Alaska Air Group Reports November Traffic

SEATTLE, Dec. 2  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK) today reported November operational results for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines (Alaska) and Horizon Air (Horizon).

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska reported an increase in load factor to 79.8 percent in November 2009, compared to 76.7 percent in November 2008, on a 1.3 percent increase in available seat miles (ASMs) compared to the prior-year period. Alaska also reported that 88.2 percent of its flights arrived on time in November 2009, a 6.8-point increase compared to the 81.4 percent reported in November 2008. The following tables show the operational results for November 2009 and for the first eleven months of 2009, compared to the prior-year periods:

                        November                  Year-to-Date
                        --------                  ------------
                  2009      2008  Change    2009     2008      Change


----      ----  ------    ----     ----      ------ Revenue passenger

miles

RPMs (000,000)    1,479     1,402     5.5% 16,750   17,229       (2.8)% Available seat

miles

ASMs (000,000)    1,852     1,829     1.3% 21,216   22,382       (5.2)% Passenger load

factor             79.8%     76.7% 3.1pts    79.0%    77.0%     2.0pts Revenue passengers

(000)             1,217     1,224   (0.6)% 14,243   15,532       (8.3)% On-time arrivals

as reported to

U.S. DOT           88.2%     81.4% 6.8pts    82.8%    79.9%     2.9pts ----------------    ----      ----  ------    ----     ----      ------

HORIZON AIR

Horizon reported an increase in load factor to 72.6 percent in November 2009, compared to 70.5 percent in November 2008. Horizon reported that 87.5 percent of its flights arrived on time in November 2009, a 4.0-point increase compared to the 83.5 percent reported in November 2008. The following tables show the operational results for November 2009 and for the first eleven months of 2009, compared to the prior-year periods:

                November                 Year-to-Date
                --------                 ------------
          2009     2008  Change    2009      2008    Change


----     ----  ------    ----      ----    ------ RPMs

(000,000)   194      181      7.1% 2,197     2,452     (10.4)% ASMs

(000,000)   268      257      4.2% 3,014     3,366     (10.4)% Passenger

load

factor     72.6%    70.5%  2.1pts   72.9%     72.9%    0.0pts Revenue

passengers

(000)       540      525      2.9% 6,165     6,858     (10.1)% On-time

arrivals   87.5%    83.5%  4.0pts   86.6%     85.3%    1.3pts ---------   ----     ----   ------   ----      ----     ------

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. 

DATASOURCE: Alaska Air Group, Inc.



CONTACT:  Media, Bobbie Egan, Media Relations Manager, [phone],

or Investor/analysts, Shannon Alberts, Managing Director of Investor

Relations, [phone], both of Alaska Air Group, Inc.

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