After the popularity of its first "Swell Deals" fare sale in 2019, Alaska Airlines' data-driven deals are back, giving surfers everywhere one more reason to wish for bigger waves.
Starting today, the airline is using dynamic ocean data to generate discounts for adventure seekers by partnering with global surf forecasting site Surfline. Based on the height of ocean waves in Hawaii and northern and southern California, Alaska will discount flights up to 30% off for travel to premier surfing destinations through Feb. 10, 2021. The bigger the waves, the bigger the discount.
"Our guests love the outdoors and staying active despite the pandemic, so we're harnessing the power of data to support their passions – and make it even more affordable to visit top surfing spots for 2020," said Natalie Bowman, Alaska Airlines' managing director of brand and marketing communications. "Surfing is a sport that you can participate in safely and at a distance, so we believe this is the perfect sale to align with how and why people are travelling these days."
Surfline will pull data from five different locations that monitor minute-by-minute forecasts around the Hawaiian Islands. The subregions for data tracking, recommended by Surfline as having the highest surf during this ticketing window, include: San Francisco; Oahu, North Shore; North Orange County, California; Oahu, South Shore; and Santa Cruz, California.
For flights booked between Oct. 20 and Oct. 23, for travel starting on Oct. 20, Alaska will discount fares based on the following max swell heights tracked by Surfline:
- 0-3 feet = 10% off
- 4-6 feet = 15% off
- 7-12 feet = 20% off
- 13+ feet = 30% off
This data will then be used for fare sales to these locations:
- The Hawaiian Islands
- California, including Santa Rosa (STS), Oakland (OAK), San Francisco (SFO), San Jose (SJC), Monterey (MRY), San Luis Obispo (SBP), Santa Barbara (SBA), Burbank (BUR), Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario (ONT), Santa Ana (SNA) and San Diego (SAN).
To purchase tickets or find more information on terms and conditions, visit alaskaair.com/swell.
The discount will change daily at approximately noon and 5 p.m. PDT as Alaska gets the latest forecast information from Surfline. Throughout the course of the promotion, the discount level will never drop and can only increase as swells grow.
"We see surfers exercising their passions more than ever this year, as a way to de-stress and get outdoors," said Surfline President Ross Garrett. "This partnership with Alaska Airlines opens doors for surfers to experience some of the best waves in the U.S., using our trusted surf reports and through an airline committed to getting them to their destinations safely. We're sure they're going to be excited about these fares."
Like waves? How about waivers. To make travel easier, Alaska also waives oversize and overweight fees for sports equipment so guests can fly with their surfboards for just $30 (the price of a regular checked bag). For MVP Gold 75K, MVP Gold, MVP, First Class and Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Cardholders, this equipment counts toward their free checked baggage allowance.
For guests travelling to Hawaii, Alaska Airlines is partnering with Bartell Drugs and Carbon Health to offer discounted COVID-19 testing at its clinics across the West Coast, including in Seattle. Out-of-state travellers can enjoy the islands without a 14-day quarantine when they test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of their final leg of departure to Hawaii. More information, including how to schedule an appointment, is available at www.alaskaair.com/hawaii-bound
In addition to Alaska's current twice-daily flights to the Hawaiian Islands from Seattle, on Nov. 1, nonstop service to Hawaii will resume from Portland, Oregon; San Jose, California; and San Diego, California. Hawaii service will begin from Anchorage, Alaska, and Los Angeles on Nov. 20. Carbon Health is planning additional pop-up and full-service clinics for rapid COVID-19 testing in those Lower 48 cities in the coming weeks. For travellers outside Seattle, testing is now currently available through Vault Health (at-home test), CityHealth Urgent Care (at the Oakland airport), AFC Urgent Care (Oregon) and more. Find more testing options here.
With a focus on helping guests travel safely when they feel comfortable, Alaska has implemented more than 100 safety measures as part of the airline's commitment to Next-Level Care. The airline emphasizes a layered approach to safety, which starts with the requirement that all employees and guests wear a face mask or covering through the airport and onboard, with no exceptions. Flyers must also enter into a health agreement at check-in to confirm that they are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and will adhere to the mask policy. Alaska has also extended physical distancing on board by limiting the number of guests and blocking middle seats through Nov. 30, 2020.
