Alaska Airlines is seeking to entice passengers to return on board after the viral video of a plane component taking off mid-flight, which dominated the news and social media.
The airline offers up to 30% off to all potential stopover consumers on its website. Specific consumers receive emails offering up to 40% off popular fares, as well as double the same amount of elite qualifying miles on all long-haul flights. month. Flights must be booked by January 31 and completed by March 13 this year.
“We are returning to the reliable operation we have come to expect from Alaska,” the airline wrote on its website.
The discounts come after a video of a section of the fuselage ripped off of an Alaska Airlines flight went viral. The incident does not appear to be the fault of the carrier. Instead, an improperly installed piece by Boeing has been cited for the issue. Federal regulators grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after the incident, while the CEOs of Alaska Airlines and United Airlines both blasted the manufacturer for its quality control issues.
“I’m beyond frustrated and disappointed. I’m angry,” Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Airlines, told NBC Nightly News in an interview that aired last week. “My request to Boeing is: what are you going to do with your quality systems internally?
Alaska later reported that its own inspections had found that “many” Boeing planes had loose screws.
The Boeing 737 Max Nine is once again carrying passengers, and Alaska is carrying them on a limited number of flights.
Alaska and United are the only two American carriers that use the Max 9 in their fleets.