Volume 10 | December 2018
2018 State of the Cargo Union

December 2018
Thanks to everyone who interacted or shipped with Alaska Air Cargo in 2018. I’d like to highlight some of the major happenings this year and share our big goals for 2019 with you.

Freighters flying and full.
World’s first.
We’re extraordinarily proud of this huge milestone. The world’s first fleet of converted Boeing 737-700 all-freighter aircraft is flying full schedules between Alaska and Seattle.
Super flexible.
Thank you for all of your patience and support. We recognize that it took longer than anticipated, but the good news is the freighters are great additions to our fleet and have quickly reached a dispatch reliability rate of almost 99%. The new planes have added capacity to our network and we’re not dependent on passenger routes, allowing us to be more flexible when and where we fly.
As we move ahead with the new fleet, we’re constantly looking at ways to evolve and enhance our schedules to meet customer demands.

71(!) new Airbus planes.
Coast to coast.
In June we started carrying cargo on our Airbus fleet, which virtually overnight gave us 71 more planes carrying belly cargo across the U.S. It's the largest single domestic cargo introduction in recent history. So, what does that mean operationally?
We have more flights and capacity up and down the West Coast, and way more flights and capacity between the East Coast and West Coast. If you’re looking for cargo space, for example, between LA or SFO and New York, Boston, Baltimore, or DC, we have more frequency and higher reliability than ever. Within California, we now operate 100+ daily flights between 12 cities. We also have an extensive West Coast network to Hawaii, with 30 flights a day.
The Alaska touch.
In 2019, we’re are excited to show new customers and new markets the famous Alaska Air Cargo service commitment. Our knowledge of cargo and our sales team’s responsiveness are well known to our existing customers. We’ll be bringing that forward to some of the largest east-west cargo lanes in the U.S. next year.
Successful roll-out of Self-Service Pick Up.
Alaska Air Cargo was the first cargo carrier to implement Self-Service Pick Up. Self-service allows frequent customers to print cargo receipts and head straight to the warehouse for cargo retrieval. No need to wait in line. In 2019 we will continue to expand this system to more cities.
Thank you! I wish everyone reading this a prosperous and happy New Year.
Jason Berry, Managing Director, Alaska Air Cargo
2018 by the numbers.
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We’re all in on Toys for Tots.
Alaska Air Cargo and Alaska Airlines are partnering with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program again this holiday season. Together we’re shipping approximately 14,000 pounds of toys to children across the state of Alaska — from the Southeast to the Arctic Circle. The toys are shipped into locations such as Ketchikan and Kotzebue and then distributed locally and to surrounding villages by the U.S. Marines and Alaska Air Cargo employees. All donations collected for Alaska Toys for Tots directly benefit children in the state of Alaska.
Pictured left to right:
Marines - SSgt Gomez, GySgt Vogelpohl, Sgt Pastore, GySgt Gonzalez
Alaska Air Cargo Employees - Kato Hafoka, Bob Haskell, Jacob Scanlan, Michael Scanlan

