Alaska is the
first U.S. airline to link guest participation in sustainability to
loyalty with an accelerated path to elite status.
SEATTLE, May 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- As part of Alaska Airlines' longstanding
journey to make air travel more sustainable, the airline will now
give guests the choice to voluntarily reduce the environmental
impact of their travel with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) credits
during the booking process. Guests can choose to support SAF in an
amount based on 5%, 10% or 20% of their carbon impact when they
book a ticket on alaskaair.com.
Building on a successful pilot in late 2023, Alaska's Mileage Plan™ members who buy SAF
credits will once again earn elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) for
their contributions. Mileage Plan members will receive 500 EQMs for
every $100 they spend on SAF (up to
5,000 EQMs per year), for a sustainability-linked way to accelerate
the path to elite status. Alaska
is the first U.S. airline to create a link between guest engagement
in SAF and earning elite status.
"Alaska is on a journey to make
air travel more sustainable with an ambitious goal of net zero
carbon emissions by 2040. Now we are inviting our guests to join us
on the journey," said Diana Birkett
Rakow, senior vice president of public affairs and
sustainability, Alaska Airlines. "Today, we've launched new options
for guests to customize their travel experience, take action on the
environmental impact of their trip, and help us scale the market
for SAF. SAF is a critical part of aviation's path to a more
sustainable future, and while we use it today, there is not enough
SAF available. It will take all of us to grow this market. The more
people who know about and support this important technology, the
better we can impact efforts to make a sustainable future for air
travel a reality."
With this new feature in the booking process, powered by climate
technology company CHOOOSE, the SAF credit options will appear on
the same page as other optional trip add-ons during the booking
process. The SAF credit option is based on carbon emissions
associated with the guest's flight and follow the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) Recommended Practice 1726 (Passenger
CO2 Calculation Method). This calculation method leverage
parameters including aircraft fuel consumption, flight path, seat
configuration, cabin class, and load factors sourced directly from
Alaska's operational data.
For guests who want to support SAF equal to their full
emissions of their flight, they can do so by visiting
alaskaair.chooose.today.
Alaska's sustainability
strategy is centered on care – caring for our guests, our
employees, the communities where we live and work, and the planet
we all share. Alaska is focused on
immediate actions and long-term investments that are aimed to
reduce carbon emissions and waste, as well as protect local
ecosystems. SAF is a safe, certified fuel that, according to IATA,
can lower carbon emissions by 80% or more on a lifecycle basis. It
can be used in existing fuel systems and airplane
engines. Since 2010, Alaska
has worked with a coalition of partners to drive the growth of the
SAF market. These efforts include programs with Microsoft and
other companies to offset employee business travel, partnering with
universities and scientists to leverage the latest research and
knowledge, and advocating for public policy to advance SAF.
To learn more about SAF and how to have a role in
Alaska's sustainability journey
visit alaskaair.com/sustainability
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120
destinations across the United
States, Belize,
Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We strive to be the most caring
airline with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading
loyalty program. As a member of the oneworld alliance, and
with our additional global partners, our guests can travel to more
than 1,000 destinations on more than 25 airlines while earning and
redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. 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.
About CHOOOSE
CHOOOSE ™ delivers the leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
platform that enables both individuals and organizations to
understand their carbon footprints, make more carbon-informed
decisions, and support trusted climate solutions around the world.
Enterprise partners in sectors including aviation, travel, and
logistics deploy CHOOOSE to build, manage, and report on carbon
programs. Learn more at www.chooose.today.
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SOURCE ALASKA AIRLINES