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Really good mocktails to try next time you fly this ‘Dry January’ (& beyond) 

If you’re ditching alcohol for “Dry January,” a popular trend where you abstain from alcohol during the first month of the year — or not — we’re sharing some of our favorite mocktail recipes we’ll still be using way past January! Enjoy these non-alcoholic beverages on your next flight or when you pop into some of our lounges all month long and beyond.  

Depending on what you’re looking for, many of these canned mocktails and non-alcoholic spirits taste and look like the real deal. 

Onboard your flight:  

Sparkling mocktail anyone?

Create your own non-alcoholic flavored sparking water or tonic! Order a sparkling water or tonic water and add in some citrus flavor with one of three true citrus flavors including lemon, lime and grapefruit for a refreshing sparkling mocktail.  

Looking for something comforting to sip on during your flight?

Order a Teavana Mint Majesty. It’s free of caffeine and full of soothing mint flavor. 

Want something smooth & sweet?  

Try a can of coke over ice with creamer.

In the lounge:  

“Cranberry Mule” 

Ginger Beer, Cranberry Juice, Garnish with Lime | Recommended by lounge team @ LAX and PDX.

“Resolution Solution”

Pomegranate Syrup, Sparkling water and sugar  |
Recommended by our lounge team @ ANC.

“Frostbite”

White Grape Juice, Pineapple, Lime, Garnish with Blueberries | Recommended by our lounge team @ PDX.

“The JFK Dream”

Sour Mix, Pineapple Juice, Pomegranate mix and a splash of soda | Recommended by our lounge team @ JFK.

Cranberry “Sangria”

Cranberry Juice, Ginger Beer, Lemon Lime and Orange | Recommended by our lounge team @ SEA.

“Shirley Ginger”

Lime juice, grenadine, ginger beer & splash of club soda (left).

“Cucumber Cooler”

Muddled cucumber, lime juice, simple syrup & club soda (right).

Are just some of our favorites @ SFO Lounge.

If you’re looking for a non-alcoholic beer, we have those too—like the Clausthaler (pictured above at our) at our SFO Lounge—check out more n/a beers below:  

Brooklyn Brewery

Non-Alcoholic Special Effects: Hoppy Amber, IPA and PILS | Recommended by lounge team @ JFK. 

Athletic Brewing Co.

Non-Alcoholic Run Wild IPA | Recommended by our lounge team @ SEA.

Athletic Brewing Co. Non-Alcoholic Lite and Sam Adams Just the Haze Non-Alcoholic IPA  | Recommended by our lounge team @ ANC.

Alaska Airlines named official airline of Portland Trail Blazers

Alaska Airlines announced an expanded partnership with the Portland Trail Blazers organization, which includes being named the official airline of the NBA team. Portland is a crucial part of Alaska’s future, operating as a key West Coast hub where they serve the most nonstop cities of any airline.

The expanded partnership means Trail Blazers fans will see a lot more of Alaska during games and outside of basketball. Elements of this expanded partnership include sponsorship of Moda Center Theater of the Clouds, presenting “The Trail” docuseries that will soon be available in-flight, expansion of the popular “Wear in the World” promotion, new in-game features and social programs.

“Being a part of the Portland community for so many years is something we greatly value,” said Eric Edge, managing director of marketing and advertising. “Between our loyal guests and the thousands of our employees who live and work in Portland, we’re dedicated to creating strong connections with organizations throughout the region. We believe that sports can strengthen a community, and we look forward to seeing all the exciting things we can do together with the Trail Blazers.”

“We are thrilled to name Alaska Airlines the official airline of the Portland Trail Blazers,” said Andrea Bailey, EVP & Chief Revenue Officer, Portland Trail Blazers. “Alaska is a leading brand in Portland and has continuously invested in the Portland community. We’re excited to partner with them on various initiatives including bringing our fans closer to the team via the new docuseries, The Trail.”

Alaska Airlines in Portland

Throughout the year, we offer up to 105 daily flights from Portland to 45 cities across North America, the most of any airline. Guests can also reach hundreds of international destinations through our fellow oneworld member airlines and additional global partners – including destinations like Reykjavik, Iceland and London, England nonstop from Portland. Over the next three years, Alaska plans to invest in a new terminal and lobby at Portland International Airport as well as a new 10,000 square foot flagship lounge.

Q&A with SFO-featured Artist Anne Neely about sustainability: responsibility and stewardship for the next generation 

What do an airline and an artist have in common? A desire to keep growing, learning, and creating paths to keep the places we love beautiful and be more sustainable for the long term.

A powerful painting in blues and greens called Offshore by Artist Anne Neely is proudly displayed in Alaska’s San Francisco airport lounge, inviting guests and employees to take a moment to reflect on our collective responsibility to live and fly more sustainably.

It is an honor to host this piece, a symbol of our commitment to making our business and industry more sustainable, to care for our guests and the places where we live and fly for the long term. Alaska is on a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2040, a path that will require us to listen, learn, collaborate and create new solutions for the future.

Anne’s work is about sparking conversation and reflection; we sat down with her to discuss her focus on water and our work on sustainability.

Diana: Could you talk about your journey as an artist and how you came to this work?

Anne: Growing up, I spent much of my time in the natural world. The wonderment I felt grew into visual expression and I became a landscape painter. About 2000, I started living on the coast of Maine and became acutely aware of the daily changes in water – levels, temperatures, currents. My paintings began to tell a story about water, and through color and mark making, I created a visual imaginative language. My hope is that these paintings will awaken the viewers’ curiosity to think about water differently.

Diana: What led you to focus your work on water and climate issues? 

Anne: Marq De Villiers’ book, “Water, Our Precious Resource” was pivotal and introduced me to ideas which captured my imagination, like underground aquifers, foreign to us visually.

Water is a living force – it has moods with the weather, tides, waves and river currents that keep it in constant motion.  Living with water – next to, surrounded by, always dependent on it – makes one aware of both its power and fragility, a very humbling concept.

I have always been interested in the interconnectedness of all things that science seeks to understand but, for me, the difference is, through my paintings, I try to reveal the unseen and the wonder of the universe that engages me, especially the critical role water plays.

Diana: What is your hope for this painting?

Anne: Painting, for me in general, is to experience an issue or an idea and transcend it visually into an experience for the viewer. It’s not about the literal picture, and it is not a decorative object but a place to discover something, explore and learn from it.

In Offshore, there is both beauty and foreboding. My hope for this painting is that the viewer will be taken, perhaps in a moment of reverie, by the scene’s beauty, and imagine what is happening, and think about their responsibility and stewardship.

In my work on water and climate, there is a balance, often fragile, of beauty and a problem we must consider. I appreciate that Alaska recognizes its responsibility as a company and as people. I am grateful to see flight attendants sorting the recycling and working to reduce waste. That’s just one example. But we also need new solutions to tackle the challenges facing our climate to mitigate some of the human impacts on our planet for future generations. 

We are so often busy in life – we don’t have time to let our minds wander. But sitting in the airport, we do have a few minutes. We are in between things. So, I hope people will take a few minutes to get in touch with their imagination, to wonder what this painting means to them.

A note from Diana:

When I was younger and actively painting myself, I came across a quote by artist and dancer Agnes DeMille that resonated with me. She said, “living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what’s next or how … The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after a leap in the dark.” 

Art prompts us to expand our thinking – to imagine and discover new possibilities. That is also needed on the path to net zero. Solutions like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to decarbonize aviation are known and proven by partners like SkyNRG, Neste, and others – but there is not enough available. Further action and expansive thinking, and significant support from public policy, are required to reduce cost and scale supply. Other, newer like electrified aircraft, fuel produced from recaptured carbon dioxide, and removing carbon from the atmosphere are also needed – and at greater scale. We’re grateful to partners like ZeroAvia, Twelve, and others we connect with through our venture arm, Alaska Star Venture, who’re working to bring new innovations to life.

Diana and Anne with Neely’s “Offshore” at Alaska’s San Francisco Lounge.

Anne Neely continues to make and share her art from her studios in Boston and in Jonesport, Maine. She has won multiple awards for her work and worked in artist residencies in the United States and Europe. Her work can be found in the collections of The National Gallery in Washington DC, The Whitney Museum and the Brooklyn Museum in New York City, and numerous others. She also taught art to high school students from 1974 to 2012. About her painting style, Neely wrote in 2014: “The marks help define the passage of time in both the work and in the course of making it.” Learn and see more of the artist’s work at anneneely.com.

2022 In Review: The Year of Reconnecting Hawaiʻi with the World

A year filled with exciting investments, 2022 was a period of building a robust foundation for a thriving future for our 93-year-old airline.

In his annual year-end message, President and CEO Peter Ingram praised employees for overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities: “The reduced flying through the pandemic gave us the opportunity to think through what building back better would look like, for you and for our guests. Last year was about putting that thinking into motion and building a foundation. This year, we start to fly.”

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In 2022, we proudly served millions of guests from around the world with our authentic Hawaiian hospitality as pent-up demand for travel led to some markets registering loads above pre-pandemic levels. Guests continued to rate Hawaiian among the best of the best in 2022, including in Conde Nast’s Top 10 U.S Airlines, Travel + Leisure’s Best Domestic Airline, and TripSavvy’s Editor’s Choice and Industry Leader.

These accolades are a testament to what Ingram stated in his message to employees: “This is our home. We share what we love about it and care for our islands and guests like no other.”

Join us in celebrating highlights from 2022 – another memorable year in our nine-plus decades of connecting the world with Hawaiʻi.

Investing in our people and growing our business

We continued to invest in our growth while diversifying our business in a way that capitalized on our strengths. Our agreement to operate a fleet of 10 Airbus A330-300 freighters for Amazon reflects our company’s commitment to reliability and excellence in carrying cargo.

Amazon Air-HA

 

We also expanded opportunities for people to join our Hawaiian Airlines ʻohana and pursue a career at our legacy company. We established partnerships with the University of Hawaiʻi, Honolulu Community College, and Arizona State University to create pathways for Hawaiʻi students to pursue highly-skilled aviation careers, ranging from information technology to mechanics.

To meet the expanding needs of our airline, we welcomed 1,370 new teammates last year across all areas of our business, bringing our total workforce to 7,089 by the end of 2022. 

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Reducing emissions and enhancing the guest experience

A mix of factors – widespread vaccination rates, loosened travel restrictions, and growing demand for leisure vacations – allowed for a steady rebound in travel to, from and within the Hawaiian Islands. At a time of recovery and budding demand, preparing our operations for a greener future remained paramount.

Our sustainability strategy focuses on decarbonization, and we outlined our progress and pathway in our 2022 Corporate Kuleana report. Each venture – such as our research into sustainable aviation fuel with Par Hawaii and electric-powered sea gliders with REGENT —  helps get us closer to where we need to be: net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Operating a fuel-efficient fleet (which will soon include 12 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners) also helps us gain traction toward this goal.

REGENT

A rendering of the REGENT Monarch, a 100-passenger electric-powered seaglider.

 

Throughout the year, we made strides to make our guests’ travel experience more sustainable. We began giving guests on any Hawaiian Airlines flight the option to measure and offset the carbon emissions of their travel through a partnership with Conservation International and committed to offsetting all employee business travel across our network. We also introduced Mananalu, the water company founded by Hawaiʻi environmental activist and celebrity Jason Momoa, to our cabin to phase out plastic water bottles with 16-ounce recyclable aluminum bottles. 

In addition to preparing to induct our new Boeing 787-9 fleet, with the first aircraft arriving in late 2023, we announced a partnership with Starlink to bring complimentary high-speed wi-fi to our transpacific flights later this year.

Partnerships for the community

The word kuleana is usually translated as “responsibility,” but it stands for a Hawaiian value that encompasses a broader meaning. When we say we have a kuleana to Hawai‘i, we affirm our commitment to care for and respect the land and culture and acknowledge the value Hawai‘i brings to us.

In 2022, we strengthened our support for the Koʻolau Mountain Watershed Partnership to better support its efforts to repopulate native forests in Oʻahu’s Koʻolau Mountain Range. Through our Plant the Planes initiative, our Team Kokua volunteers hiked Oʻahu’s watersheds and helped restore native plants and trees that our Airbus A321neos are named after.

Group shot

Team Kōkua pictured at the worksite with the Koʻolau Mountain Watershed Partnership in April.

 

In August, the Hawaiian Airlines Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the cultural, spiritual and traditional practices of the Native Hawaiian community. The grant is funding the construction of a wash and pack facility in Heʻeia that will be used to process crops grown in the Kaneohe region, including kalo (taro), ʻulu (breadfruit), ʻuala (sweet potato), and hōʻiʻo (warabi).

For a third consecutive year, we encouraged 6,447 people worldwide to holoholo (go out) and prioritize their wellness during the annual Holoholo Challenge. The Hawaiʻi inspired fitness experience in October invited participants to track their progress with virtual routes inspired by scenic roads that wind through Hawaiʻi Island – also known as the Big Island. At the end of the challenge, over $33,320 was raised for local nonprofit Friends of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, which protects a 32,830-acre parcel on the Big Island that’s home to 29 critically endangered species, including seven birds, one insect, one mammal and 20 plants found nowhere else in the world.

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Holoholo Challenge 2022 participants on a hike on the Big Island.

 

Over 1,255 employees (and their ʻohana) volunteered 6,795 hours to Hawai‘i-based organizations through our Team Kōkua employee giving program, including teammates from Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia who helped with beach cleanups, food banks, community events, restoration of endangered ecosystems and habitats, and more. In addition to sweat equity, Team Kōkua organized the equivalent of $833,852 in employee-sponsored donations, ranging from travel and HawaiianMiles to cash contributions, to benefit hundreds of nonprofits in Hawaiʻi and abroad. 

Team Kokua in South Korea

In September, nearly 70 Team Kōkua volunteers teamed up with two South Korean organizations, Evergreen and Reward, to clean plastics, nets and other debris from Incheon's Masian Beach.

 

Steps toward richer workplace inclusivity

We recognize and celebrate the immense value that diversity and inclusion bring to our workplace. Our employee resource groups (ERG) representing veterans, women in aviation, Black employees, LGBTQA+, teammates with disabilities and those passionate about sustainability continue to support safe, productive spaces and foster allyship. Among  the groups’ achievements last year:

The Hawaiian Airlines Network for Black Employees and Allies ERG led a company-wide celebration for Juneteenth by working with community leaders to host a series of impactful events focused on educating employees and honoring the historical and cultural significance of June 19, 1865.

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Officers of the NBEA ERG pictured with Amaka (center) during the unveiling of a Juneteenth reflection space in 2022.

 

In honor of National Pride Month, Hawaiian Airlines, in collaboration with Haʻaheo, Hawaiian’s LBGTQ+ ERG, tapped Hawaiʻi-born dance celebrity Mark Kanemura to kick off its #RainbowRunwayChallenge in a vibrant celebration of inclusivity and aloha. Coinciding with the debut of our new TikTok channel, followers were encouraged to create their own #RainbowRunwayChallenge dance or walk inspired by the video to win HawaiianMiles and a complimentary stay in Waikīkī. The #RainbowRunwayChallenge came full circle in October for Honolulu Pride, where our employees and Haʻaheo members joined Kanemura on the official Hawaiian Airlines’ Rainbow Runway float.

Reconnecting Hawaiʻi with the world

Our international network continues to experience a gradual recovery, and strong demand for travel to Hawai'i allowed us to bring back nonstop service between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and New Zealand’s Auckland Airport. “The resumption of our New Zealand service [in July], along with the restart of our Sydney service in December, completes the reopening of our Oceania market – an integral piece of our company’s post-pandemic recovery,” Andrew Stanbury, regional director for Australia and New Zealand, said in a press release.

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Hawaiian Airlines employees and guests on HA445 were welcomed back to Auckland by Māori practitioners, who performed a traditional pōwheri (welcoming ceremony) and cultural exchange of hospitality outside the arrival gate.

 

However, the return of Japanese visitors to the Hawaiian Islands is most critical to Hawaiian's recovery. Theo Panagiotoulias, Hawaiian’s senior vice president of global sales and alliances, called Japan the “centerpiece international market for Hawaiʻi.” By summer’s end, Hawaiian had returned to daily service between HNL and Haneda, Narita and Osaka.

And to make things even more interesting, we announced a new Pacific Island route connecting Hawaii and the Cook Islands. Our nonstop weekly service between Honolulu and Rarotonga begins May 20 and will provide travelers from Hawaiian’s 15 U.S. Mainland gateway cities convenient one-stop connections to the Cook Islands.

HNLAKL 5

To our employees and guests, mahalo nui loa for an incredible 2022. We look forward to all that 2023 brings our ʻohana at Hawaiian Airlines!

