SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 2001--Alaska Airlines (NYSE:ALK) announced today that it will begin thrice-weekly service between Portland and Reno, effective Sept. 7.

The Tuesday-Friday-Sunday, late evening flights will be served by 138-seat Boeing 737-400s.

"We are pleased to once again provide service between Portland and Reno," said Gregg Saretsky, Alaska's senior vice president of marketing and planning. "A new marketing agreement for the sale of seats, along with the suspension of service by another carrier, has created an exciting new dynamic for this market."

Alaska previously served the Reno/Portland market, discontinuing service in 1999.

With the exception of the first flight on Sept. 7, Flight 630 will leave Portland at 9 p.m. and arrive in Reno at 10:15 p.m. On the return, Flight 639 will depart Reno at 10:50 p.m. and arrive in Portland at 12:05 a.m.

Alaska currently has three daily flights between Reno and Seattle, and serves Portland with nearly 60 daily flights from numerous destinations.

Readers of Travel+Leisure magazine recently voted Alaska Airlines "World's Best Domestic Carrier." For reservations go to www.alaskaair.com, call Alaska's toll-free reservations line at 1-800-ALASKAAIR (1-800-252-7522) or call your travel agent.

For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom on the Internet at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com.

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CONTACT:	Alaska Airlines
	Jack Walsh, 206/901-8753