Alaska Air Cargo
Volume 12  |  June 2019

Ocean to Table

Roaring start to Alaska seafood season.

The 2019 commercial fishing season is underway in the 49th state, and Alaska Air Cargo is now delivering fresh, wild Alaska seafood all over the country. With our extensive network and seafood transportation expertise, we’re able to get our customers’ products to restaurants and dinner tables across the country — often within 24 hours of catching.

Halibut shipping is up 32% to date, and the famous Copper River salmon opener in Cordova was celebrated with the very first fish flying into Seattle on May 17 at 6:30am. The world-renowned Bristol Bay salmon fishery opens on June 25, and we’re looking forward to another stellar season. Last year almost 39 million sockeye were caught in Bristol Bay, representing 247 million pounds of fish.

Alaska Air Cargo

Alaska fishing has extraordinary impact.

  • Nationally, the Alaska seafood industry creates an estimated 99,000 full-time jobs, $5.2 billion in annual labor income, and $12.8 billion in economic output.
  • Alaska catches and processes enough seafood each year to feed everybody in the world at least one serving of Alaska seafood, or one serving for every American for more than a month.
  • In 2017, 224.6 million wild Alaska salmon were harvested, with an ex-vessel value of $678.8 million.
  • Sockeye salmon were the most valuable species, accounting for almost half the value, at $326.1 million.

Newly expanded hours for cargo call center.

To serve more customers in more time zones with more convenience, we’ve extended our call center hours to 5:00am-9:00pm PT, daily. Effective June 1, 2019.

“We’ve had requests from our East Coast shippers for longer hours, so we are doing just that,” says Kevin Larson, cargo call center manager. “Alaska’s cargo call center is unique because it’s an in-house operation and our agents are specifically trained for cargo-specific service.”

2019 Air Cargo Day Expo in Los Angeles.

On May 9, joining more than 280 participants and 50 company exhibits, Alaska Air Cargo participated in the 2019 Air Cargo Day sponsored by the Los Angeles Air Cargo Association (LAACA). LAACA was established in 1965 and connects industry leaders in the LA basin through a variety of events. Our own Michael Yu is a LAACA board member, serving on the Communication and Industry Affairs committees.

Alaska Air Cargo

PDX is moving and grooving.

Alaska Air Cargo’s Portland, Oregon, operation is experiencing tremendous growth. Our newly added Airbus fleet has helped increase daily flights to 127, serving 53 destinations, including five daily direct flights to Anchorage. Alaska Air Cargo is first among PDX cargo shippers in flight frequency and capacity.*

If you’re moving freight to the West Coast, Hawaii, or Alaska, PDX is an excellent alternative to Seattle for connecting flights. Cargo supervisor Tracy Jorissen says that because PDX has “less volume and congestion, the cargo teams can often provide a quicker transfer. And for our local customers, the Portland airport is easy to get to and easy to drop freight off.” Plus, the new self-service kiosks are well received, “especially from frequent customers,” she says. “They really like the no-hassle in and out.”

The PDX cargo operation is also well known for over-the-top customer service from an experienced senior staff.

*based on a full-year schedule

New and improved shipment tracking page.

We recently improved the look and feel of our shipment tracking tool on the website. It now displays real-time status in an easier-to-read format.

How It Works

Alaska Air Cargo

GoldStreak: the fastest and simplest way to ship your time-sensitive cargo.

If you’re shipping crucial documents, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, critical replacement parts, or other time-sensitive items, GoldStreak package express provides next-available-flight service and guaranteed next-day or overnight delivery for shipments of up to 150 pounds. GoldStreak is available anywhere Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Cargo fly — 20 Alaska destinations and more than 100 cities across the nation.

Shipments must be pre-booked and at our facility 60 minutes before departure. Learn how to get started, or book your shipment.

Alaska Air Cargo manager receives Department of Defense Patriot Award.

Mary Quantrell, general manager for Alaska Air Cargo in Seattle, was presented with a Patriot Award in recognition of her “extraordinary support of an employee who serves in the United States Air Force Reserve.” Mary was nominated by Air Force Reserve Senior Airman Jayson Sayler, a ramp service agent in his civilian position, for her support of his military service with the 446th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis McChord.

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