Alaska Airlines Grows San Jose Focus City with New Flying to San Diego and Orange County/Santa Ana

SEATTLE, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines today announced it will add two new routes from San Jose to Southern California starting June 5, 2016. The new, three-times daily nonstop service will connect Bay Area customers to Orange County/Santa Ana and San Diego. With this expansion, Alaska will operate 28 peak-day departures to 14 destinations from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport.

"These new routes will bring low fares and an elevated inflight experience to our California customers, offering convenient connections to popular leisure destinations in Mexico and Hawaii served by Alaska as well as to Beijing and London, served by our partner carriers Hainan Airlines and British Airways," said Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines' Chief Commercial Officer.

Alaska will fly the routes with 76-seat E175 jets, operated by SkyWest Airlines, which features 12 seats in first class, 12 seats in preferred class and 52 seats in the main cabin. The E175 boasts cabin dimensions on par with a 737. Onboard amenities include Wi-Fi Internet access, free and premium entertainment direct to customer devices, and in first class, 110 volt power in every seat and complimentary tablets. Food and beverage will include hot meals for purchase, sourced from iconic Pacific Northwest brands, in addition to microbrews and wine.

"I'd like to thank Alaska Airlines for choosing to expand service in Silicon Valley," said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. "Alaska's new flights speak to the strength of our local economy and will provide another convenient option for the many Silicon Valley residents who travel to Southern California for business and leisure. We look forward to helping facilitate Alaska's continued growth at SJC in the years ahead."

Summary of New Service:

All times based on local time zones

With the ability to earn and redeem miles on 16 airline partners to more than 800 destinations worldwide, customers can achieve their next award trip even faster. Mileage Plan members enjoy generous availability on award redemptions, one-way travel awards, and no minimum spend requirement to reach elite status. All fliers receive a variety of amenities at no extra charge, including online reservations, advance seat selection, and complimentary inflight water, soft drinks, Starbucks coffee and tea.

Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan also rewards customers with elite status faster than any other frequent flier program. Elite-level status is earned for as little as 20,000 miles a year for travel on Alaska Airlines only. Elite-level status begins at 25,000 miles for customers who wish to combine travel on Alaska's partner airlines.

Alaska Airlines MVP, MVP Gold and Gold 75K Mileage Plan elite-level members enjoy priority boarding, two free checked bags, complimentary upgrades on Alaska, as well as bonus miles on every flight with Alaska and other elite-qualifying partner airlines, among other benefits. Ticket change fees are also waived for MVP Gold- and Gold 75K-level members. To qualify for this offer, travelers must be members of Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan and register at www.alaskaair.com. Customers who have not yet joined Mileage Plan can enroll online at no cost.

Tickets for the new routes are available for purchase starting today. Visit www.alaskaair.com to purchase tickets or call 1-800-ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522 or Hearing & Speech Impaired (TTY): Dial 711 for Relay Services).

Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100 cities through an expansive network in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study for eight consecutive years from 2008 to 2015. Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan also ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power 2014 and 2015 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit Alaska Airlines' newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

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SOURCE Alaska Airlines