things safely and efficiently and is honored to have the opportunity to educate passengers and to facilitate life’s great memories by getting them safely to where they need to go.

In the “Ask an Alaska Pilot” series, he will address common questions he gets from friends, family and travelers. Do you have a question you’ve been wanting to ask a pilot? Let us know in the comments and your question could be featured in a future post.

Do you get to choose your flights? (Arthur H., Facebook)

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4 ways to earn more miles

Everyone loves a good deal. When you choose to fly Alaska Airlines, not only are you always entitled to our low-fare guarantee, but if you’re a member of the award-winning Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan you’ll earn miles every time you fly. The more you fly, the more miles you accumulate, which can eventually get you an award trip on us or any of our 14 partner airlines. Fancy a trip to Dubai? How about Buenos Aires, Seoul or Paris? All of these and more are possible with our more than 800 partner destinations.

But you don’t have to be a frequent flyer to rack up miles. Here are a few other ways to help you get to your next award flight that much quicker.

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Fact: Our flight attendants can dance

For six years, flight attendants have danced down the streets of Seattle in the city’s annual Torchlight Parade, showing everyone that the famous “Alaska Spirit” doesn’t stop in the air.

The team walks 2.5 miles through downtown Seattle in full uniform, armed with suitcases, performing choreographed dances. This year, the team is expected to be 45 flight attendants strong, dancing to Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars and More by Usher.

“Seafair is such an integral part of summer in Seattle, being able to participate in the parade and share that energy with all of the spectators is amazing,” says Jessica Eller, who leads the drill team with Maya Anderson. Eller and Anderson also coordinate the team for the parade and any other events leading up to it.

“We work with incredible people who are really committed to their communities,” says Eller. “I love coming together and sharing in that.”

Beginning in May, flight attendants countrywide begin practicing in preparation for the Torchlight Parade in July. The choreography is posted online for everyone involved and everyone on the team is encouraged to practice during breaks or layovers.

“If there’s one thing I would tell everyone about the team, it would be that yes, flight attendants can dance,” says Orlando “Orly” Tercero, a member and four-time choreographer of the drill team. “It’s our chance to show our spirit in the air and on the ground.”

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Alaska Airlines helping fire efforts in state of Alaska

Photo via Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources Twitter (@AK_Forestry)

An unusual number of wildfires in the state of Alaska over the past two weeks has required evacuations of many residents and some have lost their homes.

Alaska Airlines’ operations in the state of Alaska have not been impacted to date, but the airline is doing what it can to help residents affected by the fires. Alaska employees are also in touch with businesses that move tourists throughout the state, such as the Alaska Railroad and the cruise companies. If their operations are impacted by the fires, particularly between Fairbanks and Anchorage, we stand ready to help fly those passengers, if necessary.

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A map of the 300 active wildfires in the state of Alaska. Photo courtesy of Alaska Interagency Coordination Center – Fire Information

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