We are celebrating the people at our cargo stations across the state of Alaska and the communities they serve. For other stories in this series, check out our People of Cargo.
STATION SPOTLIGHT: Bethel (BET)
STATION FACT: Bethel will be one of the first communities to benefit from increased freighter capacity when our newest 737-800BCF goes into service this spring. Station details
TEAM SPOTLIGHT: Rainna, Customer Service Agent
YEARS WITH ALASKA AIRLINES: 3
ALASKA LIFE FUN FACT: “When we get the Toys for Tots shipments at Christmas, Santa comes out here, gets right in the helicopter, and goes to the villages to pass them out.”
Rainna grew up just a 50-minute plane ride from Bethel, the hub for villages across Western Alaska, giving her a lifelong understanding of the importance of air cargo for local families and businesses. Now she plays a key role in providing those services for her community and beyond.
As an Alaska Airlines customer service agent, Rainna does everything at the Bethel station – from ticketing passengers to accepting cargo shipments to coordinating departure details for flight crews. Through the regular rhythm of groceries and mail shipping in and time-critical lab samples from the local hospital shipping out, Rainna’s friendly service helps both customers and their cargo get where they need to go.
“There are no road systems into Bethel, so everything must be shipped in via air cargo – or arrive during the summer months through the barge [when the ocean thaws],” she said. “It definitely brings me joy to know that I’m helping people.”
On a quiet winter Sunday afternoon in the middle of the local musk ox hunting season, Rainna described how Alaska Air Cargo services help communities throughout Southwest Alaska thrive:
What are some of the common shipments that come through Bethel?
“I see a lot of bypass mail come in — basically a service that the U.S. Post Office provides so local businesses can order bulk items like groceries and ship them in for a low cost. A lot of that gets transferred to smaller airplanes to be sent out to villages surrounding Bethel for the basic items that they need. And there are also household items and furniture.”
Are there regular seasonal challenges you troubleshoot?
“We sometimes have weather issues that prevent shipments from making it in on time. Then we let customers know they have to be patient with Mother Nature. We are basically the face — the first person that these businesses talk to when they come up to the station. And when something isn’t here, we try to assist the best we can on next steps. It definitely helps that we’re here in person and not just the system over the phone or online.”
Are some cargo shipments especially important to the community?
“From the local hospital, we get medical shipments going out [via GoldStreak Package Express] to laboratories in Anchorage or downstate. And a lot of the shipments they have coming in include food for their patients and for patient housing. Since we are the hub for more than 56 villages, the hospital has grown their hospitality department, and they just opened a new hotel for their patients. So we’ve been seeing an increase in food items for their business.”
What are some unique Alaska products that require special handling?
“We get sports fishermen who fly to outfitters here, and they get their catch shipped out to their homes throughout the world. I know some customers who were going overseas to France or Germany. And we also see a lot of moose hunters here, and they ship out a lot of their meat and their antlers from the catch they get. It’s a fun time in cargo during those months.”
What’s your favorite part of your job?
“I enjoy how active it is, working with customers and getting them and their shipments where they need to be by air. Bethel may be small, but there are good people here who make this town feel like home.”
