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In addition to reducing the company's employee
travel costs, the new San Diego base is also
expected to help with on-time performance since
flight attendants will be living in the San
Diego region rather than commuting to a
different airport for departures.
Carolyn Ward, a 20-year Alaska Airlines flight
attendant and lifelong resident of San Diego,
commutes 90 minutes each way to her crew base in
Los Angeles. "Having my crew base located right
in my hometown will literally change my life,"
Ward said. "I'm really looking forward to
working a single roundtrip flight in one day,
which will allow me to leave in the morning and
return in the evening so that I can spend time
with my family."
In addition to San Diego, Alaska Airlines has
flight attendant bases in Anchorage, Alaska, Los
Angeles, Portland, Ore., and Seattle. "Opening
a flight attendant domicile in San Diego
demonstrates Alaska Airlines' commitment to
serve the region," said Jeffrey Peterson, Master
Executive Council president for the Association
of Flight Attendants at Alaska Airlines. "We're
thrilled to have a presence in such a beautiful
location. San Diego truly lives up to its
nickname as ‘America's Finest City.' "
By this summer, Alaska Airlines will operate 24
departures a day from San Diego during the peak
season. Last year, the carrier inaugurated
nonstop flights to Fresno, Monterey, and Santa
Rosa, Calif., and to Orlando, Fla. Alaska will
begin new San Diego-Boston service on March 29
and flights to Lihue, Kauai, on June 7. |
