SEATTLE, Jan 9, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Alaska Airlines (NYSE:ALK) and Horizon Air today announced that they'll begin service to Denver in April as part of a series of schedule changes geared to more effectively deploy the carriers' fleets. Alaska also will initiate service to Boston.

Alaska and Horizon will begin service to Denver on April 28 with six daily nonstop flights--three from Seattle on Alaska, and two from Portland and one from Boise on Horizon. Alaska's new service between Boston and Seattle will begin on April 4 with one daily nonstop flight flown with a 120-seat Boeing 737-700.

Also April 28, Alaska will inaugurate seasonal nonstop service between Vancouver, B.C., and Orange County, Calif.

Gregg Saretsky, Alaska's senior vice president of marketing and planning, said the new routes are part of an effort by both carriers to build on the strength of their hubs in Seattle and Portland and redeploy excess capacity in existing markets where it makes sense.

"This really is a continuation of what we've been doing for years: connecting the dots between our largest markets and the places our customers tell us they want to go," Saretsky said.

Like the service Alaska launched to Washington, D.C., in September, service to Boston is made possible by the long-range capability of the carrier's fleet of Next Generation Boeing 737-700 and -900 aircraft. Those aircraft also have enabled Alaska to initiate service between Anchorage-Chicago and most recently Los Angeles-Cancun.

Denver, on the other hand, makes sense because it's the fourth-largest market for travelers out of Seattle, he said. Alaska will use 138-seat Boeing 737-400s on that route, while Horizon will use its new 70-seat CRJ-700 jets.

Scheduled flight times are:
Denver to Seattle
Alaska Flight 97.........Departs 7 a.m.............Arrives 8:40 a.m.
Alaska Flight 543........Departs 11:35 a.m.........Arrives 1 p.m.
Alaska Flight 555........Departs 6:30 p.m..........Arrives 8:10 p.m.
Seattle to Denver
Alaska Flight 530........Departs 7:05 a.m..........Arrives 10:50 a.m.
Alaska Flight 532........Departs 2 p.m.............Arrives 5:35 p.m.
Alaska Flight 82.........Departs 5:50 p.m..........Arrives 9:30 p.m.
Denver to Portland
Horizon Flight 2445......Departs 6 a.m.............Arrives 7:40 a.m.
Horizon Flight 2449......Departs 4:45 p.m..........Arrives 6:25 p.m.
Portland to Denver
Horizon Flight 2446......Departs 6:40 a.m..........Arrives 10:05 a.m.
Horizon Flight 2452......Departs 7:55 p.m..........Arrives 11:25 p.m.
Denver to Boise
Horizon Flight 2447......Departs 10:35 a.m.........Arrives 12:25 p.m.
Boise to Denver
Horizon Flight 2448......Departs 1:55 p.m..........Arrives 3:35 p.m.
Boston to Seattle
Alaska Flight 11.........Departs 5:55 p.m..........Arrives 9:20 p.m.
Seattle to Boston
Alaska Flight 12.........Departs 8:35 a.m..........Arrives 5 p.m.
Orange County to Vancouver
Alaska Flight 597........Departs 10:00 a.m.........Arrives 12:58 p.m.
Vancouver to Orange County
Alaska Flight 598........Departs 1:38 p.m..........Arrives 4:33 p.m.

Founded in 1932, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is the ninth largest commercial air carrier in the United States. The airline will celebrate its 70th anniversary this year and was recently voted "World's Best Domestic Airline" by readers of Travel+Leisure magazine. Alaska and Horizon together serve 80 cities in the Lower 48, Alaska, Canada and Mexico.

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

CONTACT:          Alaska Airlines
                  Jack Walsh, 206/901-8753
                  or
                  Dan Russo, 206/431-4513

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