Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air to Be Official Airlines of Portland Rose Festival

Carriers also launch Web site for Oregon fliers

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Jan 13, 2010, 03:46 ET

SEATTLE, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air announced today they will be the Official Airlines of the Portland Rose Festival, the area's largest community event. The three-year sponsorship highlights the airlines' renewed commitment to the Portland, Ore., community and their expanded air service from Portland International Airport.

For 100 years, the Portland Rose Festival has delighted families and individuals from Oregon and beyond with events and programs that spotlight the riches of the area's Pacific Northwest heritage and environment while also celebrating international cultures.

This year's Rose Festival events kick off May 28, 2010, and conclude June 13, 2010. Attended by more than 2 million people, the festival is one of the top three annual events most highly decorated by the International Festivals & Events Association and in 2007 was named Best Festival in the World. Among the festival's most popular events is the KeyBank Grand Floral Parade, one of the nation's top two all-floral parades.

"With Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air's deep roots and dedication to service in the Portland area, we share a unique bond with the Rose Festival and understand how it is cherished by the community and our own 2,500 Portland-based employees," said Steve Jarvis, Alaska's vice president of marketing, sales and customer experience.

Together Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air offer more nonstop flights (serving 27 different destinations), more daily flights (88 a day) and more California service (34 flights daily to 13 California destinations) from Portland International Airport than any other carrier. Horizon's maintenance and operations centers also are based in Portland.

"Alaska Airlines was one of the Portland Rose Festival's very first sponsors in the 1980s, and we are thrilled to partner again with these valued Northwest-based companies with a strong commitment to Portland," said Jeff Curtis, executive director of the Portland Rose Festival Foundation. "This kind of corporate support is essential to keeping Portland's Official Festival strong and vibrant."

New Web site for Oregon fliers

Coinciding with the announcement, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air launched a dedicated Web site (alaskaair.com/PDX and horizonair.com/PDX) for information and exclusive deals for Portland-area and Oregon fliers. The site will include Mileage Plan promotions, fare sales, route information from Portland and other useful information. Promotions and offers will change throughout the year.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2009 North America Airline Satisfaction Studies(SM). For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines