New route complements new flights between Portland and Maui and Texas SEATTLE, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Airlines today begins daily nonstop service between Portland, Ore., and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, marking the latest in a series of new Portland routes introduced by the carrier this year. "This new nonstop service provides customers with a critical link between Portland and the nation's second-busiest airport," said Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines' vice president of planning and revenue management. Harrison said the Chicago area is popular with business travelers and is also among the top 10 most-visited destinations from Portland International Airport. Summary of flights Start date City pair Departs Arrives Frequency Nov. 16 Portland-Chicago 10:10 a.m. 4 p.m. Daily Nov. 16 Chicago-Portland 4:45 p.m. 7:10 p.m. Daily All times based on local time zones Travelers can earn double Mileage Plan miles on the new flights from Nov. 16, 2009, through Jan. 31, 2010. To qualify, customers must first register at alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines began flying from Seattle to Chicago in June 2000 and also offers daily nonstop service to the Windy City from Anchorage, Alaska. In addition to today's new service, the carrier this year has launched flights between Portland and Maui, Hawaii, and Austin, Texas (via San Jose, Calif.). Alaska Airlines also added Atlanta and Houston to its route network in 2009, and expanded its service to Hawaii with nonstop flights to Kahului, Maui, and Kona on the Big Island from Oakland, Calif. Alaska Airlines is operating the new Portland-Chicago route with fuel-efficient Boeing 737 aircraft. All flights offer Alaska's Northern Bites meals-for-purchase service for $6. Inflight amenities also include Alaska Airlines' digEplayer, a personal entertainment system offering a variety of movies, television shows, music and other features. Complimentary in first class, digEplayers are available for $6 in the main cabin. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2009 North America Airline Satisfaction Studies(SM). For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom. DATASOURCE: Alaska Airlines CONTACT: Media Relations of Alaska Airlines, +1-206-392-5101 Web Site: http://www.alaskaair.com/

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