Roons, Portland, Oregon.
So, for us uninitiated, what is Roons? Roons is a small, independent, women-owned, Oregon-based baking company. We make delicious, one-of-a-kind, gluten-free and grain-free macaroons locally in Portland, Oregon.
What is your big shipping challenge with Roons? We opened our doors in September 2017, but our business took off in April 2018 when we won the first-class dessert business on Alaska Airlines medium-haul flights. We went from shipping small amounts of Roons to 150,000 in just a few months. That created a huge shipping challenge. Not to mention our product is dipped in chocolate, which is extra tricky in the summer months.
What kinds of shipping options did you explore? We looked at refrigerated trucking, padded boxes with expensive cooling technology, thermal inserts, etc., but everything was too expensive or unsustainable. When we looked at Alaska Air Cargo, we discovered most of their locations have coolers or freezers.
And with priority booking we could choose our own flights based on time of day and air temperature at the product destination.
So, do you bake and ship Roons on the same day? Yes! We bake all day and ship immediately; it’s critical that we get our product from our bakery to our customers quickly. What’s amazing is that we don’t have to warehouse any product — Hello, same-day shipping anywhere in the country! We can make good on our commitments. And surprisingly, Alaska Air Cargo is less expensive than slower, less flexible shipping options.
How is it working with the Portland Air Cargo staff? They are simply the greatest team to work with. Tracy Jorissen met us on Day One and introduced us around to the crew. Of course, we brought cookies for a little extra bribery.
One shipment after another, we started building a rapport with everyone there. We worked with Robert, Brian, and Julia during the days, and Nash and Don at night. Every single time, the crew was helpful, happy, and thoughtful. Sometimes I wouldn’t even have to get out of my car before Brian would roll up the door and start prepping pallets for unloading. Some days when I had too many boxes and not enough time, one of the guys would climb into my van, and we would form an assembly line to get all the boxes onto each pallet.
What’s the effect been on your business? We have shipped somewhere in the neighborhood of 250,000 individual cookies across the country since our partnership with Alaska Air Cargo started. And we have kept them in best possible condition, coast to coast. Working with Alaska Air Cargo has enabled our business to grow, to be flexible, and to meet customers’ last-minute needs better than anyone. I am beyond grateful for the Portland Air Cargo team and consider them all a part of my Roons story.
For more information on Roons:
eatroons.com

Welcome new Air Cargo employees.
![]() Chris Castillo |
Chris has worked in many different roles during her 13 years with Alaska Airlines, including customer service, operations, and cargo. Chris will be working with our business partners in the Southeast Region, overseeing the following stations: Atlanta, Nashville, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, New Orleans, Raleigh, and Tampa. Chris and her wife, Katie, enjoy exploring the rich historical sites, amazing food, culture, and beautiful beaches in Charleston. She always looks forward to going back to Southern California to see her family and get her fill of tacos. She enjoys chronicling her travel adventures through her love of photography. |
![]() Jerry McMullen |
Jerry will provide strategic and operational leadership to the Seattle Cargo team. He has been in leadership roles for more than 30 years, including cargo and airline experience with UPS, National Express, and Alaska Airlines. He and his wife, Maggie, have been married for 27 years and have three children — Kelsey, Jessica, and Jacob, and their yellow Lab, Luna. Maggie works as an ICU RN at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Gig Harbor, Washington. In their time away from work, they enjoy hiking with friends and family, fishing on the Puget Sound for salmon or Lake Cushman for kokanee. A huge sports fan, Jerry is forever loyal to the Mariners and Seahawks. Jerry is extremely excited about returning to Alaska Airlines and joining the team of dedicated employees in Cargo. |
![]() Greg Abner |
Greg started his career as a ramp lead for Horizon in Sacramento and Portland and was most recently a station manager in Reno. While originally from the Reno area, Greg and his wife, Kathleen, (who is from Eagle River, Alaska), are very happy to return to Alaska with their three dogs. Greg has a great passion for the aviation industry and has been flying non-rev since childhood thanks to his mother’s airline job. He has easily logged over 1 million miles. |
![]() Trent Meyer |
Trent has a great passion for the airline industry and the state of Alaska. He comes to Alaska Air Cargo with seven years of airline experience with RAVN Alaska, where he moved up through the supervisorial ranks, first as Ground Operations Supervisor, then Passenger Service Manager, and ultimately Airport Manager, overseeing all RAVN airport operations and a team of more than 100 employees. Trent is also currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management and Business Administration. Away from work and school, Trent enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, and his two chocolate Labs. He also finds time to enjoy CrossFit training and running. |

Self-Service Pick Up now available in eight cities.
Six more coming in Q1.
Eight airports now offer Self-Service Pick Up with Chicago (ORD) the most recent to come online. The other stations are SEA, LAX, SFO, ANC, FAI, BOS, and JFK.
To qualify for the Self-Service Pick Up kiosk and skip the lines, your air waybill must be prepaid, already at your destination, and not in bond or awaiting USDA clearance. Remember to follow these qualifiers or you’ll be prompted to see an agent. For additional self-service information, please contact cargo@alaskaair.com.
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