Alaska Airlines is an airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington that was founded in 1932 and operates flights across North America. It carries the most passengers between Alaska and the contiguous US and has major hubs in Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, and Anchorage. Alaska Airlines has over 9,000 employees and partners with several other airlines through codeshare agreements but is not a member of the three major global airline alliances.
2. Alaska Airlines: Overview
Airline headquartered in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington, in
the United States.
Founded in 1932 as McGee Airways; renamed itself as Alaska Airlines
in 1944 following a number of mergers and purchases of other
airlines, such as Air Service.
Now has service across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and four
Hawaiian Islands.
Carries more passengers between Alaska and the contiguous U.S.
than any other airline.
Classified as a major carrier airline; seventh-biggest United States
airline in passenger traffic.
Its biggest hub is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Horizon Air, Alaska Airlines’ sister carrier, is closely incorporated into
Alaska’s operations, with both airlines sharing several routes; both
airlines are also owned by Alaska Air Group.
Was ranked highest by J. D. Power and Associates in customer
approval of traditional airlines of North America for the sixth
consecutive year in 2013.
Not a member of any of the three major airlines alliances, but still has
codeshare agreements with some member airlines of Oneworld
(British Airways, LAN Airlines, and American Airlines) and with some
SkyTeam members (Air France, Delta Air Lines).
Alaska Air Group, the parent corporation of Alaska Airlines, replaced
AMR Corporation in the Dow Jones Transportation Average in 2011.
3. Alaska Airlines: Hubs
Los Angeles International Airport
Portland International Airport
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
4. Alaska Airlines: Employees
Alaska Airlines has 9,617 employees as of June 2011.
Alaska’s pilot group is made up of about 1,400 pilots represented by
the Air Line Pilots Association, International; the Association of Flight
Attendants represent the roughly 2,800 flight attendants.
The airline’s baggage-handling operations have been subcontracted to
Menzies Aviation from May 2005.
This happened in reaction to refusal of an agreement between IAM
(the union which represented the baggage handlers) and Alaska
Airlines; it permitted the airline to save almost $13 million every year.
5. Alaska Airlines: Alaska Airlines Foundation
The Alaska Airlines Foundation, headquartered on the property of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage,
gives grants to 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that are categorized as charities in Alaska and Washington.
6. Alaska Airlines: Alaska Air Cargo
Alaska Air Cargo has regional operations in parts of the U.S.
and the most extensive air cargo operations on the west coast,
bigger than that of any other passenger airline.
Alaska’s cargo operations are concentrated chiefly on the
northwestern contiguous states and Alaska, specifically
between Anchorage and Seattle.
South of Alaska, goods that are transported mainly include fresh
Alaskan seafood; the United States Postal Service mail is one
of the products transported north from Seattle; Alaska
additionally transports goods for remote Alaskan communities
and personal packages.
7. Alaska Airlines: Destinations
Alaska’s route system covers over 92 cities in the U.S., Canada, and
Mexico; some of the locations served by the airline in its namesake
state are Prudhoe Bay, Anchorage, Adak, Cordova, Juneau, Kodiak,
Kotzebue, King Salmon, Nome, and Stika, of which several are cannot
be accessed via road.
In 1991, upon the termination of the Soviet Union, the carrier
scheduled operations to the Russian Far East, but ended the service
only seven years later after the 1998 Russian financial crisis.
Alaska has traditionally been one of the biggest airlines on the West
Coast as well as to (and within) Alaska; it particularly has strong
presences in Seattle and Portland, and serves four major airports in
the San Francisco Bay Area and all five airports in the Los Angeles
metropolitan area.
Alaska Airlines, in February 2011, announced a contract under which
SkyWest Airlines would start operating six of its West Coast routes
beginning in May 2011.
Specifically, they are operating five CRJ-700s bought from Horizon Air
under a capacity purchase agreement, which means that SkyWest
would own and operate the aircraft, while Alaska Airlines would be
liable for marketing and selling tickets for the flights.
The CRJ-700s are operating on routes that are not possible to operate
with Horizon’s Bombardier Q400s nor with Alaska’s Boeing 737s.
8. Alaska Airlines: Codeshare agreements
Alaska Airlines is not a member of any major global airline alliances, but the airline nevertheless has codeshare agreements
with several carriers, many of which are members of one of the three alliances. Alaska’s codeshare partners are:
Air France (SkyTeam)
American Airlines (Oneworld)
Cathay Pacific (Oneworld)
Delta Air Lines (SkyTeam)
Emirates
Era Alaska
Fiji Airways
KLM (SkyTeam)
Korean Air (SkyTeam)
LAN (Oneworld)
PenAir
Aeroméxico (Oneworld)
Qantas (Oneworld)
Alaska flights, as well as Horizon Air flights, have been part of Oneworld Global Explorer fares since 2008.