Oregon Wines Fly Free Extended Through 2017

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwired - Apr 3, 2015) - Due to its overwhelming success, the Oregon Wines Fly Free program has been extended through 2017. The program encourages visitors traveling from Oregon on Alaska Airlines to bring a taste of Oregon home by checking a case of Oregon wine for free. Through collaboration between the Oregon Wine Board, Travel Oregon and Alaska Airlines, Oregon was the first state to launch a statewide wines fly free program in September 2013. Today, more than 300 Oregon wineries participate.

The Oregon Wines Fly Free program allows Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members to check one case of wine at no cost on their return flight departing from one of four Oregon airports, as well as Walla Walla, Washington. As a bonus, inbound visitors can receive complimentary tastings at any participating winery by showing their Alaska Airlines boarding passes within a week of arrival. Membership in Alaska Airlines' award-winning Mileage Plan is free and customers can join at www.alaskaair.com.

"The Oregon Wines Fly Free program with Alaska Airlines has been a wonderful endeavor that has alleviated some of the challenges consumers face when transporting wine acquired while visiting Oregon," said Ellen Brittan, chairwoman of the Oregon Wine Board. "Almost 5,000 cases of Oregon wines have been checked for free since the program started and we expect this number to grow tremendously with the program's extension."

"Oregon's distinct appellations have earned a place among the country's premier wine regions, and we are fortunate to work with some fantastic partners in the Oregon Wine Board and Alaska Airlines to make our growers and producers more accessible," said Todd Davidson, CEO, Travel Oregon. "With the extension of the Oregon Wines Fly Free Program, travelers have the opportunity to build collections of Oregon wines to share and enjoy, reliving their Oregon vacation experience from the comfort of their homes."

"Our customers love to explore new things, from the places we serve to the foods they eat and the wines they sip," said Sangita Woerner, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing. "There's something so exciting about the discovery of a great new wine, and we're thrilled to make those discoveries even easier for our customers."

The promotion applies to departures from four Oregon airports -- Medford, Redmond/Bend, Eugene/Springfield and Portland -- as well as from Walla Walla, Washington. Alaska Airlines offers nonstop service to Oregon's most popular wine regions, including the Willamette Valley via Portland and Eugene, Southern Oregon via Medford, Central Oregon wineries via Redmond and Eastern Oregon wineries via Walla Walla. This year, Alaska Airlines is an official partner of Feast Portland, the flagship food and drink festival in the Pacific Northwest, held Sept. 17-20.

For more information and a list of participating wineries, visit www.oregonwinesflyfree.org.

About the Oregon Wine Board
The Oregon Wine Board is a semi-independent Oregon state agency managing marketing, research and education initiatives that support and advance the Oregon wine and wine grape industry. The Board works on behalf of all Oregon wineries and independent growers throughout the state's diverse winegrowing regions. The Oregon wine grape and wine industry contributes more than $3.35 billion in economic activity to the state economy each year, including more than 17,000 wine-related jobs and $527 million in wages. www.oregonwine.org

About Travel Oregon
The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors' experience by providing information, resources and trip planning tools that inspire travel and consistently convey the exceptional quality of Oregon. The commission improves Oregonians' quality of life by strengthening economic impacts of the state's $9.6 billion tourism industry that employs nearly 94,000 Oregonians. www.TravelOregon.com

About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with its partner regional airlines, offers more nonstop flights (serving 40 different destinations), more daily flights (123 a day) and more California service (40 flights daily to 13 California destinations) from Portland International Airport than any other carrier. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.