SEATTLE, Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hot on the
heels of its acquisition of California-based airline Virgin America,
Alaska Airlines is debuting a complimentary new service to help
fliers stay connected with friends and loved ones on the ground.
Beginning today, guests on Alaska's Gogo-equipped flights can use
iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to send greetings from
35,000 feet - for free.
"We're celebrating the new year – and our new, bigger airline –
with the rollout of new customer-friendly enhancements on
Alaska-branded flights, starting
with Free Chat," said Andrew
Harrison, Alaska Airlines' executive vice president and
chief commercial officer. "We know that staying in touch while on
the go is essential to our guests, many of whom don't need full
Internet access. Free Chat is a great way to keep that connection
alive without breaking the bank. And yes, it's fully
emoji-compatible."
Free Chat is the first of a variety of new in-flight products
Alaska is rolling out in 2017. In
addition to a brand-new Premium Class service that launched this
week, Alaska is introducing a
number of enhancements which guests can enjoy from any class of
service. Though these products are currently limited to flights
operated by Alaska Airlines, customer response and feedback will
inform future cabin enhancements and offerings on Alaska Airlines,
Virgin America and Horizon Air-operated flights.
"Gotta love it when your favorite airline just keeps getting
better," said Russell Wilson,
Seattle quarterback and
Alaska's chief football officer.
"I can't wait to try Free Chat on my next flight – now I can chat
with my baby when I'm on the road, and stay connected to the team
when I'm traveling for fun."
Additional new amenities launching this month:
- Free movies through March: To celebrate its recent
merger with Virgin America and the concept of "Different Works,"
Alaska is offering free, unlimited
access to its entire catalog of entertainment available to stream
on guests' devices, including Hollywood movies and popular TV shows through
March 31, 2017. New titles available
to view in January include Hollywood hits Nice
Guys, Mike and Dave Need Wedding
Dates, X-Men Apocalypse, and Ice Age Collision Course.
- Upgraded food and beverage options: Later this month,
guests will begin to see new food and drink options on the snack
and beverage cart when they travel, including new premium wines
from Washington State's
award-winning Chateau Ste. Michelle, as well as new premium craft
beer, bourbon and a sure-to-be-favorite: sparkling wine from La
Marca.
- Premium Class: Alaska's
new class of service debuts this week on select routes. In addition
to four extra inches of legroom, passengers seated in Premium Class
enjoy early boarding and complimentary snacks and alcoholic
beverages. More than 40 percent of Alaska's fleet has been retrofitted with the
new section, and by year-end, more than 90 percent will feature
this new class of service.
"We've spent the past several years really investing in
Alaska's fleet and onboard
product," said Harrison. "By the end of this year, we'll have
outfitted nearly half of our 737s with new, larger overhead bins
with room for 48 percent more bags; most of our mainline aircraft
feature custom Recaro leather seats with 110-volt and USB power at
every seat; and we have the youngest airplanes of the top five U.S.
airlines. This week's enhancements are just the beginning of the
new features and promotions guests can expect to see us implement
over the next year."
Upgrades to Alaska's new
Premium Class range from $15 to $79,
in addition to base fares, and can be purchased at the time of
booking through alaskaair.com or Alaska's mobile app, during check-in, and at
the airport. Alaska Mileage Plan MVP, Gold and Gold 75K members are
eligible for complimentary upgrades into Premium Class at the time
of booking, or up to 24 hours in advance of travel, depending on
status and the fare purchased. Learn more about Premium Class at
alaskaair.com. Premium Class is not currently available on flights
operated by Virgin America or Horizon Air.
Free Chat launches in beta today, with full functionality
deploying Jan. 24. To be among the
first to try Free Chat, guests will simply need to sign into their
Gogo Wi-Fi accounts and follow a few easy steps to begin chatting
on their devices. Alaska is the
first and only U.S. airline to offer this complimentary feature to
all guests. Complimentary streaming entertainment options are
available through the end of March
2017 on fliers' own devices; promotion does not apply to
tablet rentals.
Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional
partners, flies 40 million customers a year to more than 118
destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across
the United States and
to Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners, customers
can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations
worldwide. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched
reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com.
Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of
Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-airlines-kicks-off-new-year-with-new-in-flight-amenities-including-free-chat-from-any-smartphone-300386977.html
SOURCE Alaska Airlines