Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air Offer Holiday Travel Tips

In anticipation of the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel weekend, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air offer these tips for stress-free travel:

— Leave gifts unwrapped. Wrapped packages are subject to inspection regardless of whether you carry them through security or in your checked luggage.

— Know the rules for large or unusual items. Passengers with excess luggage, pets or oversized items, such as skis, should check their airline’s policies ahead of time.

— Know when to go. In general, passengers should arrive at the airport at least two hours before domestic departure and three hours before international departures. Specific information is available at each airport. Passengers must be at the gate at least 30 minutes prior to departure, or 40 minutes prior to an international departure, to board.

— Consider checking in online. Alaska and Horizon passengers can check in online for domestic and international flights as early as 24 hours before departure at alaskaair.com or horizonair.com. International passengers can also enter passport information online. Passengers should leave ample time to check any luggage at the airport. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members earn 1,000 Mileage Plan miles the first time they check in online.

— Use a check-in kiosk. Alaska and Horizon provide more than 400 convenient check-in kiosks at airports and many off-site locations. Passengers can print out their own boarding pass and some kiosks offer baggage check-in. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members earn 1,000 Mileage Plan miles the first time they check in at a kiosk.

— Take the express line. MVP Gold Mileage Plan members and passengers with no carry-on items can use express lines at security checkpoints in Seattle; Spokane, Wash.; Anchorage, Alaska; and Portland, Ore. Express lines are also available for Horizon Shuttle passengers traveling from Seattle and Portland to Spokane.

— Know the carry-on limits. Federal rules allow each customer to carry one standard-size carry-on bag and one personal item, such as a purse, briefcase or laptop computer.

— Carry all valuables, medication, documents and film. Passengers should carry prescription medication, passports, cash, jewelry, business papers, film and other valuables in their carry-on luggage to keep control of these items during the trip.

— Properly label all luggage. Passengers should provide a clearly printed label on the outside and on the inside of each piece of luggage. Tags should include name, address, permanent phone number and a phone number at the passenger’s destination.

— Prepare for the security line. Passengers should not bring any item through the security line prohibited by the Transportation Security Administration, such as knives, scissors and even ski poles. A list of prohibited items is available at www.tsatraveltips.us. Passengers can get through security more quickly by limiting the number of electronic devices they carry and by removing shoes, metal objects and laptop computers before entering the scanning area.

— Plan for transportation to the airport. Passengers are encouraged to take a shuttle to the airport or park at a satellite parking lot nearby. Passengers should allow extra time for parking during busy holiday travel periods, as lots may be full.

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