Seattle’s Hometown Airline Named Official Airline of Mariners

The Seattle Mariners and Alaska Airlines today announced that Alaska is the ballclub’s official airline. The multi-year sponsorship includes the launch of "Alaska Airlines Home Runs for Wishes," a new community program that will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska, Montana, Northern Idaho and Washington. Through the program, the airline will donate 10,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles for every Mariners home run and 40,000 miles for every Mariners grand slam at Safeco Field.

"As a longtime Mariners sponsor, Alaska Airlines is excited to enhance its partnership to include a program that will benefit children with life-threatening medical conditions," said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of marketing. "With stars like Ken Griffey Jr., we’re confident the Mariners will maintain their average of 71 home runs and two grand slams a year, and when they do, the ‘Home Runs for Wishes’ program will raise nearly 800,000 miles for the Make-A-Wish Foundation."

Alaska Airlines has supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation since 1985 and each year provides the local chapter with about 350 tickets to send children and their families to their wish destinations. Donations of frequent flier miles reduce the Foundation’s costs.

"Alaska Airlines and Make-A-Wish both have longstanding relationships with the Seattle Mariners, and we are pleased to facilitate a program that will benefit so many kids and families across the Northwest, Montana and Alaska," said Bob Aylward, Seattle Mariners’ executive vice president of business operations.

In addition to being named the official airline of the Mariners, Alaska’s sponsorship will include a sweepstakes inviting fans to enter for a chance to win baseball game tickets and airfare for two to either New York or Boston in August, when the Mariners play the Yankees and Red Sox. The Mariners will play a three-game series Aug. 20-22 in New York and Aug. 23-25, 2010, in Boston. Fans can register for the contest in June at www.mariners.com.

Seattle Mariners fans attending games at Safeco Field also will see Alaska Airlines advertising on Safeco Field’s center field scoreboard and home plate rotational signage.

Note to media: A high resolution photograph of the Mariner Moose is available in the image gallery at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group , together serve more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2009 North America Airline Satisfaction Studies(SM). For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska, Montana, Northern Idaho and Washington grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Since its inception in 1986, the chapter has granted more than 4,000 wishes to children in the Northwest and will grant 327 wishes this year alone. For more information about the Foundation, including how you can help share the power of a wish® call (800) 304-WISH or visit www.northwestwishes.org.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: maria.koenig@alaskaair.com

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines