Alaska Air Group reports first quarter 2022 results

April 21, 2022
Other News
Alaska Airlines
4 min read

Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) today reported financial results for its first quarter ending March 31, 2022 and provided outlook for the second quarter ending June 30, 2022.

“Alaska has a proven track record and a resilient business model that delivers in good times and through challenging ones. We are on course to deliver 6% to 9% adjusted pre-tax margins in 2022, as we recently announced at our investor day,” said CEO Ben Minicucci. “March results were particularly strong, marked by our highest cash sales month in history and revenues that exceeded 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic began. Our people are working hard to get our airline back to its pre- COVID size and to return to growth from there, all while delivering the operational excellence that we’re known for. It’s an honor to have our company’s hard work recognized by Air Transport World as the 2022 Global Airline of the Year.”

Financial results:

Reported net loss for the first quarter of 2022 under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of $143 million, or $1.14 per share, compared to a net loss of $131 million, or $1.05 per share in the first quarter of 2021.
Reported net loss for the first quarter of 2022, excluding special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, of $167 million, or $1.33 per share, compared to a net loss, excluding special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, of $436 million or $3.51 per share, in the first quarter of 2021.
Generated $287 million in operating cash flow for the first quarter, driven by increased advance bookings as both leisure and business demand for air travel continue to recover.
Held $2.9 billion in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of March 31, 2022.
Ended the quarter with a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 50%, within our target range of 40% to 50%.

Operational updates:

Announced plans to accelerate the transition of Alaska’s mainline fleet to all-Boeing and introduced new plans to transition Horizon’s regional fleet to all-Embraer jets by the end of 2023. This transition is expected to drive significant economic benefits through cost savings, operational simplicity and better fuel efficiency.
Extended the co-branded Mileage Plan credit card agreement with Bank of America through 2030, providing expanded guest benefits and accelerating Alaska’s strategic growth plans in the West Coast.
Modified the Boeing aircraft order to include six firm and 41 option 737-10 aircraft and 10 firm 737-8 aircraft. The new mix of aircraft types provides an optimal fleet for our network and anticipated growth.
Announced plans to renovate and expand Alaska lounges in Seattle and Portland to provide additional capacity and enhanced amenities, with both expected to open by 2026.
Received nine Boeing 737-9 aircraft, bringing the total number of 737-9s in our fleet to 20.
Added Air Tahiti Nui as a new global Mileage Plan partner, allowing our guests to earn miles flying nonstop between Seattle or Los Angeles and French Polynesia.
Expanded codeshare agreement with Finnair, bringing total codeshare growth to more than 250 routes since Alaska’s entrance into the oneworld alliance in 2021.

Recognition and awards:

Awarded the 2022 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World, given to an airline each year in recognition of outstanding performance, innovation and superior service.
Named to the TIME100 Most Influential Companies list, highlighting Alaska’s commitment to make meaningful changes in the climate impact of aviation.

Announced Patricia Bedient as the next chair of Alaska Air Group’s Board of Directors, replacing Brad Tilden effective May 5, 2022.
Launched the Ascend Pilot Academy in partnership with Hillsboro Aero Academy, providing aspiring pilots a simpler and more financially accessible path to become a commercial pilot at Horizon and Alaska.
Alongside other oneworld partners, signed two offtake agreements to procure sustainable aviation fuel for California operations, beginning in 2024.

Tune in:

A conference call regarding the first quarter results will be streamed online at 8:30 a.m. PDT on April 21, 2022. It can be accessed at www.alaskaair.com/investors. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available after the conclusion of the call.

Full earnings financial data:

Statistical data, reconciliations of the reported non-GAAP financial measures, further details regarding results and a glossary of financial terms can be found in our Earnings Release as filed with the SEC.

View full earnings financial data

Alaska Airlines names new vice president of finance and controller

April 21, 2022
Other News
Alaska Airlines
2 min read

Alaska Airlines has named Emily Halverson vice president of finance and controller for Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group. As Alaska’s vice president of finance and controller, Halverson will set the strategy for and oversee financial reporting, payroll, investor relations and accounting operations.

Halverson joined Alaska Airlines in 2016 as director of financial reporting and accounting. She became the director of investor relations in 2019 and was promoted to managing director of accounting, investor relations and assistant controller in 2020. Halverson helped lead the company through financial integration following the acquisition of Virgin America and played a key role in communicating the company’s recovery progress and strategic priorities to stakeholders over the past two years. Before joining Alaska, Halverson worked for Deloitte.

