Alaska Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alaska Airlines

Founded	April 14, 1932; 93 years ago (1932-04-14) (as McGee Airways)
Commenced operations	June 6, 1944; 81 years ago (1944-06-06)
AOC #	ASAA802A
Hubs	Anchorage Los Angeles Portland (OR) San Francisco Seattle/Tacoma
Focus cities	Boise (ID) San Diego San Jose (CA)
Frequent-flyer program	Mileage Plan
Alliance	Oneworld
Fleet size	318
Destinations	128
Parent company	Alaska Air Group
Headquarters	SeaTac, Washington, United States
Key people	Ben Minicucci (CEO) Brad Tilden (Chairman)
Employees	20,144 (2023)

Alaska Airlines is a big airline in the United States. Its main office is in SeaTac, Washington, near Seattle. It's the fifth-largest airline in North America based on how many passengers it carries. Alaska Airlines, along with its partners Horizon Air and SkyWest Airlines, mainly connects cities along the West Coast of the United States. They fly to over 100 places in the U.S., the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico.

The airline uses five main airports as its "hubs," which are like central stations for flights. Its biggest hub is Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. Alaska Airlines is part of Oneworld, which is the third-largest group of airlines in the world. In 2023, Alaska Airlines announced plans to buy Hawaiian Airlines in a big deal.

The Story of Alaska Airlines

How It All Started (1932–1945)

A Stinson "S" Junior aircraft of McGee Airways: This airline was the start of what is now Alaska Airlines.

The airline that became Alaska Airlines began as McGee Airways in 1932. It was started by Linious "Mac" McGee. The first flights were between Anchorage and Bristol Bay. Flights took off whenever there were enough passengers, cargo, or mail to carry.

During the Great Depression, the airline had money problems. There were too many airlines in Anchorage and not enough people flying. So, McGee Airways joined with other airlines. In 1934, McGee sold his airline to Star Air Service, another airline in Anchorage. Star Air Service was a big airline in Alaska with 15 planes, but it also struggled because its planes were old and expensive to fix.

In 1937, McGee came back to the airline. That year, Star Air Service bought Alaska Interior Airlines and changed its name to Star Air Lines. Later, a group of miners bought Star Air Lines.

In 1938, the government started regulating airlines. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) gave Star Air Lines most of the routes it wanted in Alaska. However, the popular route between Seattle and Anchorage went to Pan American Airways.

In 1941, a businessman named Raymond Marshall bought Star Air Service. In 1942, the airline bought three more airlines in Alaska. It also bought a hangar at the Anchorage airport. In 1942, the airline's name became Alaska Star Airlines.

When World War II began in December 1941, Alaska Airlines had a shortage of pilots. The airline also didn't have much money or equipment. Pilots often had to buy fuel for their planes themselves. The company had many different presidents during this time. In 1943, Alaska Airlines bought its first multi-engine plane, the Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar. That same year, the company's shares were traded on the stock market for the first time.

The name Alaska Airlines was officially adopted on May 2, 1944. In the 1940s, Alaska Airlines' main office was in Anchorage.

Growing Bigger After World War II (1945–1949)

An Alaska Airlines Douglas DC-3, one of the planes bought after World War II.

In 1945, Alaska Airlines hired its first flight attendants. In 1947, James Wooten became the airline's president and helped it grow a lot. Under his leadership, the company bought many extra military planes from the government that were used in World War II. These included Douglas DC-3s, Douglas DC-4s, and Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commandos. Alaska Airlines was the first airline allowed to fly DC-3s with skis!

Alaska Airlines made a lot of money from its large charter business (flights hired for specific groups). The airline moved its main operations to Paine Field, an airport north of Seattle, but kept an office in Anchorage. However, this worldwide charter business didn't last long. In 1949, the CAB made rules stricter and fined the airline heavily. They even shut it down completely for safety problems. The airline was not allowed to do worldwide charter flights anymore, and James Wooten left the company. Also in 1949, Alaska Air started using five Bell 47B helicopters to help with oil exploration in Alaska. This made them the first airline in Alaska to use helicopters.

In 1949, the airline helped a lot in a big effort to fly Jewish people from Yemen to Israel. This was called Operation Magic Carpet. They used C-46 or DC-4 planes for the nearly 3,000-mile flight, avoiding Arab nations. Planes flew from Eritrea to Aden, then to Tel Aviv. After dropping off the people, crews quickly flew to Cyprus because they were worried about bombings in Tel Aviv. About 49,000 Yemenite Jews were flown by Alaska Airlines and other carriers, and no one was lost.

New Leaders and New Ideas (1950s)

In the 1950s, Alaska Airlines no longer had its worldwide charter business and only flew within Alaska. In 1950, it bought two smaller Alaskan airlines.

Even though the airline had grown under Raymond Marshall, the CAB made him leave in 1951 because of money problems. Marshall was more interested in making money for himself than in the airline's future. In 1951, the CAB gave Alaska Airlines a temporary permit to fly from Anchorage and Fairbanks to Seattle and Portland. This permit became permanent in 1957.

In 1952, Nelson David became president. He worked to make the airline financially stable. By 1957, the airline was doing better, and David left. Charles Willis Jr. became the new president and CEO. Willis, who was a pilot in World War II, came up with fun marketing ideas. Under him, Alaska Airlines was the first to show movies during flights. The company also started using the Douglas DC-6, its first plane with a pressurized cabin. This allowed flights to go above clouds and bad weather. On these DC-6 planes, they offered "Golden Nugget" service, which even had a saloon and a piano on board!

The Jet Age Arrives (1960s)

The Convair 880 was Alaska Airlines' first jet plane.

In 1961, other airlines started using jets on routes Alaska Airlines flew. To keep up, Willis arranged to buy a Convair 880 jetliner with no money down. This jet was used for flights between Alaska and the rest of the U.S. The company introduced the new jet in 1961. In 1966, the company got its first Boeing 727-100 jets. They removed the Convair 880 from their fleet because of a deal with Boeing for the 727s. Some of Alaska's first 727s could carry only cargo, only passengers, or a mix of both.

In 1967, more passengers meant they needed more planes quickly. Alaska bought a Convair 990 jetliner. This plane stayed in service along with more Boeing 727-100s. Later, longer Boeing 727-200s joined the fleet and became Alaska Airlines' main plane for the next 25 years. Alaska was also the first airline to fly the Lockheed L-100 Hercules, which is a civilian version of a military cargo plane. It was used to transport oil drilling equipment.

Alaska also owned Lockheed Constellation propeller planes. Smaller propeller and turboprop planes were also used, including the Convair 240 and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter. They also had Catalina and Grumman Goose amphibian aircraft (planes that can land on water). These water planes joined the fleet when the airline bought Alaska Coastal Airlines in 1968.

A Boeing 727-100 at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. The airline started using this type of plane in the mid-1960s.

During this time, Alaska Air faced tough competition from other airlines like Northwest Airlines and Pan Am. To stand out, Alaska Air used fun and creative ideas. They had safety instructions read as rhymes, fashion shows in the aisles, and even bingo games on board!

In 1965, Alaska Airlines gave some routes between small Alaskan towns and some smaller planes to Wien Air Alaska. This allowed Alaska to focus on busier routes and sell off its smaller aircraft.

Throughout the 1960s, Alaska Airlines worked to encourage tourism to Alaska by offering charter flights. In 1963, they even did a promotional tour in Japan. In 1967, when Alaska celebrated its 100th birthday, Alaska Airlines had a "Gay Nineties" theme with flight attendants dressed in old-fashioned outfits. That year, Alaska Airlines expanded to southeast Alaska and bought two smaller airlines, Alaska Coastal Airlines and Cordova Airlines, in 1968.

Tough Times (1970s)

A Boeing 727-200Adv approaching Los Angeles International Airport, showing the new look and logo from the early 1970s.

In the early 1970s, Alaska Airlines started flying Boeing 707 charter flights to Siberia in the Soviet Union. This was after three years of secret talks. Alaska Airlines also flew Boeing 707, Boeing 720, and Boeing 720B jets on regular passenger flights between Alaska and Seattle.

The airline was not doing well financially. Like many airlines, Alaska Airlines faced rising fuel costs and was almost bankrupt. Their income dropped when work on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System was delayed. The airline's cargo planes, which helped build the pipeline, were now sitting idle. The airline also suffered a big blow on September 4, 1971, when a Boeing 727-100 jetliner crashed while landing in Juneau, killing 111 people. This was America's worst single-plane crash at the time. Because of these financial struggles, the airline's board replaced CEO Charles Willis with Ronald Cosgrave.

The airline owed $22 million when Cosgrave took over. He made big cuts, stopping the cargo business completely and cutting many flights and employees. Cosgrave also worked to improve the airline's reputation, which was known for bad on-time performance. The airline's logo was changed to a smiling Inuit man, which is still used today. No one knows exactly who the man is, but some think it's Chester Seveck or Oliver Amouak, both Alaskan natives. Thanks to these efforts, the airline started making a profit again in 1973.

Growing After Deregulation (1978–1990)

Alaska Airlines was one of only three U.S. airlines that supported the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act. They knew it would help them grow. After deregulation, the airline's real estate part became its own company. Leadership of the airline went to Bruce Kennedy.

At the time of deregulation, Alaska Airlines flew to ten cities in Alaska and only one in the main U.S. (Seattle). It had only ten planes. Right after deregulation, the airline started to grow, adding Portland and San Francisco to its network. Soon after, it started flying to Alaskan cities Nome and Kotzebue again, and added service to Palm Springs, California. Burbank and Ontario were added in 1981. By 1985, other cities like Oakland, San Jose, Spokane, Boise, Phoenix, and Tucson were added.

Deregulation also brought challenges. The airline faced more competition and rising costs. By 1979, other airlines were flying big McDonnell Douglas DC-10 jets on the busy Anchorage–Seattle route. There were also problems with unions, especially mechanics and flight attendants. In 1985, the company had a three-month strike with its mechanics. By June 1985, they ended the strike by promising to lower labor costs. In November 1985, the airline started a daily air-cargo service called Gold Streak for flights to and from Alaska.

Alaska Airlines was the first to use the MD-83 and flew many of these jets in the 1980s and 1990s.

In the 1980s, Alaska Airlines began buying McDonnell Douglas MD-80s to replace its older 727s. Alaska was the first airline to use the MD-83, getting its first MD-80s in 1985.

Also in 1985, the Alaska Air Group was created as a parent company for Alaska Airlines. In 1986, Alaska Air Group bought regional airline Horizon Air, which stayed a separate brand. Since then, both airlines have been part of Alaska Air Group. In 1987, Alaska Airlines bought Jet America Airlines. Alaska first ran Jet America as a separate airline, but it wasn't making money, so Jet America's flights were combined with Alaska's.

There was a big difference in travel to Alaska, with most people flying in the summer. To balance this, the airline started flying to Mexican resorts, where most travel happens in the winter. In 1988, the airline began flying to Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. By the end of the 1980s, 70 percent of Alaska Airlines' passengers flew south of Seattle. The airline had successfully used its base in Alaska to grow into bigger, more profitable markets.

New Competition, New Tech (1990s)

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-400 landing at Vancouver International Airport.

In the 1990s, the airline planned to lease 24 Boeing 737-400s. The first plane arrived in April 1992.

In 1991, Alaska Airlines added new routes. It added cities in the Russian Far East, Magadan and Khabarovsk, and also started service to Toronto, its first Canadian city. Toronto flights stopped in 1992, and Russian flights stopped in 1998.

Bruce Kennedy retired in May 1991 and Raymond J. Vecci took over.

Alaska Airlines faced more competition from low-cost carriers. One airline, MarkAir, started offering cheap flights on the Anchorage-Seattle route, which hurt Alaska Airlines. For the first time in 20 years, Alaska Airlines lost money. To save money, the airline canceled plans for new maintenance buildings and delayed a big plane purchase. They also cut labor costs, but this caused problems with unions.

The cost cuts quickly helped. In 1993, their losses decreased, and they made a profit the next year. A lot of this money came from record-breaking cargo operations.

Alaska faced more competition in 1993 when Southwest Airlines entered the Pacific Northwest. Alaska Airlines worked to keep its costs down while still offering great customer service. The airline promoted itself as "the last great airline" and with the motto "For the same price, you just get more."

Alaska continued to get new MD-83 planes in the 1990s to meet growing demand and replace its older 727s. Their last 727 was retired in March 1994. The airline had 44 MD-80 planes in 1996.

Vecci was replaced by John Kelly in 1995. The airline soon expanded West Coast routes because of a new "open skies" agreement between the U.S. and Canada.

Alaska Airlines was a leader in new technologies in the 1990s. In 1989, it added a special guidance system to fly better in foggy conditions, being the first airline to use this. In 1995, the airline became the first U.S. airline to sell tickets online. By 2000, all the airline's planes had automated external defibrillators for emergencies. The airline also put in self-service kiosks called "Instant Travel Machines" that printed boarding passes, letting customers skip the ticket counter.

This idea, called "Airport of the Future," was first tried in Anchorage and then in Seattle. The airline was also the first in the world to combine GPS and Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) technology, showing a real-time 3D view of the ground.

The late 1990s were very profitable for the airline. They added new training and maintenance facilities. The airline started buying new 737s, ordering three Boeing 737-700s and becoming the first customer for the Boeing 737-900 when it ordered ten jets in November 1997.

Flying Across the U.S. (2000s)

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900 at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. Alaska was the first customer for the 737-900 plane.

With new Boeing 737 Next Generation planes arriving in 1999, Alaska started more medium-distance flights. In 2000, Alaska began service between Anchorage and Chicago.

In May 2001, the airline received its first 737-900. In 2001, the airline was allowed to fly nonstop from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Seattle, but this was stopped after only a week due to the September 11 attacks. The airline restarted service to Reagan Airport on December 4, 2001.

In January 2002, William Ayer became CEO of Alaska Airlines. He led the company through a big change called Alaska 2010 to protect the airline from the ups and downs of the airline industry.

In 2003, Alaska Airlines won an award for its new technologies in the airport and on the plane.

The Boeing 737-800 replaced the airline's MD-83s, which were retired in August 2008.

In 2005, because the Boeing 737 Next Generation planes were more efficient and costs for maintenance, fuel, and training were rising, Alaska Airlines decided to stop using its 26 MD-80s. They trained pilots to fly the newer Boeing 737-800s that were being ordered. The airline said the MD-80 used more fuel per hour than the 737-800. The last MD-80 flights were in August 2008. To celebrate becoming an all-Boeing fleet, Alaska Airlines showed off a 737-800 called Spirit of Seattle with Boeing's colors painted on it.

Also in 2005, Alaska Airlines hired outside companies for many jobs, including ground crew positions. This saved the airline money.

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-400 Combi aircraft at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.

Starting in June 2006, Alaska Airlines added new cargo planes: five 737-400C "combi" aircraft and one 737-400F freighter. The "combi" planes were special because they could carry both cargo and 72 passengers, which was great for transporting goods and people to remote towns. These planes had more space for passengers and cargo than the older planes they replaced.

The 2010s

An Alaska – Horizon Bombardier Q400, after the Horizon Air brand was changed.

In March 2010, Alaska Airlines started flying from San Jose, California, to Hawaii, and from Sacramento, California, to Hawaii.

In September 2010, Alaska Airlines began service between Seattle and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

In 2011, Horizon Air changed how it operated. Now, Horizon operates and takes care of its planes, while Alaska Airlines handles scheduling, marketing, and pricing all flights. As part of this change, the Horizon Air brand was updated, and all Horizon planes were repainted with a co-branded "Alaska Horizon" look.

Alaska Airlines also made a similar agreement with SkyWest Airlines. Starting in May 2011, SkyWest began operating flights for Alaska under the brand "Alaska SkyWest."

In January 2011, Alaska Airlines ordered thirteen 737-900ERs and two 737-800s.

Alaska's previous look on a 737-800.

In 2011, Alaska Airlines worked with Boeing and Fujitsu to be the first to use a new technology called Component Management Optimization. This helps mechanics check planes faster by using a handheld device to scan special tags on plane parts, showing when they were last replaced.

In mid-2011, the airline gave iPads to its pilots. This replaced 25 pounds of paper flight manuals that pilots used to carry. Alaska Airlines was the first major airline to use iPads on flights.

In November 2011, Alaska Airlines flew 75 commercial passenger flights in the U.S. using biofuel. This fuel was made from used cooking oil and met strict safety standards.

On February 16, 2012, Bill Ayer, Alaska Airlines' CEO, retired. Brad Tilden became the new CEO on May 15, 2012.

In March 2012, Alaska Airlines started service from Seattle to Kansas City, and in June 2012, to Philadelphia. Flights from Seattle-Tacoma to Miami International Airport ended in July 2012, but service to nearby Fort Lauderdale began. Service to San Antonio began in September 2012. Alaska Airlines also started service from San Diego to Orlando in October 2012.

In October 2012, Alaska placed its biggest order ever, for 50 Boeing 737s. This order included 20 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, 17 Boeing 737 MAX 9s, and 13 Boeing 737-900ERs.

In June 2013, Alaska Airlines announced a plan to replace Boeing 737s on flights between Fairbanks and Anchorage with Bombardier Q400s operated by Horizon Air. This was meant to lower costs. Some people in Fairbanks were worried about the safety of the Q400s and having to board outside in the cold winter. Alaska Airlines listened and changed one of the jetways at Fairbanks International Airport so passengers wouldn't have to go outside. In November 2017, Alaska announced it would go back to using only jet planes in Alaska and close its Horizon Air base in Anchorage.

Alaska showed its new logo and look in 2016, seen here on a Boeing 737-800.

New nonstop flights from Seattle to Salt Lake City began in 2013. Flights to Albuquerque, Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans, Tampa, and Cancun all began in 2014. More routes were added from Salt Lake City to compete with Delta Air Lines.

In 2015, Alaska Airlines announced three new nonstop destinations from Seattle: Charleston, Nashville, and Raleigh-Durham. These, along with a flight between Los Angeles and Baltimore, started in late 2015 using their 737 planes.

In January 2016, Alaska Airlines revealed a big update to its brand for the first time in 25 years. This included a new logo and a new look for its planes. The new design made the "Alaska" wordmark simpler and the Eskimo logo more colorful.

In 2017, Alaska Airlines expanded to Indianapolis, with nonstop service to Seattle in May and San Francisco in September. The San Francisco route was stopped in September 2018.

In September 2018, Alaska Airlines added nonstop service from Seattle to Pittsburgh.

The 2020s

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alaska Airlines announced it would reduce its number of employees by 30%. By the end of 2020, the company cut about 7,000 jobs.

In February 2020, Alaska Airlines said it planned to join the Oneworld airline alliance. On March 31, 2021, Alaska Airlines officially joined Oneworld, adding seven new airline partners.

In December 2020, Alaska Airlines agreed to buy 23 Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets.

In November 2021, Alaska Airlines started seasonal flights to Belize, making it the fourth foreign country the airline served.

In August 2022, Alaska Airlines invested in Twelve, a company that makes sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from carbon dioxide. This fuel would have much lower emissions than regular fuel and wouldn't require changing existing aircraft.

In October 2022, Alaska Airlines announced a deal with Boeing to buy 52 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This was the airline's largest plane order ever.

In May 2022, Alaska Airlines stopped printing its inflight magazine and moved to an online blog due to COVID-19 cleaning rules.

In January 2023, Alaska Airlines announced it had stopped using plastic cups on its flights. It was the first U.S. airline to do so. This is part of a plan to replace its top five waste-producing items from onboard services by 2025.

In 2023, Alaska Airlines announced partnerships with Taiwan-based Starlux Airlines, Mokulele Airlines (a small airline in Hawaii), and Porter Airlines (a Canadian airline). A partnership with Kenmore Air was also restarted in 2023.

Alaska Airlines announced nonstop service to Guatemala and the Bahamas in June and July 2023. Bahamasair became a partner airline at the same time.

On April 17, 2024, the FAA stopped all of Alaska Airlines' flights for a short time. The reason was not announced.

Buying Hawaiian Airlines

In December 2023, the Alaska Air Group announced it planned to buy Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion. Experts had suggested this merger for years. This deal would give Alaska, which mainly uses smaller planes for domestic flights, Hawaiian's larger jets, pilots, and international routes. If approved by regulators, both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines would keep their separate names. Hawaiian Airlines would also become a Oneworld member, and the two airlines would combine their frequent-flier programs.

Places Alaska Airlines Flies

Alaska's operations at its main hub, Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.

Alaska Airlines flies to more than 115 places in the United States, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico. Some places in Alaska it serves include Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Sitka. Many of these places cannot be reached by road.

The airline started flying regularly to the Russian Far East in 1991 after the Soviet Union broke up, but stopped this service in 1998.

Alaska has always been one of the biggest airlines on the West Coast of the United States. It has a strong presence in Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, and San Diego. It also serves several airports in the Bay Area and the Los Angeles area.

Some cities with less traffic are served by regional airline partners. These partners are paid to operate and maintain planes for flights that Alaska Airlines schedules and markets. Alaska's partners include its own subsidiary Horizon Air and SkyWest Airlines.

Airline Partners

Alaska Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance. It also has agreements to share flights or mileage programs with these airlines:

Planes Alaska Airlines Flies

This section is transcluded from Alaska Airlines fleet

What's On Board?

Cabin Classes

Economy class seats in an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900ER.

• First Class offers priority boarding, free food, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The seats are wide and recline, arranged 2-2 on main planes and 2-1 on smaller regional jets. Every First Class seat has power outlets.

• Premium Class is right behind First Class. These seats have more legroom (4 inches more than Main Cabin). Passengers get priority boarding and free alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks. A small snack is included, and more food can be bought. Elite members of Alaska's Mileage Plan loyalty program can sometimes get free upgrades to Premium Class. On main planes, every Premium Class seat has USB and power outlets.

• Main Cabin is Alaska's economy class. Main Cabin passengers get a free non-alcoholic drink and a small snack. Food and alcoholic drinks can be bought. On main planes, every Main Cabin seat has USB and power outlets.

In-flight Services

Food and Drinks

An Alaska Airlines in-flight snack.

In 2006, the airline started selling meals on most flights longer than 2.5 hours. They offer different "Picnic Packs" for a fee in Premium Class and Main Cabin. These packs include products from West Coast companies.

In February 2012, Alaska Airlines started serving coffee from Starbucks on all its flights. Before this, Starbucks coffee was only on Horizon Air flights. Horizon Air was the first airline in the world to serve Starbucks coffee, starting in 1990. In 2023, Alaska changed to serving coffee from Portland-based Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

In July 2018, Alaska Airlines updated its First Class menu with foods inspired by the West Coast. New items included ice cream, brownies, and pasta. Passengers could also order food before flights to have it ready when they boarded.

Internet on Board

All Alaska Airlines jets have Wi-Fi and streaming entertainment. Soon, internet access will cost a flat $8 per flight on planes with satellite Wi-Fi. On older systems, internet service still costs money depending on the flight length. Streaming entertainment and electronic messaging are free.

Alaska started testing Wi-Fi in 2009. They chose the land-based Gogo Inflight Internet system in February 2010. In October 2010, flights between Anchorage and Fairbanks were the first to get Wi-Fi. The system expanded to cover all routes, except Hawaii. Alaska Airlines began switching to a satellite-based system in 2019, which works on all flights, including over oceans.

