SEATTLE, March 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines
and Aer Lingus announced a broad
partnership that will provide Mileage Plan members more ways to
earn and redeem miles to Europe.
The carriers will begin interline availability across their
respective networks starting in April. Alaska Mileage Plan members
will be able to earn and redeem miles on Aer Lingus flights and Aer Lingus AerClub
members will also be able to earn and redeem miles on Alaska, starting at a later date.
Aer Lingus currently serves
Dublin from 13 cities in
North America, including from
Alaska's gateway cities of
Los Angeles, San Francisco and – starting May 18 – nonstop from Seattle.
"This new partnership with Aer
Lingus is another example of how Alaska is giving our Mileage Plan members more
and more ways to travel and earn miles to all corners of the map
through our diverse global partners," said Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines' executive vice
president and chief commercial officer. "Aer Lingus provides our members even more reach
for travel within Europe, with
seamless service through Dublin to
24 cities in the U.K. and Europe."
"We're pleased to join with Alaska Airlines. It's a meeting of
like-minded, service-oriented carriers bringing attractive
propositions to their respective travelers," said Greg Kaldahl, Aer
Lingus' chief strategy and planning officer. "Our Aer Lingus
guests will now be able to connect onwards to a wide range of
destinations up and down the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii; while loyal Alaska flyers will gain the opportunity to fly
transatlantic on Ireland's only
4-star airline. We are looking forward to a long and successful
partnership."
The capital and largest city in Ireland, Dublin has become a new hub for U.S.
technology companies doing business in Europe. The city hosts the annual Dublin Tech
Summit each spring, which is attended by influential global
companies and innovators.
"The Emerald Isle is a fabulous destination, and we look forward
to welcoming new visitors to Seattle and the Northwest," said Port of
Seattle Commission President
Courtney Gregoire. "Demand for this
route was high. Not only does Seattle have strong business ties to
Ireland – with Microsoft and
Amazon bases there, but the cultural connections span
centuries."
Aer Lingus will fly Airbus
A330-200 wide body aircraft on its new route from Seattle to Dublin. Since Dublin airport has its own U.S. Customs and
Border Protection facility, passengers and their luggage will be
pre-cleared in Ireland before
departure, with no need to go through passport control on arrival
in Seattle.
Aer Lingus is the national
airline of Ireland, founded in
1936. It operates 63 aircraft on more than 100 routes to
destinations in the U.K., Europe
and North America and carries more
than 12 million guests per annum. Aer
Lingus is Ireland's only
4-Star airline, awarded by Skytrax, the international air transport
rating organization. Its mission is to connect Ireland to the world and to become the leading
value carrier operating across the North Atlantic. Its home base is
Dublin Airport. Aer Lingus is a
member of International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world's
largest airline groups.
With Alaska Airlines, Mileage Plan members can travel and earn
miles to more than 900 destinations around the globe through a
unique network of international partners. Members of the
award-winning loyalty program can earn miles faster, get elite
status sooner and redeem miles for award travel. Learn more and
register for free at https://www.alaskaair.com/mileageplan.
Alaska Airlines Blog: A local's guide: 5 things to do
during your first visit to Dublin,
Ireland
Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional
partners, flies 44 million guests a year to more than 115
destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across
the United States and to
Mexico, Canada and Costa
Rica. With Alaska and
Alaska Global Partners, guests can earn and redeem miles on flights
to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in
North America" in the J.D. Power
North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive years from 2008
to 2017. Learn more about Alaska's
award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and
blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air
are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines