PORT ANGELES — Kenmore Air, which flies between Port Angeles and Seattle’s Boeing Field, now has a frequent-flier and ticketing partnership with Alaska Airlines.
The long-sought ticketing partnership — which had been worked on by the two airlines for more than a year — allows customers nationwide to book flights to and from Port Angeles or other Kenmore designations when flying Alaska Airlines or Alaska’s regional airline, Horizon Air, without having to book the Kenmore flights separately.
Alaska will also allow passengers to earn and use its mileage plan miles on Kenmore.
The new Kenmore-Alaska partnership was announced Friday.
Beginning April 15, passengers will earn 250 Alaska miles on all regularly scheduled Kenmore flights.
To kick off the partnership, Alaska will award double miles from April 15 through May 31 — 500 miles for every Kenmore flight.
Alaska mileage plan members must register for this promotion at AlaskaAir.com after April 1 in order to receive double miles.
Customers can redeem Alaska mileage for award travel on Kenmore Air beginning in June.
Kenmore’s ticketing partnership with Alaska will be phased in from now through June, with customers able to book single-ticket itineraries between any Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air destination throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico and any of 28 Kenmore Air destinations in Washington and British Columbia that are served from Seattle.
A promotion by the two airlines hailed the new partnership:
“Los Angeles to Port Angeles? Absolutely!
“Friday Harbor [Wash.] to Dutch Harbor [Alaska]? Why not?!
“Puerto Vallarta [Mexico] to Port Hardy [British Columbia]? Sounds good!”
Interline booking is available now through travel agents.
By mid-April it will be available when making telephone reservations with Alaska (at 800 ALASKAAIR — 800-252-7522).
By June ticket booking can be done online through AlaskaAir.com.
Kenmore Air provides the only regular flights between Boeing Field and Port Angeles with nine-passenger Cessna aircraft.
A free shuttle bus takes passengers to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Security screening and baggage checking for Alaska Airlines’ flights will continue to be done at SeaTac.
“Many of our customers are already Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members and will enjoy earning and using award miles for travel on Kenmore Air,” said Todd Banks, Kenmore Air president and general manager.
“We are also excited to be able to offer easier booking and a more seamless travel experience for our many passengers who are connecting with Alaska or Horizon Air flights in Seattle.”
Passengers flying only between two Kenmore destinations — such as from Seattle to Port Angeles — would continue to book flights directly through www.kenmoreair.com or by phoning 866-435-9524.
Kenmore now has its own frequent flier program, and it will be ultimately merged with Alaska Airlines’ mileage program.
Kenmore officials said the specifics of the mileage-program merger are still pending.
Last week, the three Port of Port Angeles commissioners officially accepted a federal grant of $360,000 that will be used to market and promote Kenmore’s Seattle-Port Angeles service.
“Right now Kenmore is running at about 65 percent capacity,” Doug Sandau, port airports and marinas manager, told the commissioners.
“But really the comfort threshold [making a profit on the route] is more at about 75 percent.
“So we would really like to see them average at about there.”
The Small Community Air Service Grant was matched by $40,000 from the port, city of Port Angeles, city of Sequim and Clallam County.
An additional $82,000 of in-kind services have been promised from the public partners as well as Kenmore, Clallam County Economic Development Council, Forks Chamber of Commerce, Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Olympic Peninsula Visitors Bureau.
The grant is one of 19 totaling $6.4 million this year under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program.
