Alaska Air Cargo
Volume 23  |  June 2022

New nonstops for ANC, MIA, CLE. Plus, an update from leadership.

Managing Director Adam Drouhard reports on exciting growth.

Managing Director Adam Drouhard reports on exciting growth.

Our investment in the innovation and growth of Alaska Air Cargo is taking off, positioning us to meet the increased demand we see from our customers and across the industry. A year after taking the helm as managing director, I’m excited to report:

Our freighter fleet capacity will essentially double in the next year. By the end of 2023, we’ll have five dedicated freighters serving our customers and communities in the state of Alaska and beyond.

Cargo opportunities across our North America network are growing. More than 30 new 737-9 MAX aircraft will join our passenger fleet this year, and their higher-efficiency engines can accommodate a heavier payload on many cross-country and Pacific routes.

We are building new technology to transform our operations and customer experience. Our iCargo cargo-management system will launch in early 2023, streamlining sales, inventory and operations for our team – and providing new efficient account-management tools for customers.

We are not implementing any fuel surcharges. While other airlines are responding to rising fuel prices by adding surcharges of up 30%, we are not adding extra fees.

As excited as we are about this growth, we also recognize the past few months have been turbulent in some parts of our operation. Our valued customers have weathered last-minute schedule changes and flight cancellations – challenges created by staffing shortages throughout our operations. We appreciate your patience as we’ve worked through these challenges together. We are committed to getting back on track, and we are already seeing a more reliable flight schedule take shape. We expect our schedules to fully stabilize in June.

Adam Drouhard

Summer always brings fresh energy – from the first fish of Alaska’s renowned salmon season to the start of our newest cross-country routes. As we work through this next year to build our cargo capacity, improve our systems and upgrade technology, we are thankful for you, our valued customers. And we look forward to the shared growth opportunities ahead.

Adam

Northern Flights: More nonstops between Anchorage and the lower 48.

Northern Flights: More nonstops between Anchorage and the lower 48.

We now operate 30-plus daily nonstops connecting Anchorage (ANC) to 10 destinations across the lower 48 – more than any other carrier. Salt Lake City (SLC) is our newest destination, starting June 18, along with summer service to Minneapolis (MSP) and year-round service to Las Vegas (LAS). Nonstop summer routes to Los Angeles (LAX) begin in July.

These routes supplement our dedicated scheduled freighter service throughout the state of Alaska.

Nonstop opportunities in Miami and Cleveland.

Daily cargo service between SEA and Miami (MIA) begins June 20 as we bring back nonstop cross-country service to South Florida. Orlando (MCO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Tampa (TPA) are the other Florida cities among our 100-plus destinations across North America. And cargo service between Seattle (SEA) and Cleveland (CLE) starts July 25, joining our routes to Columbus (CMH) and Cincinnati (CVG).

Nonstop opportunities in Cleveland and Miami.
icargo

iCargo update: Efficient new customer technology.

We are now creating the infrastructure for new customer account tools coming with our implementation of the iCargo cargo-management system in early 2023.

The iCargo system will streamline sales, communications and tracking throughout our network. The technology will give our teams an efficient, real-time view of all cargo activities – and it will allow customers to manage all aspects of their accounts through a mobile-friendly online portal.

Launch date: Coming in 2023. Watch our newsletter, our Cargo Connections blog and our LinkedIn page for updates.

What’s next: This fall, watch for a preview of some of the exciting new tools on the way.

Travel tips for our VIPs (Very Important Pets).

Travel tips for our VIPs (Very Important Pets).

More than 15,000 pets travel every year via our Pet Connect service. For the animals – and the humans who love them – preparations begin well before the day of flight. From securing a veterinarian’s health certificate, to verifying if a breed can travel in the cargo compartment, to ensuring an appropriate kennel size, pet owners have a detailed preflight checklist designed to keep their four-legged family members safe and comfortable during travel.

  • Dogs: 12,000+
  • Cats: 3,000+
  • Best of the rest: 1,000+ rabbits, live rodents and “pocket pets”
  • Top pet destinations: Seattle, Anchorage, Los Angeles, Honolulu and San Francisco

Check out the top five pro tips for creating a smooth travel experience for our furry and feathered frequent flyers.

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