Copper River salmon 2019: First fish are the stars on the red carpet in Seattle

In celebration of the first catch, Alaska Airlines hosted a red carpet welcome for the Copper River salmon arriving Friday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. About 18,000 pounds of fresh fish were on the early-morning flight.

The end of an era: Alaska retires unique cargo-passenger ‘combi’ planes

After a weeklong fishing trip in Yakutat, Alaska, retired Captain David Olson found himself on one of the last flights of the 737-400 combis – a plane he piloted for two years straight when he first started flying for Alaska Airlines nearly 36 years ago. The unique cargo-passenger aircraft will officially retire Oct. 18. “It’s…

Look like a local: 5 Alaska fashion must-haves

Alaskans have always had a “unique” sense of fashion – one that combines the practical with local flair. Alaskans may not be overly concerned with the usual frills, but ruining a fishing trip due to a lack of appropriate footwear is a sin that’s not easily forgiven in the Great Land. Far removed from fancy…

Alaska Airlines wins Freedom Award from Department of Defense

Just in time for Independence Day, Alaska Airlines has won the 2016 Freedom Award. The honor was announced today by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is the highest recognition given to employers by the U.S. government for their support of National Guard and Reserve members. Only 15 companies…

Alaska Airlines’ beloved ‘Spirit of Alaska Statehood’ airplane officially retires

When Alaskans celebrated 50 years of statehood in 2009, Alaska Airlines decided to honor its namesake state by painting a special Alaska-themed paint theme on a Boeing 737-400. But with a state so vast and unique, the company had difficulty coming up with a design that was inclusive of everything from the ice in the…

Weekend Wanderer: Austin, Texas to Ketchikan, Alaska

Based in Austin, Texas, Zak Zeinert is a travel and landscape photographer who loves exploring this planet with all of its beautiful sights and wonderful people. He just returned from an Instagram takeover in Ketchikan, Alaska as part of Alaska’s Weekend Wanderer series. For more Weekend Wanderer posts, make sure you’re following Alaska Airlines on…

Who run the world? In Cordova, Alaska, it’s the salmon

For the 24 hours leading up to the Copper River salmon season opener each year, the fishermen of Cordova, Alaska may as well be 5-year-olds waiting for Christmas. The season doesn’t officially open until 7 a.m. on the mid-May morning chosen by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (this year on May 16), but…

Travel advisory: Operations restored in northern Alaska

Image credit: David Schneider / Alaska Volcano Observatory / U.S. Geological Survey Update: 12:30 p.m. PDT, March 30, 2016 Operations have been restored to six northern cities in Alaska as ash clouds from the Mount Pavlof eruption have dissipated. Regular flights have resumed to and from Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue, Barrow, Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay today and Alaska’s…

Dog’s best friend: Alaska Airlines honors Iditarod mushers who provide best care

Mushing over 1,000 miles in the frozen Alaska wilderness is no easy feat. At the Iditarod Awards Banquet in Nome, Alaska, the mood is one of excitement and accomplishment as rookies, veterans and fans of the Last Great Race pour into the Nome Recreation Center to celebrate the culmination of the 2016 Iditarod. It’s no…

VIDEO: Pilot straps a GoPro to his private plane, captures scenes of rugged Alaska

Captain Will Turnage loves to fly, loves the state of Alaska and loves being outdoors. He combined all three of his passions last year by recording his flights throughout the state. Turnage flew over glaciers, across rocky coastlines, and on the edge of lakes with a GoPro attached to the rear of his Cessna 180.…

Honor Flight: Alaska flies veterans from Washington, Oregon and Alaska to memorials in Washington D.C.

Some arrived in wheelchairs. Others were aided by walkers or canes. Some came on the arm of a guardian. But all of the veterans who arrived at Alaska Airlines terminals in Seattle, Portland and Anchorage this fall stood tall. The veterans, men and women who served their country during World War II, the Korean War…

How to view and photograph the Northern Lights

When the cruise ships and tour buses leave, and the weather starts to cool, the night sky in Alaska comes alive with bands of green, and sometimes red, lights. This phenomenon is known as the aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights. While the Northern Lights are often visible from various parts of the state, Fairbanks…

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