Alaska Airlines Gives Red Bull Wings

Alaska Airlines is taking the bull by the horns, becoming the first airline in the world to add the Red Bull Energy Drink to its regular inflight beverage selection. Starting today, the popular drink will be available to passengers on all of Alaska’s 500 daily flights.

"We’re always looking at ways to give our customers more value and to differentiate our airline from the rest," said Gregg Saretsky, Alaska Airline’s executive vice president of marketing and planning. "Many of our customers are Red Bull aficionados, and we’re delighted to give them the unique chance to enjoy it at cruising altitude."

Red Bull is complimentary in Alaska’s first-class cabin and available for $5 in the main cabin. The nonalcoholic drink is favored by athletes and others with active lifestyles, including business and pleasure travelers. Red Bull contains about the same amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee, as well as a combination of natural substances that help replenish the body’s natural energy supply.

The addition of Red Bull is the latest in a series of new inflight beverage product additions for Alaska. In September 2005, the airline began offering award-winning Alaskan Amber beer on a complimentary basis in first class and for $5 in the main cabin. In October 2005, the airline added Athena® bottled water, a product whose profits directly benefit women’s cancer research, to its customers’ complimentary beverage choices.

In addition to Red Bull, Alaskan Amber and Athena water, Alaska Airlines offers a variety of complimentary soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea on its flights. The airline also offers a selection of alcoholic beverages, which are complimentary in first class and available for $5 in the main cabin.

Red Bull Energy Drink was founded by Dietrich Mateschitz in 1984 and was first introduced to the Austrian market in 1987 before starting international distribution five years later. Red Bull is made for moments of increased physical and mental stress and is designed to improve endurance, alertness, concentration and reaction speed.

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 http://newsroom.alaskaair.com/.

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines