Alaska Airlines Continues Expansion of Northern Bites Meals-for-Purchase Program

Alaska Airlines today announced it will continue to expand its Northern Bites meals-for-purchase program, replacing complimentary snack sandwiches with $5 meal options in the main cabin on designated mealtime flights.

Beginning Oct. 29, the airline will expand the program to 17 daily transcontinental mealtime flights. In total, the meals-for-purchase program will be available on an average of more than 90 daily designated mealtime flights, or nearly all flights longer than three hours.

"As we continue to offer Northern Bites meals on more flights, our customers tell us the meals not only taste good, but — at $5 — are a good value," said Gregg Saretsky, Alaska’s executive vice president of marketing and planning. "By further expanding the program, we’re able to provide distinctive meal options to more of our customers while continuing to manage costs in this highly competitive airfare environment."

The move marks the second time this year Alaska has expanded the program, which is expected to save the airline several million dollars annually. The airline introduced its Northern Bites meals-for-purchase program in 2005 on most flights to and from Mexico. In August, Alaska expanded the program to include mealtime flights between the Lower 48 states and the Alaskan destinations of Anchorage and Fairbanks, as well as between Seattle and both Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth.

Northern Bites breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are rotated monthly to offer frequent fliers variety at mealtime. When the program is introduced to transcontinental flights later this month, Alaska’s Northern Bites breakfast option will be a freshly prepared breakfast skillet featuring southwest sausage, scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes. On lunch and dinner flights, the Northern Bites program will offer the choice of a chicken fajita salad wrap with an Almond Roca candy or a quarter-pound U.S. Angus Beef cheeseburger with potato chips.

Starting Oct. 29, Alaska also will introduce a new $5 Northern Bites Picnic Pack, offered as an alternative option in addition to the Northern Bites breakfast, lunch or dinner meal. The Northern Bites Picnic Pack will be filled with a variety of snack-sized treats, including lemon pepper tuna, crackers, granola, applesauce, pita chips, Almond Roca candy and an Emergen-C drink mix. The Picnic Pack will initially be offered as an option on transcontinental routes and flights between Chicago and Anchorage.

Alaska Airlines continues to offer passengers seated in the first-class cabin complimentary meals.

Alaska Airlines and sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve 88 cities through an expansive network throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: maria.koenig@alaskaair.com

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines