My dad

by Jonnie

I did not realize, at first, why I was putting off writing this letter to you, but when I got all the paperwork out and the picture that I have scanned to you, tears started streaming down my face and I realized I was avoiding it because I miss my Dad so much.

My Dad, William M. Fowler, was a pilot for Alaska Airlines for 35 years. I have his log books and they start in 1943, but my records state that he started working for Alaska Airlines in 1944. He was a captain on the DC-3, but he also flew DC-4, DC-6, Convair 880, Convair 990 and Boeing 707, 720 and 727. At the time of his last flight on October 22, 1979, he had logged 29,000 hours of flying time.

He always enjoyed working for Alaska Airlines and mentioned more than once that it "felt like family." He had a lot of integrity and honesty and was well liked by his colleagues.

Another nice piece to this story is the Alaska Airlines DC-3 hanging from the ceiling in the Museum of Flight. I had always wondered if my Dad had flown that plane. When I received his flight log books I pored over them and found that there were at least 12 instances of him flying that very plane! I was thrilled. Now when I go to visit the museum, I can look at that plane, and I feel a kinship to it since my Dad flew it in 1946/1947.

Baby's first flight

by Julie

In March 2005, my husband and I took our 3-month-old daughter Joanna, on her first plane ride, from Victoria, B.C., Canada, to LA. We were very nervous and did not know what to expect. Our experience from check-in to landing was incredible. The staff made all three of us feel very comfortable and assisted us throughout the flight. When the plane landed and we were about to leave, the flight attendant offered to take a picture of our daughter once she heard it was her first flight. The captain was also leaving the cockpit and heard the conversation; he then offered to put our daughter in the pilot seat and take her picture! Then he took off his hat and put it on her carrier! It was a wonderful gesture and we will never forget our daughter’s first flight.

Alaska Airlines really does practice old-fashioned customer service and that is rarely seen on other airlines today!

Proposal at 30,000 feet

by Jeff

I was taking my girlfriend Lorie on a birthday trip to Vegas. However, as it got closer to the trip she became suspicious and I needed a different plan to catch her off guard.

I decided to propose to her while in flight. We were sitting in the first row of First Class and about 1/2 hour into the flight I got up to use the restroom and commence my plan. With ring in tow I approached the flight attendant, Kathryn. She was so cute... she was as nervous for me as I was. After a few moments we both gathered our thoughts and schemed a way for me to propose. I gave her our names and the ring, hoping we would see her again. Then I went back to my seat and sat down. At this point I was very nervous and pointing at the clouds and saying the most mundane things to her.

All of sudden the captain got on the radio to announce that we were just flying over Oregon and how there are some beautiful things in Oregon as well as on this plane. He then announced that Todd in First Class would like to ask his girlfriend Lorie something very special. My temperature shot through the roof as I got down on one knee and turned to see the entire plane looking to the front. I told Lorie how much she meant to me. Kathryn then came out with the ring. Lorie said yes and we kissed! Meanwhile everyone else on the fully booked plane was yelling and peeking over their seats to catch a glimpse. The captain then announced that Lorie had accepted. The whole plane started cheering and we celebrated with complimentary champagne.

Thank you to Kathryn and our captain for making it awesome! Every time we fly we will think of those fond memories.

The nicest person in Los Angeles

by Laura

When I was a junior in college I decided that I was going to see the world. I decided to attend a university in Australia.

Unfortunately, weather made me miss my connecting flight out of LA by about three minutes.

So here I am, a girl away from home for the first time, stranded in Los Angeles because my connecting airline didn’t have another flight out for 4 days. I was going to be late for the first day of school. My only way out was to get the airline to sign off on the ticket and let me go with a partner of Alaska Airlines. That sounds easy enough, except since they didn’t have a flight out for four days there was no one around and I was out of luck.

That was when I met Candy. She was a customer service agent at the domestic ticket counter for Alaska. I cried and cried and told her my story. Candy really listened. She said “I’m going to fix this.” She stood there with me for over an hour and called over and over to the other airline until finally she got a hold of someone. The next thing I knew she literally jumped over the counter and ran from the domestic terminal to the international terminal like a bolt of lightning.

She got the signature we needed and I got to Australia on time. Every time I think of good customer service, I think of Candy. I went on to have a career in banking as a Customer Service Manager and many times used her as an example of “what to do.”

No worries

by Max

I started flying Alaska in the ‘80s and have embraced the relationship since that first flight. Back then as now, you could tell Alaska paid attention to detail, and to excellent employee-company relationships. I knew this was a company that was here for the long haul.

Over these many years, my children have flown as minors on dozens of flights.

One holiday season I was late in getting tickets and using a different carrier due to the Alaska flights being sold out from Tucson to Anchorage.

The experience was less than favorable. Although I paid additional to have a person help the kids switch planes, my kids missed the last leg of their trip from Seattle to Anchorage.

I was called at home and told that due to them missing that flight they would be several hours waiting and that the next flight to Anchorage was overbooked so they might not make that flight either. They asked if I had a way to take care of them for overnight if they could not get on the next flight.

I asked to talk to my children and told them everything would be OK.

I hung up the phone and called Alaska reservations and asked if there was any way we could get my children from Seattle to Anchorage that evening.

In about 5 minutes, I was told that “yes,” they could get my children on the next flight.

I asked the wonderful lady if she knew of any way I could get my children from the gate they were sitting at to the Alaska gate? Yes, she said, and she made it happen. Amazing. Later I got this call: "This is Karen from Alaska Airlines here at Gate C. I have your children with me."

Now my kids are grown, but this experience reminds me why this was an airline I embraced.

Kindness

by Beverly

I’m happy I finally have a chance to tell this to Alaska. It happened maybe 20 years ago. I was coming back from LA where I had gone to help my parents. My father was very ill and in the hospital. Old story of child becoming the parent. It was a very stressful trip. When I got on the plane to come home, I was drained. When asked if I wanted a drink, I ordered wine. After 2 sips the tears came. I turned my face to the window and drank the wine and cried. When the glass was empty, a hand reached over with another glass wrapped in lots of Kleenex. Oddly, though I’m not a drinker, this lady had the insight to know what I needed, which was much appreciated.

I have no idea who the flight attendant was, and she probably had seen this hundreds of times before, but I’ve never forgotten that night. A little thing that meant a lot.

Why I choose Alaska

by Jim

To make a long story short, I am a very frequent flier who racks up over 200,000 miles each year.

I can fly whichever airline I choose, and customer loyalty is not something you can buy or sell, it is earned with the little things missing from the cutthroat business of airlines these days.

Your people make it happen. I have a million stories of very special experiences — too many to list here.

But what sets Alaska apart from all the others can best be related in a recent situation. In 2005, I was diagnosed with cancer. I am OK and back on the road, but I didn’t fly for a year.

Having been Top Level Elite on 5 airlines for many years, I sent a letter to each, stating that I am a good customer, I buy expensive tickets, and I have never complained or asked for anything up until now. All I asked from all 5 airlines was to NOT make me start over at the bottom of the ladder.

The ONLY airline that responded at all was Alaska. I got a nice personal letter saying "Welcome Back," some of those great cookies, and an MVP Gold card.

Now THAT is the way to run a business! I am already MVP Gold for next year. I am fully willing to weather the "bumps in the road" lately, since if Alaska cared enough to help me, I certainly care enough to reciprocate. Keep up the excellent work.

Alaska Airlines brings me home

by Heather

I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska and left in 1998 to attend college in Washington State.

In the past eight years Alaska Airlines has been my way home. It’s the only airline that I fly. I know that as soon as I walk up to the ticket counter that I’m with family and they will take me home as safely and as quickly as they can.

My experience on Alaska Airlines has become an important part of every trip home. I reflect fondly on the snow-capped mountains, the northern lights that dance in the dark winter sky and the midnight sun that lights my way home in the summer.

From the stewardess who helped me on my first flight out of Alaska to college, to an Alaska Airlines employee who sprinted back to the plane to rescue my sister’s forgotten bridesmaid dress for my wedding I’ve continually been impressed and grateful for Alaska Airlines and the people who make each trip memorable.

Although I’ve now graduated from college and live and work in Washington, a big part of my heart and family will always be in Alaska. Alaska Airlines is the flight that flies me home.

I truly believe Alaska Airlines embodies the Alaskan philosophy of family, hard work and helping others.