Alaska Airlines is to award its 23,000 employees with an extra six weeks of pay in recognition of their performance.
The annual performance-based payout, which equates to more than 11% and is worth $327 million (£263.1 million), is the largest payout in the 22-year history of the airline’s programme. The payment is part of its performance-based pay programme, which is part of its aim to invest in its workforce and align them with the same goals beyond a profit-sharing programme.
The payout is in addition to the $22.7 million (£18.2 million) operational bonuses that Alaska Airlines employees earned in 2024 for achieving quarterly on-time and safety goals. The combined quarterly and annual 2024 payouts total nearly $350 million (£281.7 million).
Ben Minicucci, chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group, said: “A year ago after flight 1282 which resulted in one third of our mainline Alaska fleet being grounded and our operations severely disrupted, we were uncertain how the rest of the year would unfold. Yet, our teams rose to the challenge, with an unwavering commitment to safety, and restored Alaska Airlines to the safe, reliable operation we’re known and trusted for. We had a plan and faced some significant headwinds, but our team came together and finished the year in one of our strongest positions yet.
“We couldn’t be prouder to cap off the year by investing in our people with the largest payout in the history of our performance-based pay programme. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our employees for their dedication in helping us deliver another strong year. Their commitment to excellence, care and service sets us apart.”
Alaska Airlines also offers its employees 401k contributions, quarterly bonuses, employee share purchase plans, parental, family and medical leave, an employee assistance programme, free and unlimited space-available travel, volunteer opportunities and hour rewards, and an employee donations match.