An Alaska Airlines flight struck and killed a deer while landing at the Sonoma County Airport on Wednesday evening, an airline official confirmed.
The unusual deer collision occurred as the plane was landing but before it hit the ground. The plane landed safely but the animal died.
Bobbie Egan, a spokeswoman with Alaska Airlines, said she was told the passengers were “largely unaware of what happened.”
Flight 457 originated in Seattle and was making a stop in Santa Rosa before heading to Los Angeles. The flight’s passengers were rerouted to other planes.
Egan said the plane itself was thoroughly inspected and the only damage was to the tires, which were replaced. The plane returned to service Thursday morning.
SF Gate
Alaska Airlines launches Economy Plus offering
NEW YORK — Today at its annual Investor Day, Alaska Airlines announced plans to roll-out a Premium Class section. Beginning in late 2016, the new upgrade option will provide more legroom and other perks to customers.
Customers who upgrade to Premium Class will get priority boarding and enjoy three to four inches more legroom compared with a standard coach seat. In addition, Alaska Airlines plans to offer additional amenities to further enhance the Premium Class in-flight experience. This upgrade option will be available to Alaska Airlines elite Mileage Plan members on a complimentary basis at booking or day of travel dependent on status and fare purchased.
Upgrade pricing and details on the included amenities will be announced closer to customer availability.
“Premium Class will provide an opportunity for all customers to get an enhanced flight experience,” said Andrew Harrison, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Alaska Airlines. “We are listening to our customers and they have told us that more personal space and extra perks are a priority.”
Alaska plans to retrofit up to 60 aircraft with the Premium Class section by the end of 2016 and the remainder of its 737-800, -900 and -900ER fleet by the end of 2017. The upgrade option will also be available on Embraer 175s, operated by SkyWest, which are configured with 12 seats in the Premium Class section. Preferred Plus seating , currently available for purchase at check-in for bulkhead and exit rows, will continue to be offered on Alaska 737-400s and -700s.
Seats in the Premium Class section will have at least 35″ of pitch, compared to 31″ to 32″ in the rest of the main cabin. To make room for the Premium Class while maintaining pitch in the main cabin, Alaska will reconfigure and reduce the number of seats available on some aircraft. Also, pitch in the First Class cabin will be increased from 36″ to 41″ providing a significantly enhanced experience for those customers.
737-800 goes from 16J/147Y to 12J/30Y+/117Y
737-900/-900(ER) goes from 16J/165Y to 16J/24Y+/138Y
E-175 goes from 12J/64Y to 12J/12Y+/52Y
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines launches new flights from Orange County
SEATTLE, Nov. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Alaska Airlines will add new service from Orange County, California to Santa Rosa/Sonoma County, California and Reno/Tahoe, Nevada starting March 16, 2016.
“These new routes will bring low fares and an elevated flight experience to our valued Los Angeles area customers,” said John Kirby, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of capacity planning. “With the addition of Santa Rosa and Reno, Alaska will offer 13 peak daily departures to six destinations, including Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport.”
Alaska is offering introductory one-way fares starting at $79* each way. Customers must purchase their tickets by Nov. 9 and travel by June 8, 2016 to take advantage of the introductory fares.
The flights will be operated by Horizon Air using 76-seat Q400 aircraft. Customers can reserve seats at no charge and enjoy complimentary snacks, soft drinks, Starbucks coffee and tea and Northwest wine and microbrews.
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