I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Emily for over two years, and I couldn’t be more excited to have her in this role,” said Shane Tackett, chief financial officer and executive vice president for Alaska Airlines. “Emily is extremely capable and leads her teams expertly to deliver results and champion the airline with investors.”

Halverson is a certified public accountant and earned her MBA degree through the Executive Master of Business Administration program at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and French from Western Washington University. A lifelong Washingtonian, she and her family reside in Seattle.

Dispatchers at Alaska Airlines ratify new five-year contract 

April 19, 2022
Other News
Alaska Airlines
2 min read

SEATTLE — Alaska Airlines’ 100 dispatchers, who are represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), have ratified a new five-year contract. The contract was approved by 81% of those employees who voted. The new contract includes increased pay with a mid-term market review to ensure wage rates stay competitive, along with enhanced benefits and streamlined training.  

Alaska’s dispatchers are responsible for flight planning and tracking to ensure the safety and progress of each flight conducted by the airline from origin to destination. They are the carrier’s primary command and control link with Alaska pilots, providing en route weather, airport facility and other flight safety information.

“Our dispatchers play a critical role in our operation with responsibility for every single flight throughout the system,” said Jenny Wetzel, vice president of labor relations at Alaska Airlines. “I’m glad we were able to reach an agreement that works for dispatchers and our company’s long-term success. This means, even amid an uncertain economy, we can increase pay and enhance their benefits today.” 

“TWU was impressed with the logic-based approach taken in these negotiations by the Alaska negotiators,” said Gary Peterson, TWU international vice president and air division director. “Early on both groups agreed on the industry analysis each of us had independently performed, which helped us reach an agreement in-line with our amendable date.”

The previous contract became amendable on March 24, 2022. Contracts in the airline industry do not expire. Once they become amendable, the current contract remains in effect until a new agreement is ratified.

Face masks are now optional on our planes and in airports under new guidance

April 18, 2022
Guest Experience
Alaska Airlines
3 min read

Face masks have been like boarding passes for nearly two years — you couldn’t fly without one. But, as of today, masks are optional in airports and onboard aircraft, effective immediately.

Note: Despite Federal changes, travelers must continue to wear masks on flights both to and from Canada. Masks must still be worn in airports within Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Los Angeles County and Mexico. See other special travel instructions.

Due to a judicial decision in our federal court system, the mask mandate has been overturned, which means our guests and employees have the option to wear a mask while traveling in the U.S. and at work.

Safety is always our highest priority, so while we love to see your smiling faces in the airport and on board, we respect your decision to keep using this added layer of protection. Above all, we hope you’ll treat each other with kindness and respect throughout the travel journey and beyond.

It has been a long 24 months with nearly constant change. I could not be prouder of our frontline employees who have handled every pivot focusing on safety and the care we’re known for,” said Max Tidwell, VP of safety & security at Alaska Airlines. “We’re also thankful for our guests who remained considerate, patient and stood by us throughout every twist and turn.”

Even as more pandemic protocols and policies ease, our team will remain vigilant and prepared for whatever may come next. Safety remains our top priority. And while we sincerely hope most of these challenges are in our rear-view mirror, we are confident we will be ready to respond if faced with another COVID wave or even a new virus.

What happens to guests who were banned because of not following our previous mask policy? Throughout the last two years, we have relied on reporting from agents and flight attendants to ban noncompliant guests from traveling while the federal mask policy remained in effect. Based on our reports, we will have some guests whose behavior was particularly egregious who will remain banned, even after the mask policy is rescinded.

As always, we will continue to hold safety as our highest value. Thank you again to our loyal guests and team of 22,000 people who came together over the last two years to do the right thing and take care of one another. We’ve proven we can do anything together.

Breathe easy on your next flight with fresh, clean air on Alaska Airlines

Flying on an airplane is safer than ‘grocery shopping or eating out,’ says experts

Earth Month: 5 ways you can join Alaska Airlines in caring for the planet

April 14, 2022
Sustainability
Alaska Airlines
7 min read

At Alaska, we make conscious choices every day to reduce the impact of our operations in big ways—like purchasing the most fuel-efficient aircraft and using sustainable aviation fuels – and seemingly little ones like composting coffee grounds onboard and using locally made food and beverages. Every action has an impact. We are also here to help our guests find ways to be a conscious traveler and lighten their carbon footprint.

