The fear of flying: Helping kids with autism ease into air travel

Temple Grandin, a well-known advocate for people on the autism spectrum, says children have to experience different things in order to develop. “A child’s not going to find out he likes to play a musical instrument if you never expose him to it,” she said. That could also be said of air travel, which many people…

‘Honor Flights’ take veterans to D.C. war memorials

Some arrive in wheelchairs. Others are aided by walkers or canes. Some come on the arm of a guardian. Alaska Airlines has flown more than 2,000 veterans on 46 Honor Flights since 2012. Most recently, we partnered with Puget Sound Honor Flight to fly veterans of World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam from Seattle…

‘Rise, Grind, Shine Again’: Kevin Durant’s message to Willie Brown Middle School students

Hundreds of middle schoolers screamed in delight last Friday when Kevin Durant’s 6-foot 9-inch frame emerged onstage at Willie Brown Middle School in San Francisco. In partnership with Alaska Airlines, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), Durant’s surprise visit was a collective effort to support the students…

Dream Big, Fly High: What Russell Wilson’s new plane is all about

Forget what the playbook says: tailgating starts at the gate. Seattle football fans flying to the regular season opener in Denver are in for a treat this Friday. Gate C9 at Seattle Tacoma International Airport will be decked out in blue – and a new Russell Wilson plane will be waiting at the end of…

Sub Pop plane makes Alaska’s fleet sing

When we heard Seattle’s Sub Pop Records was celebrating 30 years and had always dreamt of having their own plane, we figured it was the least we could do. They gave us Nirvana and The Shins after all. The independent record label got its start in 1988 and is known for signing central players in…

Alaska Airlines and Pearl Jam band together to fight homelessness

Pearl Jam is home for the first time in five years. To say Seattleites are excited is an understatement. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are playing two sold-out concerts at Safeco Field tonight and Friday. Fans are already waiting hours in line to get merch, and Pearl Jam-branded wine sold out in 12…

Kevin Durant surprises nearly 50 youth basketball players on ‘Flight 35’

When Kevin Durant traveled to basketball tournaments in high school, everyone piled in a van. There was no smoothie bar, sneaker-lacing station or All-Star guest appearances. And definitely no airplanes. “Playing AAU basketball as a kid was a grind,” Durant recalled. “Most of the teams, mine included, usually don’t have a lot of financial support,…

Alaska Airlines cheers athletes in Seattle for 2018 Special Olympics USA Games

Alaska Airlines and its employees are joining with Western Washington to cheer on athletes now in the Seattle area for the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games. Underway today and tomorrow, July 2 and 3, is the stand-up paddle board competition, which is happening at Angle Lake in SeaTac next door to Alaska’s corporate headquarters. Alaska…

Copper River salmon 2018: Alaska brings first fish to Seattle

This week marks the official start of the 2018 Copper River King Salmon season in Cordova, Alaska. For many people, the kick-off of Copper River salmon season means that summer is officially here. As part of the tradition to celebrate the first catch, Alaska Airlines hosted the 9th annual Copper Chef Cook-off on Friday at…

Careers ready for takeoff – Alaska Airlines Aviation Day celebrates 10th anniversary

On May 5, 2,000 students descended on Alaska’s Seattle hangar for a taste of the aviation industry. What they got was a nine-course meal. Students tried their hand at landing a Boeing 737 in-flight simulator, built gliders with guidance from Boeing engineers, chatted up military fighter pilots, performed maintenance checks with Alaska mechanics and attended…

Giving back to Habitat for Humanity, while breaking new ground

As Alaska Air Group breaks ground on a new office building near Sea-Tac Airport, we’re giving back to our communities and keeping as much as we can out of landfills. Earlier this spring, Alaska teamed up with a group of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity to clear out each room of the former Sandstone Inn in…

The aviation-grade aluminum anniversary: Alaska Airlines celebrates 10 years of Aviation Day

Captain Tom Rogers has had a remarkable career in aviation. Since starting his career in the 1970s, he’s flown more than 100 types of aircraft on four continents (including the F-15), racking up more than 21,000 hours as a pilot. But as remarkable as his career has been, his path into aviation was pretty typical.…

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