Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Introduces One-Way Awards Systemwide and Creates New 7,500-Mile Award for Travel Within State of Alaska

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has introduced one-way mileage awards for travel anywhere Alaska Airlines and sister carrier Horizon Air fly. The awards are the first of their kind offered by a major U.S. airline.

The new awards allow customers to book one-way travel for half the mileage of round-trip awards. For example, one-way coach travel within the United States and Canada is available for 10,000 miles for Saver Awards and 20,000 miles for Peak Awards. When traveling round trip, customers also can combine different types of one-way tickets, including Saver and Peak Awards, coach and first-class awards and purchased tickets. The new one-way awards are available at alaskaair.com or by calling (800) ALASKAAIR.

"We are pleased to break new ground by offering our customers one-way awards," said Rick Rasmussen, Alaska Airlines’ director of customer loyalty. "These new awards support our vision to make travel easier and to offer our customers more choices when using their miles."

To celebrate Alaska Airlines’ 75th anniversary, the airline today also created a new award level for travel between any of the airline’s 20 destinations in the state of Alaska. Intra-Alaska travel is available for 7,500 miles one way and 15,000 miles round trip, 75 percent of the mileage previously required. The intra-Alaska awards are available exclusively at alaskaair.com.

"The new intra-Alaska awards and new ability to book one way are great benefits for our frequent fliers," said Bill MacKay, Alaska Airlines’ senior vice president for the state of Alaska. "We’re pleased to make these enhancements during Alaska Airlines’ 75th anniversary."

Members of the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan can earn and redeem mileage on more than a dozen airlines, including more major U.S. airlines than any other frequent-flier program. The program also offers opportunities to earn miles through an extensive network of partners, including Alaska Airlines Credit and Debit Cards, Mileage Plan Shopping, Mileage Plan Dining, Safeway, and more than 30 hotel and car-rental partners worldwide.

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is consistently honored at the Freddie Awards, among the most prestigious consumer-generated awards in the travel industry. The program has been selected "Program of the Year" for three of the past four years and, in 2006, received the "Best Elite Level Program" and "Best Member Communications" awards.

Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve 89 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