SEATTLE, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Airlines today announced it will inaugurate daily service between Portland, Ore., and Chicago, starting Nov. 16, 2009.
To celebrate, Alaska Airlines is offering $99 one-way fares on the new nonstop route for tickets purchased by Aug. 31, for travel by Jan. 31, 2010. Fares are available for purchase today on alaskaair.com or by calling (800) ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522 or TTY/TDD line 800-392-0228).
"This new nonstop service provides customers with a critical link between Portland and the nation's second-busiest airport, which has recently experienced significant capacity cutbacks by other airlines," said Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines' vice president of planning and revenue management. Harrison said the Chicago area is popular with business travelers and is also among the top 10 most-visited destinations from Portland International Airport.
Flights will depart daily from Portland at 10:10 a.m. and arrive at Chicago O'Hare International Airport at 4 p.m. Flights will depart Chicago at 4:45 p.m. and arrive in Portland at 7:10 p.m. Times are based on local time zones.
Travelers can earn double Mileage Plan miles on the new flights from Nov. 16, 2009, through Jan. 31, 2010. To qualify, customers must first register at alaskaair.com.
Alaska Airlines will operate the new route with fuel-efficient Boeing 737 aircraft. All flights will offer Alaska's Northern Bites meals-for-purchase service for $6. Inflight service also will include Alaska Airlines' digEplayer, a personal entertainment system offering a variety of movies, television shows, music and other features. Complimentary in first class, digEplayers are available for $6 in the main cabin.
Alaska Airlines inaugurated service to Chicago in June 2000 and today offers daily nonstop service to the Windy City from Seattle and Anchorage, Alaska.
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 and 2009 North America Airline Satisfaction Studies(SM). For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.
Note to news media: Broadcast footage can be downloaded at https://alaska.sharefile.com/d-s523b310726c4019b or by contacting Alaska Airlines Media Relations.
Fare rules: Tickets must be purchased by Aug. 31, for travel between Nov. 16, 2009, and Jan. 31, 2010. A 14-day advance purchase is required. Blackout dates for travel are Nov. 20-21, Nov. 25, Nov. 28-30, Dec. 18-21, Dec. 23, Dec. 26-28, 2009, and Jan. 2-4, 2010. Travelers are responsible for the following taxes and fees, as applicable: Airport Passenger Facility charges of up to $9 (amount depends on itinerary), Federal Segment Tax of $3.60 per segment (takeoff and landing), and U.S. Security Fee of $2.50 per enplanement.
Other important information: All taxes and fees shown are based on one-way travel and may be doubled if traveling roundtrip. Tickets purchased at an Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air airport location or through an Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air reservation call center will cost $15 more per person than the advertised fare. Tickets are nonrefundable but can be changed. Ticket changes made through an Alaska Airlines reservation call center or airport ticket counter incur a $100 (USD) per person change fee or a $125 (USD) per person change fee if originally booked through a travel agent and changed through an Alaska Airlines reservation call center or ticket counter, plus applicable fees and any difference in fare. Changes made at alaskaair.com incur a $75 (USD) per person change fee plus applicable fees and any difference in fare. Tickets must be purchased within 24 hours of making a reservation. Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or all days. All fares, taxes and fees are in U.S. dollars and are subject to change without notice, and other restrictions apply. Baggage fees of $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second bag apply. Additional fees apply to check more than two bags or for overweight or oversized items. See checked baggage policy at alaskaair.com for more details.
SOURCE Alaska Airlines
