Alaska Airlines expects flight attendant candidates to have done their research before they reach the Assessment Day and to know about its history, its product, and what makes it different from competitors.
We’ve covered the fleet, the history, the loyalty programme, and what Alaska Airlines’ recruiters are looking for in new-hire flight attendants, along with sample questions and guidance on how to answer them. Everything on this page is current as of 2026.
Key Facts
- Full name: Alaska Airlines, Inc.
- Founded: 1932 (as McGee Airways, connecting remote communities in Alaska); Alaska Air Group, the modern holding company, was formed in 1985.
- Home base: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), headquartered in SeaTac, Washington.
- Ownership structure: Alaska Airlines merged with Hawaiian Airlines in 2024, with Alaska as the dominant partner, to form Alaska Air Group. The two carriers currently operate as separate branded airlines but under a single operating certificate. The plan is for Flight Attendants to eventually work under one merged contract across the combined group, though the exact mechanics of how that integration happens haven’t been decided yet.
- Parent company: Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK), which also owns Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon Air, and McGee Air Services.
- CEO: Ben Minicucci, CEO and President of Alaska Air Group and CEO of Alaska Airlines specifically, in the role since March 2021.
- President of Alaska Airlines: Shane Tackett, appointed to the role in June 2026 while continuing as Chief Financial Officer, a genuinely recent leadership change worth knowing about.
- COO of Alaska Airlines: Jason Berry, effective November 2025.
- Alliance membership: Oneworld, which Alaska joined in 2021.
- Frequent flyer programme: Atmos Rewards, a unified loyalty programme shared with Hawaiian Airlines that replaced Alaska’s previous Mileage Plan.
- Fleet size: Alaska’s fleet is predominantly Boeing 737-family aircraft (roughly 243 as of early 2026), plus five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners now flying under Alaska’s brand for its expanding international network.
- Number of destinations: Alaska Air Group connects guests to 140+ destinations across North America, Latin America, Asia, the Pacific, and, from spring 2026, Europe.
- Employees: Alaska Air Group employs around 30,000 people across all its airlines and subsidiaries combined.
- Annual passengers: roughly 55 million guests a year across the combined Air Group.
- Revenue: approximately $14.2 billion (2025, Alaska Air Group).
Main Talking Points
1. The Hawaiian Airlines integration is real, current, and still in progress. Alaska Airlines completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines in 2024 and has spent the time since merging the two carriers into a single operating airline with two different brands. The merger has been the catalyst for Alaska Airlines to launch long-haul widebody flights, transforming Seattle-Tacoma into its international hub.
2. Alaska Airlines just completed a fleet-wide premium cabin overhaul. Between 2024 and mid-2026, Alaska retrofitted more than 200 of its 737-family aircraft, expanding First Class from 12 to 16 seats on the 737-800 and 737-8 MAX, and expanding Premium Class from 24 to 30 seats on the 737-900ER and 737-9 MAX. It’s a concrete, recent example of the airline investing in the guest experience.
3. Alaska went all-Boeing, and it’s tied to the Pacific Northwest. Alaska retired its remaining Airbus A320-family aircraft in 2023, making its mainline fleet exclusively Boeing 737s. The Alaska Airlines brand now operates an all Boeing fleet of 737s and 787 Dreamliners, while Hawaiian operates Airbus A320 series aircraft and widebody A330s.
4. Alaska Airlines is expanding into new territory, including Europe. The Alaska Air Group has announced new transatlantic service beginning in spring 2026, with flights to London Heathrow and Rome, a first for the airline.
5. The food and beverage programme is a genuine point of distinction. Alaska Airlines has invested in F&B, including a custom craft beer collaboration, hot meals reintroduced in Premium Class and Main Cabin on longer routes, and a partnership with a Michelin-starred chef for First Class dining on select transcontinental routes. It won the 2024 Business Traveler North America Award for Best Inflight Food & Beverage for this.
6. Alaska Airlines has a long-running reputation for customer satisfaction. Alaska has historically ranked as the highest-rated traditional carrier in J.D. Power’s North America Airline Satisfaction Study for many consecutive years.
History and Heritage
Alaska Airlines traces its roots to 1932, founded as McGee Airways connecting remote communities across the state of Alaska. The modern holding company, Alaska Air Group, was formed in 1985 as the airline grew beyond its home state.
Alaska Airlines acquired Virgin America in December 2016, fully integrating the two airlines’ operations over the following years. The most recent and by far the most significant chapter is the 2024 merger with Hawaiian Airlines, with Alaska Airlines as the dominant partner. The combined entity is Alaska Air Group, and while Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines continue operating as separate branded airlines, they now do so under a single operating certificate.
The eventual plan is for Flight Attendants to work under one merged contract across the combined group, but the exact mechanics of how that integration will actually happen haven’t been decided yet.
Worth knowing: The famous face on Alaska’s tail, sometimes referred to affectionately as “Chester,” has represented the airline since 1972 and is meant to depict an Alaska Native person, likely inspired by Chester Seveck, an Iñupiat reindeer herder, and/or Oliver Amouak, an Iñupiat artist, though the image itself is a composite rather than a portrait of one confirmed individual.
It’s worth noting that the term “Eskimo” is considered outdated and offensive by many Alaska Native people. If this comes up at your assessment, referring to it as “the Alaska Native logo” or simply “the tail logo” is the more respectful and accurate way to talk about it.
