Throwback Thursday: the golden what?

June 26, 2014, 12:00 am

≫ Next: Flying in a time capsule to honor veterans

Three-quarters of a century after the cries of “Gold! Gold! In the Klondike!” a quirky little airline with deep roots in the state of Alaska decided to pay its own tribute to the gold rush. Alaska Airlines’ “Golden Nugget Service” era launched in the early 1960s, and passengers would not soon forget it. Billboards invited customers to “jet the Gay 90s way,” in Boeing 727s decked out with wild wallpaper, decorative tassels... Read More

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Flying in a time capsule to honor veterans

July 2, 2014, 11:25 am

≫ Next: Destination Detroit: A local’s guide to discovering beauty, history and tasty drinks in the Motor City

≪ Previous: Throwback Thursday: the golden what?

As much as he appreciates the Bombardier Q400’s sophisticated flight deck technology, Horizon Air Captain Rob Sandberg quite enjoys stepping back in time. He can often be found at the controls of World War II fighter aircraft, flying for a worthy cause close to his heart. For the past seven years, the Seattle-based pilot has been a member of the Condor Squadron, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit group that preserves and flies AT-6... Read More

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Destination Detroit: A local’s guide to discovering beauty, history and tasty drinks in the Motor City

September 9, 2014, 9:00 am

≫ Next: The story of the Eskimo: Who is on the tail of Alaska Airlines’ planes?

≪ Previous: Flying in a time capsule to honor veterans

This month, Alaska Airlines launched daily nonstop service between Seattle and Detroit. For on-the-ground advice about things to do in Detroit, we turned to resident expert Dan Austin, a journalist at the Detroit Free Press who also runs historicdetroit.org and has written two books about the city’s legendary architecture. “Detroit is a city that is on its way back, but its reputation isn’t doing it any favors,” Austin said. “Nine out of... Read More

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The story of the Eskimo: Who is on the tail of Alaska Airlines’ planes?

January 25, 2016, 3:25 pm

≫ Next: Video: See Alaska’s quirky 1980s ads that landed director in Advertising Hall of Fame

≪ Previous: Destination Detroit: A local’s guide to discovering beauty, history and tasty drinks in the Motor City

To five-year-olds in Kotzebue, Alaska (and Internet surfers round the world), the question of just whose face adorns the tails of Alaska Airlines 737s is a heated one. It is an oft-asked question about the Seattle-based airline, but the truth is anything but simple. “When I was a little kid, we all thought it was our own grandfathers,” says former Kotzebue mayor Maija Lukin. “We all thought it was our tata. Even if... Read More

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Video: See Alaska’s quirky 1980s ads that landed director in Advertising Hall of Fame

July 11, 2016, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: Want to buy your own 737? Here’s how it’s done

≪ Previous: The story of the Eskimo: Who is on the tail of Alaska Airlines’ planes?

Pausing from a TV commercial shoot back in the day is Director Joe Sedelmaier (front, center). Can you guess who was Alaska’s then-CEO in this photo? The unconventional Alaska Airlines TV ads from the 1980s and ’90s got a little fresh air at this year’s American Advertising Hall of Fame ceremony. The commercials were directed by legendary ad man Joe Sedelmaier, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in April –... Read More

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Want to buy your own 737? Here’s how it’s done

July 15, 2016, 1:05 pm

≫ Next: 35 years after first flight, Horizon Air still known for service (and free drinks*)

≪ Previous: Video: See Alaska’s quirky 1980s ads that landed director in Advertising Hall of Fame

Irv Bertram (pictured above) has handled the paperwork for Alaska’s aircraft purchases for the past four decades. In the 50 years Alaska Airlines has been buying and flying Boeing planes, acquiring aircraft has never been easier. First, the airline has the cash to buy jets fresh off the assembly line in Renton. Second, Alaska is close to Boeing – both in proximity and in our longtime business relationship. The Seattle Delivery Center... Read More

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35 years after first flight, Horizon Air still known for service (and free drinks*)

