Alaska Airlines empowers guests to support sustainable aviation fuel

Alaska Airlines is partnering with CHOOOSE to introduce a new way for guests to voluntarily support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a critical tool in ongoing efforts to decarbonize aviation. During the booking process, guests can contribute to SAF in an amount based on 5%, 10%, or 20% of the estimated carbon emissions associated with their taking the selected flight when they purchase a ticket directly on alaskaair.com.

After a successful limited-time promotion at the end of 2023—where Alaska Airlines Mileage Planᵀᴹ members contributed towards over half a million gallons of SAF while earning status—guests who support SAF will once again earn elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) for their contributions. Mileage Plan members will receive 500 EQMs for every $100 they spend on SAF environmental attributes (up to 5,000 EQMs per year), as a sustainability-linked way to accelerate the path to elite status. Alaska is the first US airline leveraging CHOOOSE’s digital solutions to create a link between guest engagement in SAF and earning elite status.

With this new feature in the booking process, the option to support SAF will appear on the same page as other trip add-ons. The SAF contribution options are based on the estimated carbon emissions associated with the customer’s flight, and the carbon emissions are estimated following the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s RP 1726 and use parameters sourced directly from Alaska’s operational data, including:

• Aircraft fuel burn
• Flight distance
• Seat configuration
• Cabin class
• Load factors

Alaska is dedicated to reducing its climate impact and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Recognizing that SAF is one of the most important levers for decarbonizing aviation in the near-term as it lowers the lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% as compared to traditional, petroleum-based jet fuel and can be used in existing fuel systems and plane engines—Alaska is inviting its guests to learn more about SAF and how they can contribute towards scaling the use of it.

“Alaska is on a journey to make air travel more sustainable with an ambitious goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Now we are inviting our guests to join us on the journey,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Alaska Airlines. “Today, we launched new options for guests to customize their travel experience, take action on the environmental impact of their trip, and help us scale the market for SAF. SAF is a critical part of aviation’s path to a more sustainable future, and while we use it today, there is not enough SAF available. It will take all of us to grow this market. The more people who know about and support this important technology, the better we can make a sustainable future for air travel a reality.”

To learn more about SAF and how to integrate climate action into your customer-facing touch points, reach out to CHOOOSE today.