Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air Introduce Spanish-Language Web Site

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air have introduced a Spanish-language Web site, a new tool to better connect the airlines with their growing number of Hispanic customers.

The comprehensive site, which includes more than 3,000 pages of content, allows customers to perform a number of functions in Spanish, including making a reservation, checking in for a flight and managing their Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account. Customers can access the site by clicking the "En Espanol" link from the airlines’ Web site at alaskaair.com or horizonair.com.

"There’s an increasing need to better serve our customers in their language of choice, especially as Alaska expands service between the West Coast and Mexico, and as both carriers serve an increasing number of Hispanic customers on U.S. flights," said Steve Jarvis, Alaska’s vice president of sales and customer experience. "This Web site is the first of many Spanish- language services we will introduce to make all our customers feel warmly welcomed in either English or Spanish."

By early 2007, Alaska and Horizon will add Spanish-language options at airport check-in kiosks. Alaska also plans by mid-2007 to more than double the number of Spanish-speaking reservations agents at its call centers, replace in-flight interpreters with bilingual flight attendants on flights serving non-resort destinations in Mexico, offer Spanish content in its in-flight magazine, and make Spanish-language announcements on flights to and from the Los Angeles basin.

Alaska annually transports more than 1.2 million passengers between the United States and Mexico, and has expanded its service in key business markets, including Guadalajara and Mexico City. The airline now offers more flights between the U.S. West Coast and Mexico than any other domestic carrier. During its upcoming winter schedule, Alaska will operate up to 44 flights daily serving 10 Mexican cities, including Cancun, Guadalajara, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, La Paz, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta.

When Alaska introduced Mexico service in 1988, its flights initially focused on transporting American tourists to Mexican beach resort destinations. The airline has steadily added new markets between the United States and Mexico, and today serves an increasing number of Hispanic business travelers and customers traveling between the two countries to visit friends and family.

The Spanish-language Web site was deployed using translation technology from MotionPoint, which automatically translates content from the carriers’ English-language site, alaskaair.com, into Spanish. MotionPoint translated the alaskaair.com site into Spanish in 90 days and will automatically translate new pages of content as they are developed.

MotionPoint Corporation is a software and services company dedicated to making Web sites available in any language. The company serves a wide range of corporate and government clients from its headquarters in South Florida. More information about MotionPoint and its TransMotion® technology is available at www.motionpoint.com .

Alaska Airlines its 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