SEATTLE, June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines ranked highest in airline customer satisfaction among traditional network carriers for the fourth consecutive year by J.D. Power and Associates in its 2011 North America Airline Satisfaction Study(SM). The airline also topped J.D. Power and Associates' annual segment rankings in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

"We're honored to receive this recognition by our customers for the fourth year in a row," Alaska Airlines President Brad Tilden said. "This recognition is due to the incredible efforts of our employees, who set the bar for customer service excellence."

Alaska Airlines ranked highest in four of the study's seven measures, including flight crew, boarding/deplaning/baggage, check-in and reservation. In addition to Alaska's innovative Airport of the Future check-in process, it is the only U.S. carrier to offer a Baggage Service Guarantee, after implementing baggage service fees in 2009. Learn more about Alaska's Baggage Service Guarantee online at http://bit.ly/ncl8k.

Alaska Airlines ranked highest in four of the study's seven measures, including flight crew, boarding/deplaning/baggage, check-in and reservation. Alaska is the only U.S. carrier to offer a Baggage Service Guarantee, after implementing baggage service fees in 2009. Learn more about Alaska's Baggage Service Guarantee online at http://bit.ly/ncl8k.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 North America Airline Satisfaction Study(SM) is based on responses from more than 13,500 passengers who flew on a major North America carrier between July 2010 and April 2011. The study measures overall customer satisfaction based on performance in seven measures (in order of importance): cost and fees; flight crew; in-flight services; aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; check-in; and reservation. Traditional network carriers are defined as airlines that operate multi-cabin aircraft and use multiple airport hubs.

Read the official J.D. Power release at www.jdpower.com.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve 90 cities throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

About J. D. Power and Associates

With headquarters in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors, including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, and more, visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines