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Mexican Fiesta: Alaska Celebrates Two Decades of Service South of the Border, Honors 8 Original Employees
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10/22/2008 10:51 a.m.
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Alaska Airlines celebrated two decades of flying to Mexico with a banquet Oct. 15 in Puerto Vallarta attended by about 100 current and former employees, their guests and dignitaries. Among those on hand were seven of the eight Mexico employees who began working for Alaska around the time the carrier launched service to Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta on Nov. 15 and 16, 1988, respectively.
"When the first flight landed in Puerto Vallarta, station employees here thought the smiling face on the tail was the employee of the month," joked Antonio Alvarado, PVR customer service manager and one of the eight original employees. Alvarado also noted that, "It seems like yesterday that a Mexicana co-worker showed me a newspaper ad saying Alaska Airlines was starting service to Mexico."
Alvarado and three other employees were instrumental in establishing operations in Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta after the Mexican government granted Alaska Airlines authority to fly the routes from San Francisco and Los Angeles—provided the carrier began service within six weeks. The other three individuals, who also attended the dinner, were: Julian Acosta, retired director general of Mexico; Kit Cooper, retired regional director for international operations; and Marvin Van Horn, who managed the airline's codeshare partners and mail contracts in the state of Alaska before flying south to help with startup efforts in Mexico.
Referring to the six-week scramble, CEO Bill Ayer said, "It's no wonder we've had such success in Mexico if you understand how all this started." Ayer lauded Acosta, Alvarado, Cooper and Van Horn for their efforts in launching the carrier's operations and all employees in Mexico for carrying on the airline's tradition of customer service.
"It's a story about people—and that's the story of Alaska Airlines," he said. "The warmth and hospitality of the folks who work for us in Mexico truly represents our core value of caring."
In an after-dinner ceremony, 20-year service pins were awarded to Alvarado; Mazatlán Customer Service Agent Ana Lopez; Guadalajara Customer Service Manager Laura Lopez; Ramon Morelos, customer service clerk in Mexico City; Sonia Perez, Puerto Vallarta customer service agent, station trainer and 2004 Legend; Lourdes Olmos Salazar, finance manager in Mexico City; and Puerto Vallarta Customer Service Agent Martha Sanchez. Manzanillo Customer Service Manager Marcela Perez, the eighth 20-year employee, was unable to attend.
"It is your dedication, engagement and compassion that keep our customers coming back," said Jeff Butler, vice president of customer service–airports.
Glenn Johnson, executive vice president of airports and maintenance and engineering, echoed those sentiments. "You have built what we have in Mexico," he said. "And I stand before you with an incredible amount of confidence for the future."
Several dignitaries also attended the banquet at the Velas Vallarta hotel in a reflection of Alaska Airlines' significant contribution to the growth of tourism in Mexico's beach resorts, particularly Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos. They included Heriberto Sanchez, in representation of Puerto Vallarta Mayor Javier Bravo; Enrique Tovar, secretary of municipal tourism; Sergio Araujo, Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil authority of Puerto Vallarta International Airport; Oscar Rivero, president of the Hotel and Motel Association; Luis Reyes Brambila, director/editor of the newspaper Vallarta Opina; and Nelly Trailor and Jeanie Friendlien from the U.S. Consulates in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, respectively.
Since 1988, Alaska and, recently, Horizon Air have expanded their operations to 10 cities south of the border and now fly about 750,000 customers a year to Mexico.
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