Fleet in 2026
Alaska’s mainline fleet is exclusively Boeing 737-family aircraft, following the retirement of its Airbus A320-family jets in 2023. As of early 2026, the fleet totals roughly 243 aircraft:
- Boeing 737-700 (11 aircraft): the smallest and oldest variant still in mainline service, 124 seats (12 First Class, 22 Premium Class, 90 Main Cabin)
- Boeing 737-800 (59 aircraft): 159-161 seats depending on retrofit status (12-16 First Class, 36 Premium Class, 109-111 Main Cabin)
- Boeing 737-900ER (79 aircraft): 178 seats post-retrofit (16 First Class, 42 Premium Class, 120 Main Cabin)
- Boeing 737-8 MAX (roughly 14-19 aircraft): 159-161 seats (12-16 First Class, 36 Premium Class, 109-111 Main Cabin)
- Boeing 737-9 MAX (80 aircraft, the largest single segment of the fleet): 178 seats (16 First Class, 42 Premium Class, 120 Main Cabin)
In January 2026, Alaska announced its largest-ever Boeing order, 105 737-10 MAX aircraft with options for 35 more, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027. These aren’t in service yet, so don’t describe them as part of the current fleet if asked, but they’re worth knowing about as a sign of where the airline is heading.
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (5 aircraft): Alaska’s first widebody type flying under its own brand. These five Dreamliners originally flew for Hawaiian Airlines but have since been repainted in Alaska’s new “Aurora Global” livery, a deep blue and emerald green design inspired by the Aurora Borealis – which is deliberately distinct from Alaska’s familiar narrowbody look.
Cabin Classes
Alaska operates three cabins across its 737 fleet, from front to back:
- First Class: Alaska’s premium cabin, recently expanded to 16 seats on the 737-800 and 737-8 MAX, and long known for industry-leading legroom (up to 41 inches of pitch on the 737-9 MAX, several inches more than most competitors’ domestic first class). Includes an elevated food and beverage programme, including the Michelin-chef partnership on select transcontinental routes.
- Premium Class: an extra-legroom Main Cabin product rather than a true premium economy, offering more legroom, free drinks, and early boarding. Recently expanded to 30 seats on the 737-900ER and 737-9 MAX (up from 24).
- Main Cabin: standard economy, including a Saver Fare tier for guests prioritising value over flexibility.
Frequent Flyer Programme
Alaska’s loyalty programme is now Atmos Rewards, a unified programme shared with Hawaiian Airlines that replaced Alaska’s long-standing Mileage Plan and Hawaiian’s separate HawaiianMiles programme. Through Oneworld and additional global partners, Atmos members can earn and redeem points across more than 1,000 destinations worldwide.
What Recruiters Are Looking For
Alaska’s recruiters are assessing genuine composure and warmth, not rehearsed polish. A few specific things worth knowing:
- Genuine enthusiasm for the specific role, not just the industry. Candidates who can speak to something concrete and current about Alaska, the Hawaiian integration, the cabin refresh, the food programme, tend to read as more credible than those giving generic “I love to travel” answers.
- Consistency from the moment you arrive. The Professional Standards (appearance and tattoo policy) check happens right at check-in for the in-person Assessment Day, before you’ve even reached the interview room. Presenting yourself correctly and consistently from that first moment matters.
- A genuinely values-driven answer, not a rehearsed one. Alaska’s recruitment process includes a specific online values-fit assessment before candidates even reach the Assessment Day, so by the time you’re in the room, the airline has already filtered heavily for values alignment. Being able to speak authentically to why Alaska’s specific culture fits you, rather than reciting a generic “teamwork and safety” answer, matters more here than at some other carriers.
Sample Questions and How to Answer Them
Question: “Why Alaska Airlines specifically, and not another US carrier?”
What this is testing: Whether your interest in Alaska Airlines is genuine and specific, or whether you’d have given the same answer at any airline’s assessment day.
What a strong answer looks like: Reference something concrete and current, such as the Hawaiian integration, the recent cabin investment, the airline’s Pacific Northwest roots, rather than a generic answer about travel benefits or company reputation.
Question: “Tell me about a time you had to stay calm and professional in a stressful situation with a customer.”
What this is testing: Composure under pressure and genuine customer-service instinct, a core competency at every airline, but tested specifically here.
What a strong answer looks like: A real, specific example with a clear resolution, told honestly rather than as a rehearsed script. Avoid an example where you were simply right, and the customer was simply wrong; the strongest answers show empathy even when you disagreed with the customer.
Question: “What do you know about the merger with Hawaiian Airlines, and how do you think it will affect Flight Attendants?”
What this is testing: Genuine, current research, and whether you understand the honest complexity of the situation, rather than repeating a press release headline.
What a strong answer looks like: Show you understand the structure accurately: Alaska merged with Hawaiian in 2024 as the dominant partner to form Alaska Air Group, the two airlines operate as separate brands under a single operating certificate, and the plan is for Flight Attendants to eventually work under one merged contract, though the exact mechanics haven’t been decided yet. Showing you understand that nuance, rather than assuming the two workforces are already combined, demonstrates real preparation.
Question: “How would you handle a situation where a colleague wasn’t pulling their weight during a flight?”
What this is testing: Teamwork, conflict resolution, and whether you’d handle this professionally rather than either avoiding it or escalating unnecessarily.
What a strong answer looks like: A calm, direct approach, addressing it professionally in the moment where safety or service is affected, and going through proper channels afterward rather than creating drama in front of guests.
Question: “What does Alaska’s Premium Class mean to you as a Flight Attendant, and how would you make sure both cabins feel valued?”
What this is testing: Whether you understand Alaska’s specific cabin structure and can think practically about service delivery across it, not a generic “treat everyone equally” answer.
What a strong answer looks like: Show you understand Premium Class is an extra-legroom Main Cabin product, not a separate premium economy tier, and speak to genuinely making every guest feel looked after regardless of which cabin they’re in.