Reward Programs

Mileage Plan

Main article: Mileage Plan

The frequent-flyer program for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air is called Mileage Plan. It partners with airlines from all three major airline alliances and other airlines. The program is free to join, and accumulated miles do not expire. The Plan has special levels (MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold 100k) for frequent travelers, which give them more travel benefits.

Club 49

In November 2011, Alaska Airlines started a new program called Club 49, just for Mileage Plan members who live in Alaska. Benefits include free checked bags and email updates about flight sales and discounts. The program is free to join and memberships are good for one year.

Alaska Lounge

The airline has eight Alaska Lounges. Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Alaska's biggest hub, has three lounges. Portland International Airport has two lounges. Anchorage Airport, San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport each have one. Also, Oneworld lounges are now available for Alaska passengers.

How the Company Works

Alaska Air Cargo

An Alaska Air Cargo Boeing 737-700F freighter takes off from Anchorage.

Alaska Air Cargo handles cargo in parts of the United States. It has the largest air cargo operations on the West Coast of the U.S. among passenger airlines. Alaska's cargo flights mainly focus on the northwestern states and Alaska, especially between Anchorage and Seattle. From Alaska, they mostly carry fresh Alaskan seafood. Cargo carried north from Seattle is mainly U.S. Postal Service mail. The airline carries goods for remote Alaskan communities and personal packages.

Helping the Community

The Alaska Airlines Foundation, located at Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, gives money to non-profit organizations in Alaska and Washington that are registered charities.

Working with Employees

Alaska's pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International. Its flight attendants are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants.

Since May 2005, the airline has hired outside companies to handle baggage. In late 2016, Alaska Airlines created its own company, McGee Air Services, which also competes for ground handling jobs in some Alaska cities.

Accidents and Incidents

Alaska Airlines has had some major aviation accidents in its history.

• On November 30, 1947, a Douglas C-54A plane crashed while trying to land in Seattle. Eight people on board died, plus the driver of a car it hit.
• On January 20, 1949, a Douglas C-47A plane crashed into a mountain. Five of the six passengers died.
• On August 8, 1954, an Alaska Airlines C-47A crashed into a mountain. Both pilots died.
• On March 2, 1957, a Douglas C-54B plane hit a mountain while approaching Seattle. All five people on board died.
• On July 21, 1961, Alaska Airlines Flight 779, a Douglas DC-6A, crashed short of the runway, killing all six crew members.
• On April 17, 1967, an Alaska Airlines Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation landed with its landing gear up during heavy snowfall. Everyone on board survived, but the plane was badly damaged.
• On September 4, 1971, Alaska Airlines Flight 1866, a Boeing 727-193, crashed into a mountain while approaching Juneau. All 111 people on board were killed.
• On April 5, 1976, Alaska Airlines Flight 60, a Boeing 727-81, went off the runway while landing. One passenger died.
• On June 9, 1987, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 727-90C hit a jetway while moving at Anchorage International Airport and caught fire. The plane was destroyed, but no one was seriously hurt.
• On March 13, 1990, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 727 taking off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport hit and killed a man who ran onto the runway. No one on the plane was hurt.
• On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80, crashed into the Pacific Ocean. All 88 people on board died. The investigation found problems with a part of the plane's tail system due to not enough lubrication. This led to closer checks on airline maintenance.
• On November 14, 2020, Flight 66, a Boeing 737-700, hit and killed a brown bear while landing at the Yakutat Airport in Alaska.
• On August 20, 2023, Flight 1288, a Boeing 737-800, had a hard landing at John Wayne Airport during a storm, causing damage to the plane's wing.
• On January 5, 2024, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9 MAX, had a part of its fuselage (the main body of the plane) separate shortly after taking off from Portland International Airport. The flight returned safely to Portland. No one died, but some minor injuries were reported. The plane's maker, Boeing, took responsibility for the incident.

Incidents Involving Employees

• On October 22, 2023, an off-duty pilot on a Horizon Air Flight 2059 (operated by Alaska Airlines) reportedly tried to shut down the plane's engines. Crew members stopped him, and the plane made an emergency landing safely at Portland International Airport.