Alaska Airlines plans to hire more than 3,500 employees in 2023

If you’ve ever thought about working for an airline, 2023 might be your year. Alaska Airlines is announcing plans to hire more than 3,500 new employees this year in a variety of roles and functions. As we continue to grow and bring dozens of new airplanes into our fleet, we need thousands of people to join the Alaska family.

From maintenance technicians to contact center agents, flight attendants to pilots, customer service agents to software engineers, we will have jobs available for anyone who wants to be part of our team.

Most of the new jobs are based at our hubs in Seattle and Portland, as well as locations up and down the West Coast. Benefits like the ability to work from home and flexibility of schedules are also available with some roles. Many of the positions do not require previous airline experience, so it’s the perfect time to try a new career. The openings will be posted at careers.alaskaair.com throughout the year.

“It’s an exciting time to join our team, and we’re eager to welcome more great people to Alaska,” said Andy Schneider, senior vice president of people at Alaska Airlines. “We offer a wide variety of positions, and we pride ourselves on nurturing talent and providing opportunities to learn new skills and move into new, challenging roles. Come join our winning team!”

Here’s a look at the approximate number of new hires for each role we’ll be looking to fill this year.

550 Pilots

1,000 Flight Attendants

1,000 Customer Service Agents

100 Ramp Service Agents

240 Contact Center Agents

135 Maintenance Technicians

500 Management

3,525 Total Employees

Why work for Alaska?

Creating an airline people love starts with our commitment to creating an airline where kind, remarkable and hardworking people can love what they do and who they work with. The work is exciting, we support each other and operate as one team, and you can travel the world. It’s unlike any other work environment.

We provide travel privileges to explore and connect with family and friends; competitive pay and unique bonus programs to reward you when the company does well; and strong benefits for your health and wellness.

We commit to providing career development in an inclusive workplace where you can grow your career. Many of our management employees began their careers in frontline positions and then took an opportunity to move into a supervisor or corporate role. The opportunities are endless.

Have we convinced you yet? The place to learn more is careers.alaskaair.com.

Hawaiian Airlines Creates $100,000 Scholarship Fund for Hawai‘i Residents Attending Arizona State University’s IT Program

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HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines is encouraging Hawai‘i students to pursue careers in information technology with the establishment of a $100,000 scholarship fund in partnership with Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. The Hawaiian Airlines New Horizons Scholarship will provide $10,000 awards each year for up to two undergraduate students enrolling in the school’s Information Systems program, starting in the fall 2023 semester.

“Information technology touches every aspect of Hawaiian Airlines. We will continue to grow our technology team with a focus on improving our operations and the guest experience,” said John Jacobi, senior vice president and chief information officer at Hawaiian Airlines. “We are delighted to partner with Arizona State’s exceptional IT program and offer Hawai‘i students a unique opportunity to succeed in this exciting field. Of course, we also hope graduates will consider building a career right here at home with our airline.”

Hawaiian – which has provided nonstop flights between Phoenix and Honolulu for two decades and, in 2020, opened a Technology Center in Tempe – has developed a strong relationship with Arizona State University and area colleges to support the school-to-career pipeline, including via a summer internship program.

“We are incredibly grateful for this new scholarship to support our students from Hawai’i in partnership with Hawaiian Airlines,” said Ohad Kadan, dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business. “This partnership aligns well with our vision of providing access to excellent and innovative business education.”

The one-year scholarship is open to juniors and seniors carrying a 3.0 GPA or higher and whose primary residence is in Hawai‘i. Applications must be submitted to Arizona State University on or before Feb. 1, 2023. More information is available here.

Hawaiian’s IT team of nearly 300 employees – out of a 7,000-plus workforce – includes software engineers, architects, database managers, business analysts, and many other positions.
 
Hawaiian’s scholarship at Arizona State University adds to the carrier’s portfolio of workforce development initiatives. Last summer, Hawai‘i’s hometown carrier announced an innovative program with Honolulu Community College in which airline mechanics teach classes for the school’s Aeronautics Maintenance Program. In September, Hawaiian joined the University of Hawai‘i’s IT/Cyber Leap-Start Experience Excelerator Program to welcome students into its operations and provide valuable on-the-job training.

Ranked as the top employer in the state of Hawai‘i last year by Forbes, Hawaiian is aggressively recruiting for hundreds of positions, including in IT. Click here to browse job openings. Internship information is available here.

About Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business

The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is the largest and one of the top-ranked business schools in the United States. The school is internationally regarded for its research productivity and its distinguished faculty members, including a Nobel Prize winner. Students come from more than 100 countries, and W. P. Carey is represented by alumni in more than 160 countries. Visit www.wpcarey.asu.edu.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 18 years (2004-2021) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation and consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawaiʻi. In 2022, the carrier topped Travel + Leisure’s 2022 World’s Best list as the No. 1 U.S. airline and was named Hawaiʻi's best employer by Forbes. 

Now in its 94th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaiʻi's biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers approximately 130 daily flights within the Hawaiian Islands, daily nonstop flights between Hawaiʻi and 15 U.S. gateway cities – more than any other airline – as well as service connecting Honolulu and American Samoa, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Tahiti.

The airline is committed to connecting people with aloha by offering complimentary meals for all guests on transpacific routes and the convenience of no change fees on Main Cabin and Premium Cabin seats. HawaiianMiles members also enjoy flexibility with miles that never expire. As Hawai‘i’s hometown airline, Hawaiian encourages guests to Travel Pono and experience the islands safely and respectfully.

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.

8 best-kept destinations you should fly to in 2023 

Whether you’re thinking about traveling to a beloved spot or finally checking off a bucket list destination, the question is not whether to take a trip, but rather where to go. We’ve got just the places for you to visit this year and the best way of getting you there!

Austin, Texas

Austin is packed with things to do like paddling next to the magnificent city, live music, outstanding places to eat, and enjoying its general weirdness. 

Book now

El Paso, Texas

With a growing list of spots to grab a bite, entertainment and more, El Paso is worth getting to know. It’s also a gateway to some pretty cool places, just under four hours, including White Sands National Park, Big Bend and Marfa, an eccentric small town, known for its art installations like Prada Marfa and mysterious lights at night. 

Book now

Jackson Hole, Wyoming 

Don’t miss spring’s wildflowers in Grand Teton National Park and hit the slopes at nearby ski resorts open November-April, best ski days tend to be February-March. 

Book now

Medford, Oregon 

Located in southern Oregon, Medford has many paths to take to adventure from excursions down the Rogue River to sights at Crater Lake National Park and it’s also a great starting point to drive the scenic highway to the Redwood Forest.

Book now

Nome, Alaska  

Head to Nome in early to mid-March to spot the northern lights during peak viewing season.

Book now

Sitka, Alaska

Sitka has dozens of superb hiking trails in the Tongass National Forest that offer unique opportunities to spot eagles, bears, spawning salmon, and the breath-taking vistas of “wild” Alaska, it’s actually the largest national forest in the United States.

Book now

Steamboat Springs, Colorado 

For some of the best epic fluffy powder runs for downhill skiing and snowboarding, head to Steamboat Springs from November to April, with the best time usually being right after the holidays and February through mid-March.  

Book now

Zihuatanejo, Mexico 

Zihuatanejo or Zihua — as the locals call it — is where you go to unwind when you want to leave the world behind for a bit. It’s a sleepy off-the-beaten-path beach town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast full of sea life, pristine beaches and serene views.

Book now

Jason Berry returns to Alaska Air Group as Horizon Air’s senior vice president of operations

Alaska Air Group subsidiary Horizon Air has named 27-year industry veteran Jason Berry as senior vice president of operations.

Berry rejoins Alaska Air Group after two years as vice president of cargo at Air Canada. 

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Jason back,” said Horizon Air President Joe Sprague. “Adding talented operational leaders like Jason is great for our business and it’s important for our long-term success at Horizon and Alaska. On a personal level, he is a fantastic person, he ‘gets’ Horizon and he knows our culture, and I’m excited to work with him again.”

Jason Berry returns to Alaska Air Group as Horizon Air’s senior vice president of operations.

Horizon Air has a reputation for operational excellence and led the regional industry for schedule completion rate in 2022.

In 2019 and 2020, Berry served as president of Alaska Airlines’ wholly owned subsidiary McGee Air Services, where he was president with oversight for all aspects of aviation services ground handling, aircraft grooming, airport mobility services, check-in and gate services.

From 2012 until June 2019, he led Alaska Air Cargo with direct responsibility for all aspects of cargo operations and compliance including revenue growth.

In 2022 he was named Air Cargo World’s “Executive of the Year.”

Berry graduated from Central Washington University and earned an Executive MBA at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.

Our operations are back to normal after winter wallops. To our guests: Thank you for your patience

WEATHER UPDATE: In the wake of the winter storms, our operations have returned to normal across our network. We continue to help our guests with travel arrangements for flights that were canceled over the past week and a half, including booking them on other airlines to get them to their destinations. To make traveling less burdensome for those looking to book new flights in the wake of weather disruptions, we have lowered our fares in select cities.

For guests whose travel was affected by winter weather, refunds and reimbursemetns are available. Learn more here.

Updated @ 1:53 AM PT on 12/30

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Generally, freezing rain is more challenging than snow and causes airline operations to slow down significantly or even halt completely until weather conditions improve.  Aircraft must be completely clear of ice or snow to maintain the aerodynamic integrity and be safe for flight. It generally takes longer to clear an aircraft of ice than it does to clear it of snow.

While it is never our goal to disrupt someone’s flight, especially around the holidays, the safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority. If you are traveling this week, we encourage you to check the status of your flight before heading to the airport and take advantage of our flexible travel waiver, which has been extended and now includes Portland and Seattle, to rebook your travel.

Here’s what to do if your flight is impacted and a look at our strategy to fly in winter weather:

Should your flight cancel, you can rebook your trip online or on Alaska’s app 

If your flight is impacted for any reason, you should receive a notification from our team and an accommodation on a new flight if flights are available. If you need to make further changes, you can use our app or go online to rebook your travel. 

Should you wish to hold the value of your ticket(s) and decide to move your trip to a future date, you may place the value of your ticket in your Mileage Plan Wallet for future use or request a full refund by viewing our refund options. 

Take advantage of our flexible travel waiver

Sometimes things like winter weather force you to adjust your travel plans. In those instances, we have a flexible travel policy you can use to waive the difference in the price of a new ticket (rules apply) and as always, we don’t charge change fees. Learn more  

Download Alaska’s app  

Our app is the perfect tool to have on hand when you fly with us. You can use it to check in, pay for bags and stay up to date on any changes to your reservation—it’s like having a travel agent at your fingertips.  

Download the Alaska App

Pro-tip: Turn on app notifications to get alerts from us + retrieve your boarding pass in one easy swipe on your home screen. 

Sign up for flight notifications 

Stay in the know by signing up for flight notifications via text or email. Unless otherwise noted, we will use your primary email address linked to your reservation for all communications. 

If you’re using the app, be sure to refresh your reservation frequently and check your messages!

Call us, if you can’t rebook online

While we understand your first reaction might be to call our reservations team when your flight has been canceled, we’ve found you can save time by rebooking your trip online or on our app.

If your flight is impacted, you should receive a priority phone number to call via email if you’d like to discuss alternate options with one of our reservation agents—who are a constant and dependable source of reassurance and help when you need it most. 

For all other reservation questions, guests can call 1 (800) 252-7522. 

Why do the impacts feel worse in Seattle?

Seattle is Alaska’s hometown, and our operations represent the largest percentage (by a wide margin) of departures and arrivals at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) compared to other airlines. Because of this, more of our guests are impacted when something impacts operations at Seattle. If another airline’s main hub got hit with a snowstorm, hurricane or power outage, they would be disproportionately impacted.

For context, SEA has a very small footprint by acreage compared to other metropolitan airports. This constrains our ability to deice our entire schedule of flights in wintry weather. Because the space doesn’t allow for that type of volume, we have to thin out our schedule to keep planes moving.

December 20, 2022; de-icing winter operations in snow at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Why do we cancel flights before snow and ice arrives?

We use numerous tools and resources to help us predict the weather. When our forecasts tell us to expect snow or ice, we know we need to act. Freezing temperatures and precipitation mean that we need to deice our aircraft before they can safely fly (more info on that below). Much like putting chains or studded tires on your car before hitting a snowy road, deicing aircraft slows down our operation. This means we can’t move our normal number of aircraft into and out of the airport. In order to reduce traffic jams, we need to proactively cancel flights from our schedule so we can keep as many aircraft moving as possible.

If we need to cancel flights, we try and let impacted guests know as early as possible. This means it could look clear and beautiful outside, but your flight tomorrow may have been canceled.

Why does an airplane need to be deiced?

Whenever there’s any snowfall or ice on our aircraft, we begin deicing procedures as part of our safety protocol. Aircraft cannot safely operate if there is snow or ice accumulation on the wings or tails, so it’s critical that we remove it before takeoff.

We have a full fleet of trucks, equipment and personnel across our stations ready to do that work, along with a well-stocked amount of deicing solution. They work as quickly as the airport and weather conditions will safely allow. However, deicing aircraft at the gate can lead to longer wait times on the tarmac—but safety comes first.

📹 If interested in deicing b-roll, download it here.

December 20, 2022; SeaTac, WA | Photo by Joe Nicholson

Watch Alaska Airlines surprise college students with the “Gift of Travel” to fly home for the holidays

Alaska is making a difference in peoples’ lives this holiday season by giving back. From flying college students facing housing insecurity home for the holidays to our Pack the Plane efforts to stock the shelves of local food banks. 

When Jaideven Tabios-Suesue moved away from the only place he’d ever called home to pursue “an opportunity of a lifetime” as a defensive back for the San Jose City College Jaguars – he knew it wouldn’t be easy.  

He was more than 3,000 miles away from his 14 siblings and didn’t have the means to visit if he felt homesick let alone during school breaks. 

This month, we surprised Jaideven and two of his teammates experiencing housing insecurity with the “Gift of Travel” for the holidays. The students were identified through our relationship with the San Jose Evergreen Community College District Foundation, a non-profit that supports student access and success through philanthropy. 

“Hearing the exciting news that Alaska Airlines would be supporting three of our students faced with housing and financial challenges by flying them home to Anchorage and Boston to be with their families for the holidays was a tear-jerking moment.”

Rosalie Gutiérrez Ledesma, executive director of government and external affairs for San José and Evergreen Community Colleges. 

Ledesma said 68% of the San José City College students who responded to a 2019 #RealCollege survey indicated they struggle with housing and 25% said they were experiencing homelessness without permanent housing. 

Two San Diego State University students identified through Wesley House in San Diego were also surprised with flights to visit their families, including Carson Timar. The senior, who wants to be a high school teacher, said he didn’t have permanent housing for more than a year before finding affordable housing through Wesley House.  

Before Timar moved from Dallas to San Diego, he had discovered a close family friend had taken his entire college savings. 

“I was talking to my roommate about Christmas and got emotional because it was such a question mark and I wanted to see my mom,” he said. “Genuinely, it means so much.” 

The “Gift of Travel” didn’t stop with flights for the students to visit their families. All five students were given $500 gift cards and $1,000 to put toward future rent. Alaska is also donating a total of $10,000 to the Wesley House of San Diego and and San José Evergreen Community College District Foundation to support the important work they do for our future generation. 

We work and live in California and want to be part of the solution of helping the most vulnerable members in our community. Care is at the core of our DNA here at Alaska Airlines and giving back to our communities is one of the best ways we can demonstrate that care,” said Neil Thwaites, regional vice-president of California for Alaska Airlines.  

About the students:  

Jaideven Tabios-Suesue currently attends San José City College as a first-year student athlete. He and his 14 siblings were adopted by his grandparents in Anchorage, Alaska after his father was incarcerated and his mother left for another state. Jaideven is the first one in his family to pursue college and is earning straight A’s as a Business major. He hopes to transfer to San José State University in pursuit of being a Spartan on-and-off-the-field. 

Jeremyah Rollins is a San José City College freshman and offensive lineman for the Jaguars, the school’s football team. The first person he wants to see when he returns home to Anchorage, Alaska is his mother, who raised him on her own. Jeremyah said his mother is his “everything” and the reason why he “is playing football today and in college.” When the family of one of Jeremyah’s teammates learned he couldn’t afford a place to live in the Bay Area, they opened their doors and welcomed him into their home. He hopes to soon find a job and afford a place of his own.  

Larissa Chacon is a first-generation Latina student at San Diego State University and is in her third year as a sociology major with minors in Women Studies and Honors. The San Francisco native works two jobs in order to pay for her affordable housing unit through Wesley House. Larissa and her brother were separated from their mother at a young age before being reunited years later. 

Mike Holt is a freshman is a San José City College freshman and a wide receiver for the school’s football team. He moved from Massachusetts and immediately found himself struggling to stay housed. He currently has several roommates and shares his room to be able to afford rent. He said that “moving across the country makes me miss my family and if I can see them, that’s all I would want for the holidays.” 

Carson Timar is a San Diego State University senior where he is an English major. His dream is to become a teacher. He currently works as a Special Education Assistant at a local high school. Before Carson moved to California from Dallas, Texas — he learned a close family friend had taken his entire college savings. He experienced housing insecurity for more than a year before finding affordable housing through Wesley House. 

Giving back this holiday season 

We packed 36 planes with food for the hungry 

When Alaska first started the Pack the Plane holiday food drive in 2009, the idea was to fill an entire virtual plane based on the weight of food and what a plane could hold. This effort grew over time to eventually include partnerships with local food banks as well as online donations. This year’s numbers are still coming in, but so far we’ve packed 36 airplanes, raised $171,000, worked 415 volunteer hours, and donated 6,400 pounds of food to 104 food banks across the cities where we fly. 

We flew children to the North Pole 

Our annual Fantasy Flight recently arrived at the “North Pole” to bring smiles and holiday cheer to dozens of Spokane-area children, many of whom live in shelters or transitional housing. 

For most of the children on board it was their first time on an airplane. Flight 1225 (as in “Dec. 25”) departed Spokane, Washington for Santa’s hometown. Upon arrival, the children were treated to an elaborate party – a true winter wonderland! Hundreds of employees and family members volunteered as elves to make the experience special. 

For children who don’t have much, the special treatment provides a momentary lift this time of year – and memories to last a lifetime. 

Read more about Fantasy Flight here. 

Employees in Milwaukee and Fairbanks filled in for Santa 

If you celebrate Christmas, writing letters to Santa feels exciting itself but imagine what a magical feeling it would be to get a reply! That’s what little ones who traveled through Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Wisconsin between Nov. 18 and Dec. 2 are experiencing this month. 

During that week, travelers dropped letters to Santa with a list of wishes in a special red mailbox. From there, our Milwaukee station employees shipped the mail to our Fairbanks station, along with photos of a holiday trio of stuffed animal friends who watch over the special delivery.  

@mitchellairport Santa’s Mailbox arrived at MKE and our first three letters were dropped off! Can you guess by who? #holiday#holidaycountdown#airport#fyp♬ Elf – Main Theme – Geek Music

In Fairbanks, Alaska, agents replied to every letter and, in partnership with the Milwaukee Airport, purchased gifts for the children who wrote to Santa and are mailing them each a surprise. 

This joint effort between Alaska and the Milwaukee Airport called Letters to Santa started a few years ago and brings holiday joy to every season.

What is freezing rain and why is it so challenging for air travel?

Captain Bret Peyton is Alaska’s managing director of standards, fleet and operational control as well as the FAA-designated director of operations. He has been flying for Alaska for 22 years.

Captain Bret Peyton

As everyone at Alaska is working hard to get our guests to their holiday destinations, our forecasts are calling for freezing rain in the next few days. I want to explain why that’s so challenging for our operation.

First of all, safety is our highest value at Alaska Airlines, and we never operate a flight unless we know it’s completely safe.

Now to the freezing rain. Let me explain how freezing rain occurs and why it impacts our operation so much. Freezing rain occurs when warm, moist air overrides colder air at the surface. This is called a temperature inversion. The temperature inversion causes super cooled water droplets to adhere to any surface like an aircraft wing or even power lines and tree branches.

The effects of a freezing rain storm in 2012.

We’ve all seen those pictures of power lines with icicles on them. Can you imagine if that was an aircraft wing? Clearly, we cannot operate in those conditions.

Traditional deice methods can combat freezing rain, but only in light conditions. Moderate or heavy freezing rain produces conditions that are almost impossible for any airline to operate in.

Because the forecast is so variable over the next couple days, we’re unsure how much freezing rain we’re going to get in Seattle and Portland, but we do anticipate having at least some freezing rain in these two main hubs.

Our pilots at Alaska Airlines are very well-versed in operating in wintertime conditions, and we will not operate an aircraft unless it’s safe. Suffice it to say if the aircraft is moving, it’s safe to do so.

Be assured, everyone at Alaska Airlines wants to get you to your destination safely this holiday season. We’ll do everything in our power to get you where you need to go. In the meantime, keep your eye on the forecast, check on your flight before you leave for the airport, and take advantage of our flexible travel waivers if you can. From everyone at Alaska Airlines, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

Gift Local-Style this LAU HALAday Season

There’s nothing quite as nostalgic as flipping through the pages of a holiday catalog to find the perfect gift for that special someone. Hawaiian Airlines is ringing in this merry season with a nod to the yesteryears through its third annual HawaiianMiles Holiday Catalog, a digital shopping guide featuring over 30 HawaiianMiles partners that offer Hawaiʻi-inspired gifts for every unique personality, from the adventurer to the trendsetter.

 

Shoppers can earn up to 10 miles per dollar spent with a Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® or Bankoh Hawaiian Airlines® Visa® Debit Card, and HawaiianMiles members can redeem miles to purchase gift cards or earn bonus miles with select specialty partners.

LAU HALAdays: A Nod to a Revered Cultural Practice

In true Hawaiʻi fashion, the holidays wouldn’t be complete in the Hawaiian Islands without the time-honored tradition of ulana (weaving) lau hala (hala tree leaves). The creative team behind the catalog found inspiration in a design rooted in ulana lau hala, a cultural art that stems back to Hawaiʻi’s ancient times. Polynesians first voyaged to the Hawaiian Islands with lau hala sails and continued to use the material for everything from sleeping mats to storage boxes to clothing. Today, local artisans practice ulana lau hala with great reverence, patience and mastery.

Lau hala weaving

Credit: Hawaiʻi State Archives/Pan-Pacific Press Bureau
Children watching a weaver strip lau hala in Kona on the Island of Hawaiʻi

 

“Lau hala was the perfect pillar for this year’s holiday catalog design concept,” said Emily Matsuno, a digital designer at Hawaiian, who got the idea during a casual conversation with the airline’s community and cultural relations team. “It’s an iconic tradition carrying significance across the Pacific Islands and is a heritage craft that resonates with everyone, no matter where they live.”

The creative team spent months designing a catalog that paid homage to ulana lau hala while serving as a global platform for local businesses. Some even traveled to Kona on the Island of Hawaiʻi, hoping to visit a selection of small shops dedicated to lau hala craftsmanship.

Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona

A selection of lau hala items and holiday ornaments showcased at the Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona conference.

 

“We were eyeing the historic Kimura Lauhala Shop in Hōlualoa, but it was closed when we arrived,” said Sachie Yorck, a copywriter at Hawaiian. “As luck would have it, the neighboring business owner saw our disappointment and told us that the Kimuras weren’t far — Renee was attending Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona, the 25th annual lau hala conference at Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa, just 10 minutes away.”

Yorck recalled, “It was quite the happy accident. We found dozens of energetic weavers crafting together and sharing their generations-old techniques when we arrived. We bought two bags of lau hala from Alice Kawamoto and her daughters who source their hala leaves from trees on their property.”

IMG-3085

The creative team's haul of lau hala items from Kona for the 2022 HawaiianMiles Holiday Catalog.

 

Many decorative pieces featured throughout the catalog, including the twinkling stars, the snowman, the Christmas tree, the stocking, and more, came from the accidental trip to the lau hala conference. Hala trees and lau hala can also be found in the background of many of the partner product shots.

A Meaningful Way to Connect Communities and Businesses

The HawaiianMiles Holiday Catalog first came to life in 2020 as local entrepreneurs were wrestling with the economic grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brighson Tolentino, card and travel products specialist at Hawaiian Airlines, said the idea came from wanting to provide relief to Hawaiʻi businesses.

“I remember, that fall, we came together as a team and brainstormed how to help these businesses, especially our local partners, and drive revenue to their stores,” he said. “The outcome was the annual HawaiianMiles Holiday Catalog, which has become a vehicle to drive more business to the wide variety of shopping and dining partners during the busiest time of the year and generate awareness among our HawaiianMiles members.”

Local Motion

Hawaiian Airlines teamed up with Local Motion Hawaii on an exclusive t-shirt design, just in time for the holiday season,

 

Each year brings a new look and feel to the retail catalog, and when Hawaiian’s creative team proposed its lau hala concept, it struck a deep chord for Tolentino.

“When I was a kid, my grandma would have me help her with craft fairs. She would have me clean out lau hala leaves, dry them, and weave them into a Christmas ornament. So, when the creative team presented the idea, it was very sentimental to me,” he said.

Mana Up Before After

Many products in the catalog were showcased with lau hala products purchased in Kona and/or shot in areas with native ferns or hala trees, including the Royal Hawaiian Resort in Waikīkī.

 

Tolentino also explained that lau hala plays a role in presenting gifts, which led the team to do something novel for the catalog launch: introduce an exclusive partnership with Wrappily, a Maui-based sustainable wrapping paper company.

“A wrapping paper partnership is something we’ve never done before,” said Matsuno. “We worked with the business owner to produce a two-sided design – one with a realistic lau hala print and the other with a hala tree pattern. The partnership was another way to support a local entrepreneur, spread holiday cheer, and honor the lifecycle of hala.”

Wrappily Before After

Matsuno (shown left) photographing a lau hala mat at the Hawaiian Airlines headquarters for the carrier's exclusive Wrappily two-side hala design (shown right)

 

Tolentino added, "I'm proud of my colleagues for working hard on this year's catalog. It does a beautiful job of sharing elements of Hawaiian culture while encouraging folks around the world to engage with Hawai'i and support the islands' businesses. "

Enter for a Chance to Win

The 2022 HawaiianMiles Holiday Catalog is available until Dec. 31, 2022.

Those who use a Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® or Bankoh Hawaiian Airlines® Visa® Debit Card while shopping with a HawaiianMiles Marketplace partner featured in the catalog will be entered for a chance to win up to 250,000 HawaiianMiles.* (Psst…each purchase equals one entry!). For rules and eligibility, visit www.HawaiianAirlines.com/Catalog-Sweepstakes.

Sweepstakes

 

On behalf of the entire Hawaiian Airlines ʻohana,

happiest of LAU HALAdays to you and yours!

 

** No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 years or older or age of majority & are Hawaiian Airlines® Mastercard® and Bankoh Hawaiian Airlines® Visa® Debit Card cardholders as of 11/24/22, with an account in good standing through the end of the promotion period. Starts 12:00:01 am HST on 11/25/22 and ends 11:59:59 pm HST on 12/31/22. For rules, visit https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/social/holiday-catalog-sweepstakes-rules. Sponsor: Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.

The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® is issued by Barclays Bank Delaware (Barclays) pursuant to a license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard, World Elite Mastercard, and World Elite Mastercard are registered trademarks, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

The Bankoh Hawaiian Airlines® Visa® Debit Card is issued by Bank of Hawaii, VISA is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association and used under license.

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