Oregon Wines Fly Free On Alaska Airlines This Fall

PORTLAND, Ore., July 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Fall is a great time to visit Oregon Wine Country. Visitors can experience the harvest and some of the most spectacular weather the state has to offer. And this year, enjoying Oregon wines once you get home just got easier thanks to a partnership with Alaska Airlines, the Oregon Wine Board (OWB) and Travel Oregon.

Starting Sept. 10, up to a case of Oregon wine can fly home with visitors free of charge, thanks to the new Oregon Wines Fly Free program.  Domestic Alaska Airlines passengers can check one case of wine at no charge on their return flight out of four Oregon airports—Portland, Eugene, Medford and Redmond as well as Walla Walla, Wash.—through Nov. 20. In addition, passengers showing their Alaska Airlines boarding passes within a week of their arrival in Oregon will receive complementary tastings at any of more than 180 participating Oregon wineries.

"Partnering with Alaska Airlines and Travel Oregon to help visitors to Oregon experience the beauty and bounty of our amazing wine country, is a no brainer," said Tom Danowski, executive director of OWB. "Increasingly, the customers of Oregon wine are the same customers being courted by Alaska Airlines and Travel Oregon."

While Alaska Airlines has similar Wines Fly Free programs in other wine regions, Oregon is the first to implement the promotion for the entire state. Alaska Airlines is also a sponsor of Feast Portland, the flagship food and drink festival in the Pacific Northwest to be held Sept. 19-21.

"Alaska Airlines is dedicated to the growth and development of our markets, so this program is a natural for us," said Clint Ostler, manager of media and market strategy for Alaska Air Group. "We're pleased to support Oregon wineries while giving our customers one more reason to visit the state's incredible wine regions."

"We know that Oregon's scenic beauty not only affects the sense of place in every taste of Oregon wine, but it also inspires visitors to purchase Oregon's artisan products," said Todd Davidson, Travel Oregon CEO. "In fact, we know from a recent study that at least 43 percent of Oregon visitors said they are more likely to purchase Oregon products than before their trip. Now they can bring home not only memories, but Oregon's award-winning wines, as well. "    

About the Oregon Wine Board
The Oregon Wine Board is a semi-independent Oregon state agency managing marketing, research and education initiatives that support and advance the Oregon wine and wine grape industry. The Board works on behalf of all Oregon wineries and independent growers throughout the state's diverse winegrowing regions. The Oregon wine grape and wine industry contributes more than $2.7 billion in economic activity to the state economy each year, including more than 13,518 wine-related jobs and $382 million in wages.

About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with its partner regional airlines, serves 95 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines has ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates North America Airline Satisfaction Study^SM for six consecutive years from 2008 to 2013. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

About Travel Oregon
The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors' experience by providing information, resources and trip planning tools that inspire travel and consistently convey the exceptional quality of Oregon. The commission aims to improve Oregonians' quality of life by strengthening economic impacts of the state's $9.2 billion tourism industry that employs more than 91,000 Oregonians. www.TravelOregon.com

SOURCE Travel Oregon; Oregon Wine Board