Alaska Airlines: From Regional to Major Airline
Alaska airline's success story from being a mere regional airline to one of the major airlines today continues to serve as an inspiration to hundreds of small businesses worldwide, whether or not engaged in the airline industry.
Alaska Airlines is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and its executive offices and major activities are based in the area. It used to be a regional air company, flying over short distances. Today, Alaska Airlines boast of no less than twelve million passengers every year.
Before 1944, Alaska Airlines was known as McGee Airways. Business expansion in the United States and Alaska led to its new name as Alaska Airlines. The Holding Company formed Alaska Airline through the merger of Jet America and Horizon Air Industries.
Despite several accidents, including accidents involving Flight 261 of Alaska Airlines which killed 88 persons, the airline has been cited for its excellent service. This is due to the airline's openness to the adoption of technology as signified by its online selling and check-in processes.
Alaska Airlines, which is under the Alaska Air Group, Inc., travels from Seattle to various airports in Portland and Los Angeles. Among the subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group are Horizon Air Industry and Alaska Airlines, Incorporated.
Among the areas serviced by Alaska Airlines are: Dallas, Boston, Denver Washington, Orlando Florida, New York, Miami, Washington DC and Chicago, Seattle, Bay Area, Los Angeles and Portland. It also flies to several cities in Mexico like Guadalajara, Manzanilla, Cancun, Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City.
Alaska Airline is the Group's major airline, with up to 16.3 million passengers carried in 2004. Horizon is a regional airline and is considered the largest in the Pacific Northwest, with 5.9 million passengers carried in the same year. Both subsidiaries have a total of 14,584 employees as of the year 2004, with employee wages and benefits accounting for thirty five percent of the total operating expenses of the airline in the same year.
What makes the airline different from the other airlines?
Competition among airline companies is so stiff that all the other airlines flying the same routes must devise creative ways of getting their clients' attention without having to sacrifice their rates and profit level.
What made Alaska Airline stand out among its competitors and which made it the subject of several news stories is the fact that they distribute prayer cards to passengers during mealtime. This has elicited both praise and criticism from various sectors.
Are you the type of person who is always busy and have no time to go to the nearest ticketing office to buy your tickets? Well, Alaska Airlines makes it possible for you to book your flight at home through the Internet.
Aside from these marketing strategies, Alaska Airline is also offering promotional packages to its clients. Passengers who book their flights before March 19, 2006 and use their tickets before June of the same year are entitled to freebies -- having their kids fly for free to Disneyland through Alaska Airline's Vacation Package. The promo is in line with Disneyland's Celebration for their 50th Anniversary.
The present airline companies can learn a lot from Alaska Airline's growth from a mere regional company responsible for flying short distances, to a major airline responsible for the employment of thousands of people around the world. This shows that good business acumen, coupled with strategic marketing, is a good business formula.
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