Travel alert: Hurricane Irma
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Update: Sept. 12 at 11:30 a.m. PDT
Due to the impacts of Hurricane Irma, Alaska Airlines and Virgin America have extended flexible travel policies to airports that were impacted by the storm.
Alaska Airlines doubles donation to American Red Cross for disaster relief efforts
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Alaska Airlines is doubling our support for disaster relief efforts, with another $100,000 cash donation to the American Red Cross.
That brings Alaska’s total relief donations to $200,000 and 1 million Mileage Plan miles.
Hey Congress, let’s upgrade our skies
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It’s September, kids are headed back to school and Congress is heading into session about to vote on an FAA bill to reform our nation’s air traffic system. You say, why does it matter to me? Here’s three reasons why Air Traffic Control (ATC) Reform will help today’s travelers and why Alaska Airlines is strongly urging flyers to visit www.ontimeflights.org to encourage support of the bill. (It’s easy and only takes a minute. There’s even a pre-written email which auto-populates your congressperson’s name and email once you put in your address.)
A day in the life of an Alaska Airlines social care representative
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Feature photo: Alaska Airlines’ social care team is based in Seattle and is responsible for monitoring Alaska’s social media channels and responding to customer service needs 24/7.
Social media never sleeps, and neither does Alaska Airlines. Whether it’s assisting a guest with a mileage request or responding to inquiries about a storm on the East Coast, Alaska Airlines social care is a 24/7 operation. It’s a team of 12 people, with rotating shifts, responding to hundreds of inquiries throughout the day and the night – all in 140 characters or less, and all in a social media minute.
To many, this may sound like a near-impossible feat, but for an Alaska Airlines social care representative, it’s just another day on the job.
Local Wanderer: Wichita
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Wichita dweller, Andrew Kemp, knows the best ins and outs of the city. With shots of local hot spots as well as some of his favorite destinations, he knows how to bring Kansas from life to our news feeds. He is being featured as part of Alaska’s Local Wanderer series. Follow Alaska Airlines on Instagram as Andrew gives you a glimpse of Wichita through his lens.
5 of the best views in New York City
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There’s nowhere in the world quite like New York City. At once gritty and glamorous, its brash, busy streets filled with a mixture of people from all walks of life, give it a flavor like no other city you’ve been to. From the parks, to the markets, to the unlimited possibilities for art and culture, there’s something to occupy even the most restless spirit.
But the Big Apple also has something else going for it: incredible views. Stunning both architecturally and topographically, there are loads of beautiful panoramas of the city to be had— whether by land, air or sea.
Now available: More elite benefits for Alaska flyers on Virgin America flights
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Alaska Mileage Plan MVP, MVP Gold and Gold 75K members now receive enhanced elite benefits on Virgin America flights, putting Alaska flyers on par with its Elevate elite-level flyers.
New benefits include complimentary access to preferred main cabin seating, complimentary Main Cabin Select upgrades and access to advance purchase First Class upgrades. Mileage Plan Gold and Gold 75K members also receive waived changed fees when traveling on Virgin America flights.
Alaska offering support to hurricane victims
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Alaska Airlines has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross and offering additional support to relief organizations to assist in helping victims of Hurricane Harvey, a devastating storm that hit the Houston region Friday night and continues to batter the city with heavy rain and floods.
Flights have been grounded at both Houston-area airports. So far, Alaska has canceled its seven scheduled flights from last Friday through Tuesday, and is planning to cancel another scheduled flight on Wednesday.
Threading the celestial needle: Catching the Great American Eclipse at 35,000 feet
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There’s nothing Alaska Airlines pilots like more than a challenge. As a company that started out flying between remote airfields deep in the Alaskan “bush,” safely navigating where other airlines can’t is in Alaska’s blood.
So, for Alaska, putting a flight in the path of the Great American Eclipse wasn’t really a question of if, but how.
Total solar eclipses aren’t rare – they come around every 16 months or so. Being lucky enough to get in their path is the hard part. Diehard eclipse chasers, called “umbraphiles,” go to drastic lengths to put themselves in the moon’s shadow. They plan years in advance, strategically choosing the best places to catch each and every eclipse, whether that means scaling a mountain, chartering an Arctic voyage… or planning an incredibly complicated flight path.
The math problem goes something like this: A plane leaves Portland flying 500 mph to catch a solar eclipse as the moon’s shadow decelerates from infinity in the instant it touches the Earth to approximately 2,400 mph approaching the coast of Oregon. Where in space and time does the plane need to be to give guests the ultimate eclipse experience?
It’s the kind of equation that takes a team of astronomers and aviators to crack.
Around the world in lounges
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With Alaska Mileage Plan and Alaska Global Partners, you can earn miles to more than 900 destinations worldwide. But we wouldn’t just send our loyal guests globetrotting without a place to kick back and relax along the way, and an Alaska Lounge membership can provide exactly that.
Together with our partners, Alaska Lounge members have access to over 90 airport lounges worldwide. We’ve got you covered if your travels take you to Chicago, London, Tokyo, Sydney, Paris – you get the idea.
Here are a few lounges across the globe you can access with your Alaska Lounge membership:
Weekend Wanderer: San Francisco to Mexico City
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As a San Francisco local, Instagrammer Nanette Wong, knows how to live the sweet life. From photos of decadent treat to her favorite coffee spots in town, Nanette’s mouth-watering content is the best part of anyone’s feed. She just returned from an Instagram takeover in Mexico City, Mexico as part of Alaska’s Weekend Wanderer series. For more Weekend Wanderer posts, be sure to follow Alaska Airlines on Instagram.
Look like a local: 5 Alaska fashion must-haves
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Alaskans have always had a “unique” sense of fashion – one that combines the practical with local flair. Alaskans may not be overly concerned with the usual frills, but ruining a fishing trip due to a lack of appropriate footwear is a sin that’s not easily forgiven in the Great Land. Far removed from fancy designers and department stores, Alaskans have developed their own local brands to meet their needs in a challenging and often isolated environment.
And in many local communities, most of these Alaska fashion staples can be found at the local hardware or outdoor store.