Caring for the planet shouldn’t just be top of mind during Earth Month, it should show up in all parts of our lives. Reducing your footprint may seem like a vague or overwhelming task. But you can start by choosing one thing and doing it well.

Here are five ways we’re making progress, and how you can join us:

1. BE MINDFUL AT HOME AND WHEN YOU TRAVEL

Whether you’re traveling or venturing out in your local community, consider how small steps add up to big outcomes for the natural world around us.

In Seattle, take the light rail to and from the airport, or to the Seattle Center to watch a Kraken game, where our partners at the Climate Pledge Arena are delivering lofty standards for large venues and sustainability. We’re proud to be part of the most sustainable arena in the world and to have signed The Climate Pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

If you’re planning to travel to Hawaii, practice malama – which means to take care – by giving back to the community through volunteer activities with our partners at Travel2Change. The possibilities are endless — from planting native trees to cleaning up historical sites or beaches or learning more about native Hawaiian language and culture.

In partnership with *@travel2change*, we’re connecting travelers to volunteer experiences throughout the Hawaiian Islands—because travel means more when you leave a positive impact on the communities you visit. Visit the link in our bio to learn more!

By giving back to the places you live and fly, you’ll get a truer sense of place and walk away with deeper, more meaningful connections from your travel experience. And isn’t that what travel is all about?

2. DITCH PLASTIC FOR GOOD

Did you know only 9% of plastic gets recycled nationwide? The rest usually ends up in landfills, is burned or finds its way into our oceans. Our West Coast Wonders aircraft, adorned with marine life and named by our employee-driven “Green Team,” serves as a constant reminder of why we do this work to reduce our climate impact through carbon, waste and water.

The special Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft was inspired by the beautiful places we fly to and reflects our support for projects to restore local habitats and biodiversity up and down the West Coast.

While we are proud of our industry-leading recycling program, we know we need to move to more renewable options and replace plastic entirely to protect our planet for the long-haul First, we challenge you to ditch the straw—like we did in 2018. That year, we were the first major U.S. airline to replace plastic straws and citrus picks with marine-friendly alternatives on our aircraft. The effort, made possible with the help of environmental nonprofit Lonely Whale, eliminated 22 million pieces of inflight plastic waste every year since.

Last fall, we tackled our top two waste-producing onboard products: switching from plastic water bottles to pouring Boxed Water on our flights, and from plastic water cups to recyclable paper ones for water service. These steps eliminated nearly 1.8 million pounds of single-use plastics from our flights each year.

Even better, pledge with us to #fillbeforeyoufly – bring your own disposable water bottle on your travels, keep it empty through security and fill er’ up at a water bottle filling station in the airport before you board your flight. Tag a photo of your refillable with #fillbeforeyoufly on social, and we will plant two trees in your honor through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation—whose goal is to plant 1 million trees on the West Coast to help reduce pollution and restore habitats for local fish and wildlife.

3. OFFSET YOUR FLIGHT

We are on a journey to reduce the carbon impact of our operations. But aviation is one of the hardest areas to decarbonize. Thankfully, offset programs like The Good Traveler can help us balance our footprint in the near-term.

The Good Traveler lets you offset the carbon emissions from your trip by investing in an offset project around one of the participating local airports. We joined this program because of the projects it enables, grounded they are in the places we live and fly. Together through The Good Traveler, travelers have helped offset over 112,000 metric tons of CO₂.

4. GO PAPERLESS AND REDUCE WASTE

We’re no stranger when it comes to investing in tech. We pioneered the use of RNP, a navigation technology that decreases emissions, improves safety and even gets you to your destination faster. This past year, we were also the first airline to implement new software called Flyways to support our efficiency-minded dispatchers in planning the most efficient routes to save time and carbon emissions.

But some aviation tech is in the palm of your hand. With the Alaska’s mobile app, you can check-in for your flight and get your boarding pass all on our app, eliminating the need to print paper boarding passes. You can also pre-order your favorite meal or snack you wish to enjoy onboard, which helps us predict catering demand and eliminate food waste.

As we continue to grow, we’re evolving our services and products in the air and in airports to create better experiences for our guests. We’re using the San Jose airport (SJC) as an incubator for the future of seamless travel, including kiosk-less lobbies, DIY bag drop, biometric boarding and beyond.

5. JOIN US ON THE JOURNEY TO NET ZERO

Last year, we announced our five-part path to net zero carbon emissions by 2040. This path includes operating as efficiently as possible including through use of the technologies mentioned above and using more electric vehicles at our airports.