September 1, 2016, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Havana inaugural isn’t Alaska’s first flight to Cuba

≪ Previous: Want to buy your own 737? Here’s how it’s done

This week, Horizon Air is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its inaugural flight on Sept. 1, 1981. Although Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines remain separately managed to this day, the two companies have been closely linked for nearly 30 years. Both are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, and all Horizon flights are marketed and sold by Alaska. Since 2011, Horizon’s Q400 aircraft have featured Alaska’s familiar livery with the Eskimo on the tail.... Read More

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Havana inaugural isn’t Alaska’s first flight to Cuba

January 5, 2017, 10:00 am

≫ Next: A decade of awesome: 10 ways Alaska and Virgin America continue to shake up the airline industry

≪ Previous: 35 years after first flight, Horizon Air still known for service (and free drinks*)

When Alaska Airlines began service to Havana on Jan. 5, it wasn’t the first time the airline had flown to Cuba. In the early 1970s, Alaska flew U.S. Military Airlift Command charter flights to the base at Guantanamo Bay, as well as charters to Caribbean locations such as Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Panama. Some of the flight attendants from that era still fly for Alaska Airlines today, including Julia Simmonds, Joanne De... Read More

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A decade of awesome: 10 ways Alaska and Virgin America continue to shake up the airline industry

July 11, 2017, 8:00 am

≫ Next: From the archives: How Alaska Airlines evacuated 49,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel ‘on the wings of eagles’

≪ Previous: Havana inaugural isn’t Alaska’s first flight to Cuba

Creating an airline people love is a bold goal, but if anyone is up for the challenge, it’s Alaska Airlines and Virgin America. Today, Virgin America was named the “Top Domestic Airline” 2017 in Travel + Leisure “World’s Best Awards” for the 10th year in a row. In May, Alaska Airlines ranked highest in airline customer satisfaction among traditional carriers for the 10th consecutive year in the J.D. Power 2017 North America Airline... Read More

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From the archives: How Alaska Airlines evacuated 49,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel ‘on the wings of eagles’

September 22, 2017, 11:41 am

≫ Next: CEOs of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines fly 1929 plane that has historical ties to both companies

≪ Previous: A decade of awesome: 10 ways Alaska and Virgin America continue to shake up the airline industry

In 1949, the world was continuing to recover from the end of one of the most horrific wars in human history. After the horrors of the Holocaust, Jewish refugees scattered throughout the world were looking to start over in Israel, but the process was not easy. Not only did many groups face logistical challenges, but they also faced a great deal of violence. In addition to Europe, many lesser known Jewish communities... Read More

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CEOs of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines fly 1929 plane that has historical ties to both companies

November 12, 2017, 10:25 am

≫ Next: Alaska Airlines and Paine Field go way back – all the way to the ’40s

≪ Previous: From the archives: How Alaska Airlines evacuated 49,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel ‘on the wings of eagles’

Two aviation geeks met up last week to fly an old plane. That usually wouldn’t be noteworthy, except the pilots just happened to be Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden and Hawaiian Airlines CEO Mark Dunkerley. And this exact aircraft – a 1929 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker, tail number NC251M – has historical ties to both airlines. Nearly 90 years ago, this was the first aircraft in Hawaiian’s fleet. A few years after that,... Read More

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Alaska Airlines and Paine Field go way back – all the way to the ’40s

November 8, 2018, 2:23 pm

≫ Next: Throwback Thursday: the golden what?

≪ Previous: CEOs of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines fly 1929 plane that has historical ties to both companies

UPDATE 1/22/19: We’re postponing our scheduled start of service from Paine Field until March 4, 2019. Our latest post has all the details. ORIGINAL POST 11/8/18: When we announced we’d be flying out of Paine Field Snohomish County Airport in Everett, Washington, we heard your cheers. What you may not realize is how loudly we’re cheering with you – and why. By offering new commercial service, subject to government approval, from the North... Read More

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