SEATTLE, Oct 3, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- John Kelly, chairman of Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK), is taking the unusual step of getting on the airwaves this week as part of a new marketing effort to attract customers to Air Group carriers Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air.

"Let's fly together," the chairman says in new radio spots, inviting listeners to join all 15,000-plus Alaska Air Group employees in the air. "When you fly, we fly with you. We're dedicated -- dedicated to making every individual flight on Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air as safe and enjoyable as possible. On the ground and in the air, we're all absolutely committed to delivering on that promise..."

The advertisement is running in all of Alaska's regular markets -- Anchorage, Fairbanks, Southeast Alaska, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

It supports a fare sale featuring some of the deepest discounts that the airlines have offered in years. So far this week, daily booking levels are nearly 60 percent greater than they were in the prior two weeks.

"Given the environment that surrounds us, we thought John going on the air himself would send a strong message to the flying public," said Greg Latimer, Alaska Airlines' director of advertising and promotions.

"And besides, it saved us some money because we didn't have to pay him the standard voice talent fee," he quipped.

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

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