It also includes bringing up to 145 efficient Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into our fleet, each of which is 22% more fuel-efficient than the aircraft they replace. But the biggest change in our carbon footprint will come from using Sustainable Aviation Fuel or SAF.

We’re proud to use SAF today from Neste, to work with SkyNRG Americas to advance production capability in the Pacific Northwest, and look forward to using more SAF, alongside airline partners in the oneworld alliance, through new offtake agreements with producers Aemetis and Gevo. And we’re glad to be in good global company: oneworld has a shared commitment to achieve net zero, and to use 10% SAF by 2030.

What can you do? Packing lighter for your trip helps us burn less fuel overall; each pound makes a difference to our CO2 emissions. If each guest packed 5lbs lighter, it would decrease our CO2 emissions by 11,800 metric tons each year. So, next time you go maybe ask yourself do you really need those extra shoes?

Making progress in sustainability requires action, innovation, accountability, and transparency. In 2021, underscoring the importance of our social and environmental sustainability goals, we made a portion of our all-employee performance-based bonus pay dependent on progress in our carbon intensity, and a portion of long-term executive compensation dependent on improving racially diverse representation in leadership. In our upcoming annual sustainability report, we’ll share more about our progress and stories from our journey.

Thank you for joining us on the path to a sustainable future for aviation and places around the world.

Alaska Airlines is all-in at Paine Field – our full schedule resumes this June

April 14, 2022
Destinations
Alaska Airlines
3 min read

Our guests can fly on 18 peak daily departures this summer, including San Francisco flights from Paine Field in Everett, Wash. PAE saves time and offers added convenience for many flyers north of Seattle!

After an exceptionally long two years, our guests are flying again and we love to see it. At the newest commercial airport in the Seattle area, we’re making it easier to go places by adding more convenient flights as we ramp up to resuming our full schedule at Paine Field in Everett this summer.

With many of us eyeing a fun getaway or a long vacation, even that first face-to-face meeting with work colleagues in forever, our guests can currently fly on one of 16 peak daily nonstop departures between Paine Field-Snohomish County Airport and a variety of destinations throughout the West Coast.

Starting June 17, we’ll increase our flights to 18 peak daily departures – our full allotment of departures at the airport – which will include four daily nonstops to San Francisco, one of our key hubs that is the center of Bay Area business travel. Service between Paine Field and San Francisco resumes on May 19.

Paine Field is a popular option for our guests flying in and out the Puget Sound region with its beautiful facility, compact size and ease to navigate – the terminal feels luxurious,” said Brett Catlin, vice president of network and alliances at Alaska Airlines. “We have many Mileage Plan members and elite flyers who live north of Seattle. We want to offer destinations that appeal to them while also being a convenient alternative to possible congestion to the south.”

From Everett, we fly to Boise, Las Vegas, Orange County, Palm Springs, Phoenix, San Diego, Spokane and Tucson. For the latest flight schedules and to purchase tickets, visit alaskaair.com.

“The challenges of the last two years across the travel industry were not unique to Paine Field, but we’ve always had a great partner in our hometown carrier, and we knew they were committed to us and the travelers of this region,” said Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports. “We look forward to Alaska bringing their full schedule back and offering great options out of Paine Field.”

To help our guests secure the lowest prices, we have added our popular Saver fare for the first time on flights to and from Paine Field. Saver fares have limited seat selection and no flight changes while providing Main Cabin benefits like comfortable seats and a free carry-on.

Our sister carrier Horizon Air provides most of our service at Paine Field with the Embraer 175 jet. We recently added 737 service on Alaska for the afternoon flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix. The E175 features First Class and Premium Class, and only window and aisle seating – there are no middle seats. Guests can enjoy hundreds of free movies and TV shows available for viewing on personal devices, free texting on most flights and Wi-Fi connectivity for purchase.

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci joins UNCF Board of Directors

April 11, 2022
Other News
Alaska Airlines
3 min read

Today, UNCF announced six leading corporate executives will join its board of directors, effective immediately, including Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci.

UNCF is the largest scholarship provider for students of color and an organization dedicated to enabling under-represented students to become highly-qualified college graduates. Minicucci’s appointment to the board is another example of our unwavering partnership with UNCF, spanning over 15 years, and our commitment to education.

Last year, we unveiled the Our Commitment aircraft, which embodies our support for education, equity and belonging, and amplifies the work of UNCF and the significance of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).

In 2017, UNCF became a LIFT Miles partner, and to date, more than 13 million Alaska Airlines miles have been donated by our company and guests to fly students to college tours and to school at HBCUs, career-development events and other UNCF programs.

In addition, Alaska will also donate 10 million miles over the course of the Our Commitment program, and established a scholarship fund to help students overcome the financial obstacles of getting a college education. Alaska Mileage Plan members can donate miles to UNCF.

Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. With an increasing need for safe spaces for all to learn, support for HBCUs and their students is more critical than ever.

UNCF Board of Directors

Other leaders appointed to UNCF’s Board of Directors today come from Citigroup, Chevron, ExxonMobil, General Motors and Intel Corp. The new cohort joins 17 top executives from Wal-Mart, Goldman Sachs, Proctor & Gamble and more to empower UNCF to support member HBCUs and their students in achieving ever-higher levels of success. See full list of UNCF board members here.

About UNCF
UNCF is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”^® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

Alaska Airlines April 7, 2022 Operational Update

April 7, 2022
Company On The Record
Alaska Airlines
1 min read

5 p.m. PT, Thursday, April 7

We’ve recently let down some of our valued guests by cancelling an unusual number of flights. The primary cause of cancellations is the shortage of pilots available to fly versus what was planned when we built our April schedule in January.

We are making immediate changes to ensure our guests can count on us to get them where they want to go. We’re reducing about 2% of our total flights through the end of June to match our current pilot capacity. These reductions will be reflected in our posted schedule in mid-April. In the meantime, reductions will show up as cancellations. Today, we’ve cancelled 42 flights.

We will do everything we can to minimize disruptions to travelers’ plans and we will let guests know in advance if their itinerary is impacted by these schedule adjustments. Check your flight status here.

Learn more about the pilot shortage and what we’re doing about it.

Eight is great! Alaska launches new $8 flat rate for streaming-fast satellite Wi-Fi

April 7, 2022
Guest Experience
Ray Lane
5 min read

Guests can also enjoy new inflight offerings, including delicious springtime menu selections in all cabins along with new array of movies and TV shows on board

The fast satellite Wi-Fi that’s had you surfing and streaming with ease on your Alaska Airlines flights just got a price break: You can do those internet things you do so well with our new $8 flat rate for Wi-Fi service on our mainline aircraft with satellite-enabled connectivity onboard. And starting now, we’re offering a variety of new meal selections on our flights as part of the most comprehensive food and beverage program in the industry.

First up, our upgraded, high-speed Wi-Fi – in partnership with Intelsat. The service provides a more enjoyable guest experience with better reliability, faster connections and a lower cost. Our web portal now loads 50% faster than before with a one ‘click-to-connect’ web experience, and connection speeds are 20 times faster than our previous, basic Wi-Fi system.

We’re always seeking new ways to add options to our inflight experience and provide remarkable care for our guests, especially as we see more people returning to travel this year,” said Sangita Woerner, senior vice president of marketing and guest experience for Alaska Airlines. “Our flat rate satellite Wi-Fi and expanded entertainment selections are additions our guests will love. Coupled with our high-quality food and beverage offerings, served with our award-winning customer service on board, we’re able to provide what our guests expect from us – only the best.”

With the purchase of $8 flat rate satellite Wi-Fi for their entire flight, our guests can stream content on their personal devices from their favorite services such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and other streaming platforms.

Another bonus: On our planes enabled with satellite Wi-Fi, you can connect from the moment you board, instead of waiting for the connection to kick in after the boarding door closes—it’s seamless connectivity from gate to gate. (Another way to save: Use the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card and snag a 20% savings on inflight purchases including Wi-Fi.)

Coast to coast wi-fi

Our newest planes are equipped with satellite Wi-Fi, often flying our longest routes between the West Coast and New York, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Florida markets. With nearly 80% of our fleet currently equipped with high-speed satellite Wi-Fi, you can still connect on both long and short haul flights. You’ll know you’re flying an aircraft with the upgraded Wi-Fi if see you see the dome shaped antenna on top of the plane, or if you spot the satellite Wi-Fi decal just inside the entry door.

Tasty new menu options

When you’re going somewhere, having good food and tasty drinks along the way just makes for a more enjoyable trip. We’ve got you covered with a new menu of options. Alaska continues to have the most comprehensive onboard food and beverage program of any U.S. carrier. We offer fresh First Class meals on flights more than 670 miles, fresh food for purchase in the main cabin on flights longer than 1,100 miles and popular snacks for purchase on all flights over 670 miles.

We know convenience matters: We’ve expanded our pre-order program so our guests can order their favorites starting two weeks before their flight and up to 20 hours prior to departure—from choosing between hot meal options in First Class to making sure a Signature Fruit and Cheese platter has their name on it.

Our new spring menu in First Class features more than 30 healthy, fresh and local dishes, such as Lemongrass Chicken with Ginger Fried Rice and Basil Chicken Sausage Breakfast Bowl. Plus anytime our First Class guests prefer the simple pleasure of our Signature Fruit & Cheese platter, we can make that happen. Among the refreshed selections in the main cabin we’re offering Evergreen’s ‘Moroccan & Rollin’ Salad,’ a Ginger Garlic Beef Wrap and the Charcuterie Protein Platter.

For the latest on what we’re offering on board, check out our food and beverage section on alaskaair.com. We proudly serve the highest quality of food and beverage offerings by partnering with brands who put the same amount of care into their products, ingredients and business practices as we do.

Our additional partners include Boxed Water, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Ellenos Yogurt, Full Sail Brewing, Salt & Straw, Seattle Chocolate, Skinny Dipped and Stellar Snacks. Offerings from these companies are available on select flights.

Sit back, stretch out & stream away

As you’re getting from point A to point B, staying entertained is important—and that doesn’t mean you need to connect to the internet to do that. That’s why we keep investing in our massive library of entertainment for free streaming to personal computers, tablets and phones. We’ve added 150 new movies since December, offering a total of 700 movies and TV shows with more to come. And don’t forget about free texting onboard.

With the most generous legroom in First Class and Premium Class than any other domestic carrier, we’re proud to announce continued interior upgrades to our 737 fleet. Upgrades will begin in September with cabin interiors undergoing a complete refresh including sustainable leather covers, LED lighting, new bulkheads, carpeting and phone holders for a handsfree entertainment experience.

Alaska Airlines goes the extra mile for 3-year-old Feofan and other Make-A-Wish children

April 7, 2022
Community
Marianne Lindsey
3 min read

When Feofan, 3, found out he was getting a wish, he knew he wanted it to be something outside with his family in the state of Alaska. He wished to ride-on a mini ATV that matched his grandpa’s all-terrain vehicle. 

At first blush, the Make-A-Wish team thought Feofan’s wish would be easy to fulfill. But, due to supply constraints, they faced some unexpected challenges in getting the toy from the manufacturer to his home in Alaska. 

It took a village to make his wish come true, including Alaska Air Cargo, caring Alaska employees and the team at Make-A-Wish of Alaska & Washington.

In some ways, Feofan is a typical 3-year-old boy. He loves trucks, airplanes, Paw Patrol and going for rides on his grandpa’s ATV. He’s got a big smile and enjoys playing outside in Alaska. 

What most people don’t realize is he has been battling cancer for more than half of his short life. Diagnosed with a Wilms tumor in early 2020, Feofan’s daily routine became filled with medical appointments, treatment, recovery—all in the midst of a global pandemic.

When Theresa, who has worked for Alaska for 11 years, heard about Feofan’s wish, she knew she had to be part of it. Ironically, she moonlights as a volunteer “wish granter” for Make-A-Wish and has helped wish families since 2019.

Knowing they were up against some challenges, Theresa worked her magic and reached out to the manufacturer and Alaska Air Cargo to find a way to get the mini ATV to the state of Alaska. It took several flights and a relay of staff and volunteers, but the team made it happen and the ATV finally reached its destination.

Theresa even assembled the vehicle herself when it arrived—taking her duties to the next level.

“My favorite part is seeing the whole family happy. It’s for the kids, of course, but I love seeing a parent’s joy watching their child,” said Theresa. “You get to be a part of something that’s so joyful, and I love it.”

When the toy ATV was ready for Feofan, Theresa reached out to local firefighters and police in his hometown to arrange a surprise delivery. His mom and family were blown away.

One after another, the town’s fire trucks, police cars and even an ambulance paraded past Feofan’s home, delivering the toy car with a big bow on top. There was not a dry eye on the street. Fire fighters even took Feofan and his brother for a ride—their first time in a real fire truck.

It literally felt like we were in a Hallmark Christmas movie,” said Feofan’s mom Melania. “The last year was hard, full of chemo appointments, needles, physical and emotional pain. Thank you, Make-A-Wish and Alaska Airlines. It showed how much you care.”

Alaska Mileage Plan members can donate their miles to great causes like Make-A-Wish that grant wishes like Feofan’s and other children with serious illnesses or injuries. To donate, visit alaskaair.com.

Why we’ve canceled flights, and what we are doing to get back on track

April 7, 2022
Company
Alaska Airlines
4 min read

At the beginning of this month, we let down some of our valued guests by canceling an unusual number of flights. To all of you who were impacted, we are deeply sorry. We put you in a frustrating situation—most likely when you were looking to take a fun trip, family vacation or needed to get somewhere important to you. We must do better. Over the last few days, we looked at how we got here, and are taking action to get back on track. We’re committed to being the airline you love.

Sharing what happened and what we’re doing about it doesn’t fix upended plans, but we value our relationship with our guests, and that means being transparent with you when we fall short.

How we got here

With travelers taking to the skies again, all airlines are focused on recruiting and training more pilots, Alaska included. We’re excited to grow more pilot careers, especially after more than 10,000 pilots left the airline industry during the pandemic. To bring new pilots into our ranks, we launched a new pilot academy, founded a program to develop and support BIPOC pilots and continue to support the careers of pilots that want to move from our regional carrier Horizon Air to a job at Alaska.

When pilots come to Alaska Airlines, we want them to have the best training in the business. That takes time and cannot be rushed.

Unfortunately, during the first few months of 2022, a backlog built up in our training program. Trainings were canceled and delayed due to student or trainer illness during the Omicron surge and due to the operational impact of winter storms, and they were not rescheduled fast enough.

At the same time, we typically schedule our flight crews three months in advance. But due to the training delays, we had 63 fewer pilots prepared to fly in April than we planned for in January.

We should have recognized this sooner and updated our schedule.

Securing a new contract for our pilots

It’s important to clarify that our pilots are not on strike. As part of standard contract negotiations, our pilots planned an informational picket on Friday April 1 to share their views, and we respect their right to do so. This informational picket was not the cause of our cancelations. We’re committed to reaching an agreement for a contract that is good for our pilots, recognizes their contributions to Alaska, and supports the company’s ability to grow for all 22,000 Alaska and Horizon employees and all who depend on us. To that end, the proposal we recently offered is the highest contractual investment we’ve ever proposed in our history and would make our first officers the highest paid in the industry.

Moving forward

We are making immediate changes to ensure you can count on us to get you where you want to go. There are some aspects to our post-pandemic world that create new challenges, but we can get more disciplined about how we manage them and adapt:

Short-term corrections

We are through the worst of the cancelations. We’re reducing about 2% of our total flights through the end of June to match our current pilot capacity. These reductions will be reflected in our posted schedule in mid-April. In the meantime, reductions will show up as cancelations.

We will do everything we can to minimize disruptions to your plans and we will let you know in advance if your itinerary is impacted by these schedule adjustments. For those who are impacted, the unique phone number in your message from us will get you to someone who can help without an extended wait.

Improving pilot training graduation rates

We will graduate more than 30 pilots this month, and even more in May. A dedicated team has been deployed to ensure training events are rescheduled faster and ensure we better match our schedule to the number of pilots we have available to fly. We doubled the capacity of our pilot schoolhouse since the fall and are training more trainers.

Alaska joins ranks of TIME100 most influential companies for sustainability

March 30, 2022
Other News
Ali Garbino
2 min read

Alaska Airlines – Cleaning up Air Travel

Just in TIME for Earth Month, we are so proud to land a coveted spot on TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 for our work in sustainability. Today, TIME revealed the second annual TIME100 Most Influential Companies list and Alaska Airlines is on it for making ambitious gals to reach net zero by 2040.

Alaska has a long history in environmental responsibility, and this honor reflects continued effort from people across the company to minimize fuel burn, reduce emissions, recycle, innovate, and avoid waste. All these actions work together to help us be a better, more efficient airline,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, SVP of public affairs & sustainability. “There’s a lot of work still ahead to be as efficient as possible.”

Alaska was selected because of our commitment to making meaningful changes in the climate impact of aviation. This is all part of caring for people, the places we fly and the communities we serve. Throughout the last 12 months, we’ve put a range of initiatives into action to ensure we’re driving forward innovation in sustainability and the industry.