As of 4 p.m. Pacific time, today’s wintry weather is a factor in nearly all the 154 Alaska flights that have been canceled to and from Seattle, impacting the travel plans of more than 13,600 passengers.
Thanks again to all of our guests who worked with us on a not-so-great day for traveling at our main hub.
UPDATE: 2:05 p.m. on Feb. 2, 2019 As of 2 p.m. Pacific time, today’s wintry weather is a factor in nearly all the 133 Alaska flights that have been canceled to and from Seattle, impacting the travel plans of nearly 12,000 passengers.
We appreciate the patience of our guests during this difficult travel day. We’re doing everything we can to get all of our customers to their destinations.
ORIGINAL POST: 12:17 p.m. on Feb. 2, 2019
The beginning of February is giving us a big reminder that it’s still winter in the Pacific Northwest. A potent snow storm has slowed operations at Sea-Tac Airport for us and all other airlines today. We’ve canceled at least 80 flights and there are a significant number of delays.
A Ground Delay Program – instituted by Air Traffic Control – is also in effect at the airport, which slows the number of arriving flights and reduces congestion.
As of 10 a.m. Pacific time, the weather is a factor in nearly all 80 Alaska flights that have been canceled to and from Seattle, impacting the travel plans of more than 6,700 passengers.
This trip was the first of many for our leaders at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air for the coming year. Called “Leader Immersion,” our managing directors and up will spend a week in the operation. It’s kind of an “Undercover Boss,” without the disguise, as one of our employees said.
The Great Land is beautiful, even in January. The low temperatures create a beautiful frost on the trees and there is something really wonderful and peaceful about the mornings here, (where it is currently staying dark until around 10 a.m.). I was in Anchorage, Alaska for a week in early January on the suggestion of one of our employees, who challenged me to job shadow – walking in our frontline employees’ shoes. It sounded like a good idea to me.
Anchorage
My week started with my flight from Seattle to Anchorage. The Seattle-based flight crew – Shannon Novito, Angela Bolton, Kris McCloskey and Kimberly Sagmoen (pictured above) – were awesome. I had a great time visiting with them, interacting with our guests onboard, and serving a beverage or two. I sat on the flight deck for the last 40 minutes of the flight and was impressed with the expert airmanship of Captain John Lien and First Officer Levi Breidenbach who navigated us into Anchorage amidst a low blanket of fog. Read More
Several times each year, Alaska’s social media team sees an influx of bogus promotions from websites pretending to be Alaska Airlines. These websites claim to offer free roundtrip tickets, but these are scams that are not affiliated with Alaska Airlines and may put you at risk for computer viruses or identity theft. How can you tell a legitimate promotion from a scam promotion? Here are a few things to look out for before you decide to enter a contest.
Every day, folks get up and go to work. It’s something that’s easy to take for granted – until we realize that some people are going to work and not getting paid.
In the aviation industry, it takes a complex orchestra of airline, government and other employees to keep our system operational and to ensure flyers get to where they are going in a timely and safe manner. All of us at Alaska Airlines would like to take a moment to thank the federal government employees responsible for keeping aviation safe throughout the year – especially over the last 30 days.
The current government shutdown is having a serious impact on the aviation sector and those who support the industry, and we hope it ends soon. There are roughly 48,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and 15,000 air traffic controllers among the huge group of dedicated federal employees coming to work every day and not getting paid. They’re committed to the important mission of keeping aviation safe, yet these employees will miss their second paycheck this week. This is not right, and it’s not sustainable. We are calling on all of our leaders to return our system to normal and get these people paid. Read More
Start of service delayed until March 4 at Paine Field: Here’s what you need to know
We hope you can appreciate the adage “good things come to those who wait,” because we have an update to pass along about our planned flights at Paine Field.
Several key groups within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which conduct crucial certification and oversight work required for the start of commercial air service at Paine Field, are subject to furloughs because of the government shutdown. The FAA’s work on the environmental assessment continues. However, essential work groups within the FAA are furloughed and further delays are expected if the shutdown continues.
It’s a tough decision, but we believe the responsible action is to postpone the start of service at Paine Field. Originally set for Feb. 11, 2019, we’re now scheduling service to begin on March 4 – subject to receipt of all required government approvals.
If you bought a ticket for a Paine Field flight, your first question might be: what now? Read More
Rich, full-body West Coast wines on board Alaska Airlines flights this winter
There are a few famously great pairings in life: Mork and Mindy, ketchup and fries, movies and popcorn — and airplane flights and a beautiful glass of wine. This season, Alaska Airlines is introducing a new West Coast wine menu to complement their fresh-and-local seasonal cuisine.
This selection will continue to rotate, introducing new and interesting wines from the West Coast, where more than 90 percent of U.S. wine production occurs. Alaska Airlines has the most nonstop flights from the West Coast and is committed to partnering with noteworthy local winemakers. Read More
Hawaiian Holdings Announces 2018 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Conference Call
HONOLULU, Jan. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA), parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. ("Hawaiian"), plans to report its fourth quarter and full year 2018 financial results after the market closes on Tuesday, January 29, 2019. An investor conference call is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
The call will be open to all interested investors through a live audio webcast accessible in the Investor Relations section of Hawaiian's website at HawaiianAirlines.com. For those who are not able to listen to the live webcast, the call will be archived for 90 days on Hawaiian's website.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 14 years (2004-2017) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawai'i.
Now in its 90th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawai'i's biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawai'i from more U.S. gateway cities (12) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 160 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of more than 250 daily flights system-wide.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow Hawaiian's Twitter updates (@HawaiianAir), become a fan on Facebook (Hawaiian Airlines), and follow us on Instagram (hawaiianairlines). For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian's LinkedIn page.
For media inquiries, please visit Hawaiian Airlines' online newsroom.
POP QUIZ: What is the number one thing most Hawai‘i visitors forget while preparing for their island vacation?
If you guessed ocean safety, you’re right.
To help encourage our guests to become ocean smart before they arrive in Hawai‘i, we teamed up with Nā Kama Kai, an O‘ahu-based nonprofit dedicated to connecting keiki (children) with the kai (ocean). Throughout the year, guests traveling between Hawai‘i and our U.S. mainland and international destinations in our main cabin can learn essential ocean safety “do’s” and “don’ts” with the organization’s new Ocean Safety and Stewardship video.
The video was created under the passionate vision of Nā Kama Kai’s founder and CEO Duane DeSoto, with its easy-to-follow lessons distributed to public school fourth-graders statewide. A free Ocean Safety and Stewardship Awareness digital activity book is also available for download at NaKamaKai.Org/Ocean-Safety.
Keiki participants at one of Nā Kama Kai's free water safety clinics in East O‘ahu.
“Ocean safety education could potentially have a negative tone to visitors but knowing what to look for is absolutely critical and cannot be ignored,” shared DeSoto. “When we were developing this video, we wanted it to be entertaining and inclusive so that every member of the ‘ohana, especially our keiki, could learn the basics before jumping in the water.”
Nā Kama Kai volunteer and youth participants.
Throughout the film, DeSoto – a professional surfer born and raised in Mākaha (West O‘ahu), home to some of the best watermen and women in the world – and a group of Hawaii’s premier surfers and lifeguards share their expertise in reading the ocean.
Duane DeSoto was inducted into the Hawai‘i Waterman’s Hall of Fame in 2015. As founder and CEO of Nā Kama Kai, he teaches youth and visitors about ocean safety.
“While our coastlines are pristine, they can also be dangerous,” DeSoto continued. “It’s important to know that each beach has its own unique personality and temperaments that change with the season. Our hope is to help teach the basics, like getting out of rip-tides, swimming out of strong currents, avoiding dangerous shore breaks and understanding your personal limits.”
Nā Kama Kai keiki participant at a youth surfing competition in Mākaha.
“Nā Kama Kai does such fantastic work for our local ocean-going communities, and it seemed like a natural fit for them to teach our guests about ocean safety,” said Evan Nomura, product manager for in-flight entertainment at Hawaiian Airlines. “The video is fun to watch and teaches a lot of great lessons that we’re confident will benefit all guests before they reach our shores.”
Nā Kama Kai keiki participants at an ocean safety clinic in East O‘ahu.
DeSoto started Nā Kama Kai in 2008, leveraging the generations-old knowledge he received growing up in Mākaha. Today, the nonprofit empowers keiki by nurturing their relationship to the ocean so they may better appreciate and care for the natural environment and themselves.
Duane DeSoto
Our Hawaiian Airlines ‘ohana has supported Nā Kama Kai from the start and has been fortunate to experience the impact DeSoto and his team of incredible volunteers have made on thousands of Hawai‘i’s youth. Their free offerings include monthly Ocean Safety and Conservation Awareness Clinics, keiki surf contests and the Alaka‘i Mentorship Program, a skills-based program developed in partnership with the Polynesian Voyaging Society to steward local teens into ocean-related careers. Nā Kama Kai is also a partner of the City and County of Honolulu’s Junior Lifeguard Program.
Learn more about Nā Kama Kai and how you can support their work in ocean safety at NaKamaKai.org.
Alaska Airlines to hire over 3,000 frontline employees in 2019
Myrcedes recently joined Alaska as a Lounge hospitality host, becoming our 10,000th employee in Washington state. Photo by Ingrid Barrentine.
New year, new job? On the heels of hiring our 10,000th employee in Washington state, we’re announcing our 2019 jobs forecast. We plan to add 3,000+ jobs, mostly frontline positions, across Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air in the next 12 months.
Three-quarters of the new jobs will reside in our home state.
We’re planning to hire a range of roles across different parts of Alaska and Horizon, including maintenance technicians, airport operations, pilots, customer service, cargo and flight attendants. A majority of the new jobs, which will be posted online at https://alaskaair.jobs and https://horizonair.jobs, do not require previous airline experience. Read More
People commonly associate cranberries with the sweet side dish — sometimes saucy and sometimes gelatinous — that follows turkey around a holiday table, almost as an afterthought. Yet the little red fruits have so much more to offer and can be found in a variety of recipes, including Alaska Airlines’ Cranberry-Ginger Smoothie, all winter long.
Loaded with antioxidants and naturally low in sugar, the berries pack anti-inflammatory compounds and provide a powerful immune-system boost in the form of vitamin C. They also are positively bursting with tart flavor that pairs well with many other seasonal foods. Read More
Alaska named one of the safest airlines in the world
If there’s one thing we put above all else it’s safety. We’ve just been named among the top-20 safest airlines in the world for 2019 by AirlineRatings.com. For us, this recognition means a lot because it speaks to our commitment to keep you safe, every time you fly with us.
“Safety is our top priority and is firmly ingrained in our culture as we are personally committed to the safety of our guests and one another,” said Max Tidwell, Alaska Airlines vice president of safety and security. Read More
A Mahalo to Our Hometown for 89 Years and Counting
On Nov. 11, we blew the candles for our 89th birthday and officially began our 90th year of service as Hawai‘i’s airline. The next day, we kept the celebration going by kicking off a yearlong, company-matched employee fundraising drive as a way to give back to our hometown communities – the strong and steady tailwind behind our growth since we introduced commercial air transportation to Hawai‘i in 1929.
April Imai, manager of travel products at Hawaiian Airlines, proudly holds a company-designed T-shirt personalized with her home zip code for Hilo. All employees who donated to one or more of the four charities received their own shirt to represent their hometown.
We didn’t expect to throw another party so soon! However, with an overwhelming response from every department across our 7,200-strong employee ‘ohana, we surpassed our pledge goal before the new year.
L to R: Nainoa Thompson of Polynesian Voyaging Society, Norm Baker of Aloha United Way, Peter Ingram of Hawaiian Airlines, Kawika Burgess of Hawaiian Islands Land Trust and Amy Marvin of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
So earlier today, hundreds of employees gathered at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport to present more than $187,000 in combined funds to Aloha United Way, the Polynesian Voyaging Society, the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, and the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust. That includes some $97,000 donated by our employees, along with $90,000 added by Hawaiian.
Representatives for the designated nonprofits joined Hawaiian Airlines employees to celebrate the completion of the fundraising campaign.
"The thank you goes to the whole family of Hawaiian, whose care has helped us get to where we need to go and to do our job: voyage," shared Nainoa Thompson, president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, during his mahalo remarks. "I don't take it lightly when we say this is Hawai‘i's airline. We sail for Hawai‘i, but [Hawaiian Airlines] flies for Hawai‘i."
The selected charities align with Hawaiian’s four giving pillars: education, health and human services, environment and culture, and are recognized stewards in their fields.
“Our employees represent no less than 100 of Hawai‘i’s 106 zip codes, and exceeding our pledge goal within just a few weeks symbolizes how grateful we all feel for the support we have enjoyed from our friends, families, neighbors, and the entire Hawai‘i community whom we’ve been privileged to serve for so many memorable years,” said Ann Botticelli, senior vice president for corporate communication and public affairs.
Check out the photos from today's celebration (hover of the image and click the arrow to view more):
View original content:
