Alaska Airlines Launches 'Follow Apolo To Hawaii' Sweepstakes

Specially-themed aircraft revealed during homecoming for world champion Apolo Ohno

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Mar 12, 2010, 08:00 ET

SEATTLE, March 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Airlines is inviting the public to enter for a chance to win a Hawaiian vacation for two with celebrated short-track speed skater and most decorated U.S. winter Olympian in history, Apolo Anton Ohno.

Participants can register for the "Follow Apolo to Hawaii" sweepstakes, beginning today and continuing through April 15, at http://www.followapolo.com. They can earn up to 33 additional entries by using social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace to share the opportunity with friends who also register. They can also earn five entries by providing their Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan number, joining Mileage Plan, or signing up to receive the Mileage Plan newsletter.

Five sweepstakes winners and their guests will join Ohno in June for a Hawaiian vacation, including roundtrip tickets to Maui on Alaska Airlines, a private luau with Ohno and luxury accommodations for four nights and five days at the Grand Wailea in Maui.

"What better way to celebrate the most decorated U.S. winter athlete in history than to give fans the chance to say 'congratulations' from Maui," said Greg Latimer, Alaska's managing director of brand and product marketing.

Each registered sweepstakes participant can earn up to 44 entries. Winners will be announced at www.followapolo.com/ in late April.

Latimer said the sweepstakes is the airline's way of celebrating Ohno's success in Vancouver. To mark the occasion, Alaska Airlines and Ohno today will unveil a specially-themed Boeing 737-800 adorned with a larger-than-life image of the celebrated short-track speed skater. The unique design features Ohno, wearing a Hawaiian lei, skating across the aircraft's fuselage and invites travelers to "Follow Apolo to Hawaii."

Passengers boarding Flight 859 from Seattle to Honolulu today will meet Ohno and receive a lei. From Honolulu, the jet will fly throughout Alaska's network.

Alaska began service to Hawaii in October 2007. With its new service from San Jose and flights between Sacramento, Calif., and Maui starting March 26, the airline offers 73 flights a week to four Hawaiian Islands.

A native of the Seattle area, Ohno has been the top U.S. short-track speed skater since 2001. The youngest-ever U.S. short-track speed skating champion at age 14, Ohno is a 12-time U.S. national champion, 23-time world champion and eight-time Olympic medalist. Away from the ice, Ohno made his mark in Hollywood when he won ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" in 2007.

Note to media: High resolution photographs of Apolo Ohno alongside the "Follow Apolo to Hawaii" plane will be posted in the airline's online newsroom image gallery at alaskaair.com/newsroom by 6 p.m. Pacific time, March 12, 2010.

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.

Grand Wailea, part of The Waldorf Astoria Collection, is Hawaii's ultimate resort fronting Wailea Beach on 40 acres of lush, tropical gardens providing open space for the active vacationer, beauty for romantic getaways and fun for the whole family. For more information and special packages, visit grandwailea.com or call 800-232-4604.

Contest rules: No purchase is necessary to enter or win. The sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States (including Washington, D.C.) age 18 or older. Void in Quebec, Canada, and where prohibited. Sweepstakes entry information, official rules, odds disclosure and other methods of entry are available at followapolo.com.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines