Alaska Airlines Unveils New Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport

SEATTLE, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines today unveiled its "Airport of the Future" at Los Angeles International Airport in a newly remodeled Terminal 6, where the carrier has replaced traditional ticket counters with customer-friendly check-in kiosks and bag-check stations. Alaska's move from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6 also offers travelers more convenient access to U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoints and to alliance partner Delta Air Lines, located in Terminal 5.

"We want Alaska to be the easiest airline to fly on, and our new terminal in Los Angeles furthers our mission to make travel hassle-free and seamless for our customers," said Bill Ayer, Alaska Airlines' chairman and CEO. "Our new terminal has a friendly and spacious feel, with a state-of the-art check-in process, a shorter walk to the security checkpoint, convenient connections with international flights and access to electrical outlets throughout our gates. These features should make Alaska's LAX passenger experience one of the best in the country."

The new Airport of the Future check-in process at LAX Terminal 6

1. Instead of waiting in line at a ticket counter, travelers who haven't already checked in online or with a mobile device can print their boarding passes and pay for checked bags at a self-service kiosk. Travelers with carry-on luggage can proceed directly to the security checkpoint conveniently located one level above Airport of the Future.
2. Passengers checking luggage then proceed to a nearby bag-check station, where customer service agents scan customers' boarding passes and attach bag tags. A new conveyor belt system weighs the luggage and moves it automatically through a state-of-the-art security screening system and then on to the aircraft.

The innovative Terminal 6 design is expected to reduce average wait times for customers with checked bags from 20 minutes to less than four minutes, as it has in Anchorage and Seattle where the carrier already uses the Airport of the Future design. Today, more than 70 percent of the airline's customers check in online, on a mobile device or at a kiosk, which are available at nearly all of the 92 airports Alaska serves. Travelers with carry-on luggage only spend just a minute or so checking in.

The 13-month LAX construction project was a collaborative effort between Alaska Airlines, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and the Transportation Security Administration. After breaking ground in February 2011, terminal construction was completed on time at a cost of about $238 million — $33 million under budget.

"Alaska's Terminal 6 is an example of what can be achieved when government and private business partner," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. "The renovation, delivered on-time and under budget, is part of L.A.'s $4.1 billion investment in modernizing LAX. In addition to dramatically improving the travel experiences of both domestic and international passengers, the Alaska Terminal 6 project supported more than 1,000 direct jobs in our region."

Other features of the renovated Terminal 6 include a new Board Room lounge, electrical outlets at half the seats in spacious gate areas, a central service counter, and gate information displays. The construction project also incorporated many sustainable building practices in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The airline's Board Room was LEED-designed with numerous energy-efficient and environmental features, including low-flow water fixtures that reduce consumption 30 percent compared to traditional fixtures, energy-efficient lighting systems and Energy Star-certified appliances.

"This is an important milestone in the continuing modernization of LAX," LAWA Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey said. "The partnership with Alaska Airlines has enabled significant improvements in customer service and convenience for the traveler."

To celebrate the grand opening of Alaska Airlines' new home, the carrier is hosting an epicurean event in its Board Room today featuring Vinesse wines and fresh Alaska seafood prepared by the executive chef of Trident Seafoods.

Alaska Airlines has long pioneered technology to improve the customer experience. The airline was the first in North America to sell tickets online in 1995 and, four years later, was the first carrier worldwide to offer Internet check-in and boarding passes.

Alaska Airlines in Los Angeles —by the numbers

• Daily flights: 40
• International flights: 15 (Alaska and its sister carrier, Horizon Air, together operate more international flights out of LAX than any other airline.)
• Destinations: 19
• L.A.-based flight crews: 706 (205 pilots and 501 flight attendants)
• Customer service airport employees: 186
• Other ground and maintenance employees: 91 (includes 6 Horizon maintenance workers)

To view a map of Alaska Airlines new Terminal 6, visit http://bit.ly/GSBQKz. Images of Alaska Airlines' new Terminal 6 are available for download in the carrier's online image gallery at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve more than 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.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines