Alaska Airlines and Aeromexico Partner to Make Travel Easier to the United States

SEATTLE, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines and Aeromexico, Mexico's global airline, today announced their new frequent flier and codeshare agreement to connect each other's networks and bring more options to travelers flying between Mexico and several cities along the West Coast and Alaska.

Starting early next year, travelers can accrue miles when they fly on Alaska Airlines' expansive network across the United States, Mexico and Canada, and Aeromexico's 80 destinations throughout Mexico, the United States, Canada, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia. Miles flown on Aeromexico will count toward qualification in Alaska's Mileage Plan MVP elite-level program. Frequent fliers will be able to redeem miles for award travel on Aeromexico beginning later in 2013.

"Aeromexico's customers will enjoy Alaska's easy connections, streamlined handling of checked baggage and more travel options to some of the West Coast's most popular destinations, including Seattle and Portland, Oregon," said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing. "We welcome Aeromexico's passengers to experience the award-winning customer service of Alaska Airlines on their next U.S.-bound flight."

Under the codeshare agreement, Aeromexico's "AM" code will be placed on Alaska Airlines flights between 20 city pairs, including all eight Alaska destinations in Mexico with service from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and San Jose. Travelers connecting between Alaska Airlines and Aeromexico will be able to check in with the originating carrier, receive their boarding passes and check baggage through to their final destination.

"We are very pleased to announce this new alliance and confident that this commitment will benefit all Alaska's and Aeromexico's passengers, which will allow them to connect with 45 cities around Mexico and with 11 different countries in Central and South America," said Sergio Allard, Aeromexico's chief commercial officer. "Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and Aeromexico Club Premier members will very soon also be able to enjoy all of their well-known benefits as if they were flying with the same airline."

Aeromexico customers can book travel at www.aeromexico.com or by calling 800-237-6639.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members can earn or redeem mileage on 15 airlines, including more major U.S. carriers than any other frequent-flier program. The program offers additional opportunities to earn miles through an extensive network of partners, including the Alaska Airlines Visa credit and debit cards, Mileage Plan Dining, and 35 hotel and car rental partners worldwide.

About Grupo Aeromexico
Aeromexico, S.A.B. Ltd., is a holding company whose subsidiaries are engaged in commercial aviation in Mexico and the promotion of passenger loyalty programs. It has a fleet of Boeing 777, 767 and 737 aircraft and the latest Embraer 145, 170 and 190 models. As of 2011, an important expansion plan began that includes the incorporation of 20 new planes and properties over the next 24 months. In 2012, Aeromexico announced that it signed a letter of intent to purchase 100 Boeing aircraft, including 90 Boeing 737 MAX and 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, making it the largest investment program in Mexican aviation history.

Grupo Aeromexico operates its main hub out of Terminal 2 in the Mexico City International Airport. The Group's airlines operate around 600 daily flights to different cities in Mexico, the United States, Canada, Central and South America, as well as Europe and Asia.

Aeromexico is a founding member of SkyTeam, the global airline alliance comprised of the following 19 airlines: Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM Romanian Air Transport, Vietnam Airlines and Xiamen Air. SkyTeam offers all partner airline passengers a large global network with more destinations and frequencies, and improved connectivity. Passengers can accrue and redeem miles with the different partners' loyalty programs and enjoy the convenience provided at 525 airport lounges worldwide. SkyTeam offers its 552 million annual passengers more than 15,000 daily flights to 1,000 destinations in 187 countries. More information about SkyTeam is at www.skyteam.com.

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 five consecutive years from 2008 to 2012. For reservations, visit http://www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines