We’ve invested in new technology in Portland to improve our guests’ travel experience; we’ve been the largest carrier at PDX for more than 20 years, now with 110 peak daily flights 

Alaska Airlines is excited to partner with Portland International Airport for the grand opening today of its beautifully renovated, world-class terminal that has been years in the making. In conjunction with the terminal opening, Portland is our first location where we’re using our new proprietary and innovative technology and processes to transform the airport experience and move our guests more seamlessly through the lobby and into security in five minutes or less. 

“As our second largest hub, Portland is an essential part of Alaska’s future. Our deep collaboration and joint investment with the Port of Portland on this new world-class terminal highlights our focus on improving how our guests travel.”

– Shane Jones, senior vice president of fleet, revenue products and real estate at Alaska Airlines.

“With nearly 90% of our passengers now checking in before they arrive at the airport, we’ve launched our lobby of the future experience in Portland which simplifies dropping off bags and gets guests quickly through the lobby so they can enjoy everything the new terminal has to offer,” said Charu Jain, senior vice president of innovation and merchandising at Alaska Airlines. 

We’re highlighting advancements in technology that allow autonomy for our guests—giving them the option to travel the way they want to. It starts with dropping off checked bags. Our custom Apple iPad-powered bag tag stations print tags with just the scan of a mobile boarding pass. We’ve partnered with Embross, a leader in self-service technologies, to make it easy for our guests to use Automated Bag Drop stations that scan and accept their checked baggage. This includes securely matching travelers to their government-issued IDs without standing in line for an agent.  

The PDX bag drop experience leverages some of the latest innovations in computer vision to deliver the convenience and efficiency of automated bag processing while also ensuring user safety and security compliance to TSA ID-check requirements,” said Myles Tzelepis, chief technology officer at Embross. 

Caring for our guests is always a priority. Our dedicated customer service agents, known for going above and beyond, will continue to be on hand in our lobby to troubleshoot potential issues and help those who may need assistance getting their bags checked in. 

Download photos from our press kit here.

We’ve been the largest carrier in Portland for more than 20 years—and we keep growing. Alaska and Horizon Air flights have increased by 17% from 2023 to 2024. That translates to 110 peak daily flights to 55 nonstop destinations from PDX, with 29 of those locations served exclusively by Alaska, providing a crucial transportation link to smaller cities and communities. We recently started new nonstop service to Miami and Nashville from PDX, and in the coming months, we’re adding nonstop flights to Atlanta and New Orleans. 

There are more good things on the horizon at PDX for our guests. Our all-new Lounge in Portland will bring guest favorites to more than 12,000 square feet of space, all with a modern Pacific Northwest vibe. The new Lounge is scheduled to open in 2026, and it will include a barista station, a cozy fireplace setting and great views of the new terminal. 

Our partnership with Chef Brandon Jew of Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s takes our First Class menu to new heights 

Alaska Airlines is set to redefine its First Class dining experience with the launch of an exciting chef partnership starting this month. The collaboration with Brandon Jew, an acclaimed chef and owner of San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s restaurant, will bring an exclusive menu to our guests seated in First Class between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).*

Starting Aug. 14, guests will be able to preorder from the special menu, which features a series of Chef Jew’s signature dishes, including his take on the classic Chinese breakfast porridge known as congee, black cod cooked to perfection with a side of silken tofu and tender slow-braised duck served with savory sesame egg noodles.

We’re using the same high-quality poultry from Liberty Farms in Sonoma County that is featured at Mister Jiu’s as their trademark Peking Style Whole Roast Duck, as well as other Michelin rated restaurants around the world. Each First Class dish was exquisitely crafted by Chef Jew, who is known for blending local and seasonal produce from the San Francisco Bay Area with classic Chinese techniques and flavors. The results are exquisite dishes that are both nostalgic and creative. 

This collaboration continues our momentum of elevating our already premium First Class dining experience. At Alaska, our long history of partnerships with strong West Coast brands, including Salt & Straw, Ellenos, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese and Stumptown, allows us to serve our guests the best of the region’s flavors and local ingredients. 

We’re making Chef Jew’s dishes, inspired by his Cantonese heritage and vibrant San Francisco food scene, available to our First Class guests between SFO and JFK starting on Aug. 28*. The partnership will run for at least one year with seasonal rotations. 

Through this partnership and in support of Chef Jew’s charitable efforts to the community, we are donating $5,000 to Gum Moon Women’s Residence, a local non-profit that was established to address the unmet needs of women and children in geographic and social transition. 

Chef Jew recently maintained a Michelin star for his restaurant, located in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown, for a seventh year in a row. As the executive chef and owner of contemporary Chinese American restaurant Mister Jiu’s and Mamahuhu, Chef Jew combines local, seasonal and organic bounty of the San Francisco Bay Area with classic Chinese techniques and flavors. His training spans from Bologna, Italy to Shanghai, China and many restaurants within the Bay Area.  

All our guests, no matter where they sit, can enjoy a premium culinary experience when traveling on Alaska. Fueled by our industry leading pre-order program, our inflight menu continues to offer more choices than any other U.S. airline. We recently added hot meals made with fresh and locally sourced ingredients to our Main Cabin menu on flights over 1,100* miles. Guests can now choose from up to five chef-curated dishes, including at least one hot meal option. Along with our freshly prepared food offerings like our Signature Fruit & Cheese Platter, our hot meals are only available for pre-order purchase.  

Full First Class Chef Brandon Jew Curated Menu 

Route: SFO to JFK, JFK to SFO

Breakfast: Brown rice congee with soy cured eggs and braised pork belly. Served with a turnip cake, pickled cauliflower, hoisin and a hot chili sauce. 

Route: SFO to JFK

Lunch/Dinner: Liberty Farms braised duck leg, sesame egg noodles and gai lan. Served with wood ear mushrooms, tofu skin and cucumbers. 

Route: JFK to SFO

Lunch/Dinner: Roasted black cod topped with ginger-scallion sauce and silken tofu and mapo sauce, on top of a quinoa & farro blend with roasted shitake mushrooms. 

For our press kit, including still images and b-roll, click here. 

*Hot meal options may not be available on some flights, including redeye flights or where catering is not available