Alaska Airlines Links Seattle-Minneapolis St. Paul

Alaska Airlines today inaugurated service between Seattle and Minneapolis/St. Paul with twice daily flights to and from the Twin Cities. Alaska is offering a special one-way fare of $130 for travel through Feb. 12, 2009, to kick off the airline’s newest route.

From Seattle, flights depart at 7:30 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. Pacific time and arrive at Minneapolis/St. Paul at 12:45 p.m. and 5:50 p.m. Central time, respectively. Flights from Minneapolis/St. Paul depart at 1:45 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. Central time and arrive in Seattle at 3:20 p.m. and 8:25 p.m. Pacific time, respectively. Flights will arrive and depart from the Lindbergh Terminal at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

"Minneapolis/St. Paul represents one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States not previously served by Alaska Airlines from Seattle," said Steve Jarvis, vice president marketing, sales and customer experience. "We look forward to acquainting Twin Cities-area passengers traveling to Seattle and throughout the Pacific Northwest with Alaska’s special brand of award-winning customer service."

The two largest cities in the state of Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul form a sprawling metropolis on either side of the Mississippi River. Both cities are hubs for culture, shopping and business, and host riverboat traffic originating from as far away as the river’s mouth at New Orleans.

Alaska Airlines will operate the new flights with Boeing 737-800s, accommodating 16 passengers in first class and 141 in the main cabin. All flights will feature Alaska’s Northern Bites meal service, available for purchase by coach-class passengers for $5. Inflight service will also include Alaska Airlines’ digEplayer, a personal entertainment system offering a variety of movies, television shows, music and other features. Complimentary in first class, digEplayers are available for $10 in coach.

Travelers can earn double Mileage Plan miles on the new flights from Oct. 26 to Dec. 31, 2008. To qualify, customers must first register at alaskaair.com.

Fare Rules: The $130 one-way fare is for travel from Oct. 26, 2008 through Feb. 12, 2009. Seats are limited and subject to availability. Tickets must be purchased within 24 hours of making your reservation and at least 14 days prior to your departure. Blackout dates are Nov. 26 and 30, 2008. Passengers may check one bag for free. A second bag may be checked for $25. A fee of $100 will be assessed for each additional checked bag. Additional fees apply to overweight or oversized checked baggage. Fare may be purchased at alaskaair.com or horizonair.com provided the itinerary is no more than eight segments long (a ground segment constitutes one leg of your itinerary). The fare is only available on Alaska Airlines and/or Horizon Air. Fare is nonrefundable. Changes made through an Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Reservation Call Center or Airport Ticket Counter incur a $100 (USD) per person change fee plus applicable fees and any difference in fare. Changes for tickets originally booked through a travel agent and made through Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Reservations Call Center or Airport Ticket Counter incur a $125 (USD) per person change fee plus applicable fees and any difference in fare. Changes made at alaskaair.com incur a $75 (USD) per person change fee plus applicable fees and any difference in fare. Fares are subject to change without notice. Traveler is responsible for the following taxes and fees, as applicable: Airport Passenger Facility Charges of up to $9 (amount depends on itinerary), Federal Segment Tax of $3.60 per segment (takeoff and landing), U.S. Security Fee of $2.50 per enplanement.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air together serve 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, 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: amanda.tobin.bielawski@alaskaair.com

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines