Alaska Airlines Increases Summer Flying From Portland, Ore., Including New Service to Santa Barbara, Calif., and Bozeman, Mont.

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines announced today it will increase flying this summer from Portland, Ore., to Santa Barbara, Calif., Bellingham, Wash., and several cities in Montana.

The carrier will begin flying between Portland and Bozeman, Mont., and is resuming seasonal service from Portland International Airport to Missoula and Billings, Mont. Alaska is also launching new seasonal service from Portland to Santa Barbara and will resume its summer flights to Bellingham. All service will begin June 4 or 5 and operate through Aug. 25, 2012.

"These new routes give our customers additional options to access some of the most popular summer markets out of Portland," said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing. "With these low introductory fares, summer travel between these cities and Portland has never been more affordable."

Alaska Airlines is offering special introductory one-way fares of $89* between Portland and Bellingham; $99* between Portland and Santa Barbara; and $149* between Portland and Bozeman. Tickets must be purchased by Jan. 25 and can be used for travel between June 5 and July 18, 2012. Visit www.alaskaair.com to purchase a ticket or call 1-800-ALASKAAIR (1-800-252-7522 or TTY/TDD line 1-800-392-0228).

Travelers will enjoy onboard complimentary Starbucks coffee, soft drinks, and (for passengers 21 and older) wines and microbrews.

Alaska's sister carrier, Horizon Air, will operate the Portland flights to Bellingham, Bozeman, Billings and Missoula with 76-seat Bombardier Q400 turboprops. SkyWest Airlines will operate the Portland-Santa Barbara flights for Alaska Airlines using 70-seat Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jets.

About Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 North America Airline Satisfaction Studies(SM). For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

About SkyWest Airlines

As a leading air service provider offering global access to millions of people each month, SkyWest partners with the world's largest network carriers including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines and US Airways. With a fleet of 319 aircraft, SkyWest's more than 11,000 aviation professionals operate more than 1,600 flights each day to 156 destinations throughout North America. SkyWest is known for its industry-leading workforce, exceptional leadership team, and continued solid operational and economic performance. The airline is headquartered in St. George, Utah.

* Terms and conditions for fare sale: Travelers are responsible for the following taxes and fees: Airport Passenger Facility Charges of up to $9 (amount depends on itinerary); U.S. Federal Segment Tax of $3.80 per segment (takeoff and landing); Sept. 11 Security Fee of $2.50 per enplanement; and U.S. government excise tax of $8.40. A $20 baggage fee will apply for each of the first three checked bags. Additional fees apply to check more than three bags and for overweight or oversized items. Quoted fare is valid on nonstop flights only. Tickets must be purchased by Jan. 25 for travel between June 5 and July 18, 2012. The introductory sale fare is good for travel Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday only. For more information and complete terms and conditions, visit www.alaskaair.com.

General terms and conditions: Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or all days. A ticket purchased at an Alaska Airlines airport location or through a reservation call center will cost $15 more per person than the advertised fare. All fares, taxes and fees are in U.S. dollars and are subject to change without notice, and other restrictions apply. Tickets are nonrefundable, but can be changed at alaskaair.com for a $75 per person change fee and any difference in fare (or $100 when changed through a reservation call center and any difference in fare). See www.alaskaair.com or call Alaska Airlines Reservations at 1-800-252-7522 for more information.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines