We've invested in new technology in
Portland to improve our guests'
travel experience;
we've been the largest carrier at PDX
for more than 20 years, now with 110 peak daily flights
SEATTLE, Aug. 14,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines is excited to
partner with Portland
International Airport for the grand opening today of its
beautifully renovated, world-class terminal that has been years in
the making. In conjunction with the terminal opening, Portland is our first location where we're
using our new proprietary and innovative technology and processes
to transform the airport experience and move our guests more
seamlessly through the lobby and into security in five minutes or
less.
"As our second largest hub, Portland is an essential part of Alaska's future. Our deep collaboration and
joint investment with the Port of Portland on this new world-class terminal
highlights our focus on improving how our guests travel," said
Shane Jones, senior vice president
of fleet, revenue products and real estate at Alaska Airlines.
"With nearly 90% of our passengers now checking in before they
arrive at the airport, we've launched our lobby of the future
experience in Portland which
simplifies dropping off bags and gets guests quickly through the
lobby so they can enjoy everything the new terminal has to offer,"
said Charu Jain, senior vice
president of innovation and merchandising at Alaska Airlines.
We're highlighting advancements in technology that allow
autonomy for our guests – giving them the option to travel the way
they want to. It starts with dropping off checked bags. Our custom
Apple iPad-powered bag tag stations print tags with just the scan
of a mobile boarding pass. We've partnered with Embross, a leader
in self-service technologies, to make it easy for our guests to use
Automated Bag Drop stations that scan and accept their checked
baggage. This includes securely matching travelers to their
government-issued IDs without standing in line for an agent.
"The PDX bag drop experience leverages some of the latest
innovations in computer vision to deliver the convenience and
efficiency of automated bag processing while also ensuring user
safety and security compliance to TSA ID-check requirements,"
said Myles Tzelepis, chief
technology officer at Embross.
Caring for our guests is always a priority. Our dedicated
customer service agents, known for going above and beyond, will
continue to be on hand in our lobby to troubleshoot potential
issues and help those who may need assistance getting their bags
checked in.
"The new PDX was designed to double down on everything travelers
love about our airport," said Dan
Pippenger, chief aviation officer at the Port of
Portland. "Our partners at Alaska
Airlines understood that vision from the beginning and helped us
build a new main terminal that both improves the travel experience
and celebrates our region."
We've been the largest carrier in Portland for more than 20 years – and we keep
growing. Alaska and Horizon Air
flights have increased by 17% from 2023 to 2024. That translates to
110 peak daily flights to 55 nonstop destinations from PDX,
with 29 of those locations served exclusively by Alaska, providing a crucial transportation
link to smaller cities and communities. We recently started new
nonstop service to Miami and
Nashville from PDX, and in the
coming months, we're adding nonstop flights to Atlanta and New
Orleans.
There are more good things on the horizon at PDX for our guests.
Our all-new Lounge in Portland
will bring guest favorites to more than 12,000 square feet of
space, all with a modern Pacific Northwest vibe. The new Lounge is
scheduled to open in 2026, and it will include a barista station, a
cozy fireplace setting and great views of the
new terminal.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines and our regional
partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa
Rica, Guatemala and
Mexico. We offer our guests a
premium flying experience with award-winning customer service and
an industry-leading loyalty program, Mileage Plan. With our fellow
oneworld Alliance members and additional global partners,
our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem
on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000
worldwide destinations. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow
@alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon
Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
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SOURCE ALASKA AIRLINES