{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"123901","rtpr_id":"nPncck3ZMa","ticker":"ALK","exchange":"NYSE","all_tickers":["ALK"],"title":"Alaska Airlines teams up with world champion Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold to launch multi-year partnership celebrating Seattle, Alaska's loyal guests and its growing global network","author":"PR Newswire","published_at":"2026-08-20T12:00:09.842Z","article_body":"Alaska Airlines teams up with world champion Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold to launch multi-year partnership celebrating Seattle, Alaska's loyal guests and its growing global network\n\nPR Newswire\n\nSEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2026\n\n * The multi-year partnership will feature Sam Darnold alongside Alaska employees\nin social content, traditional media and unique guest moments throughout the\nfootball season and beyond.\n * The first campaign for this partnership will spotlight Alaska's new nonstop\nroutes from Seattle to Paris and Athens as the airline continues expanding its\nglobal network from the Pacific Northwest.\n * The partnership connects Seattle hometown pride with its next era of growth,\nincluding a more premium travel experience, Atmos™ Rewards and the broader\nevolution of the Alaska and Hawaiian brands.\nSEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines today announced a\nmulti-year partnership with Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, launching a\nSeattle-rooted campaign that uses football-season energy to spotlight the\nairline's global growth and newest nonstop routes from Seattle to Paris and\nAthens.\n\nThe campaign\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=2898261716&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DAJ5W9bL4IPs&a=The+campaign)\n showcases Seattle hometown pride, Alaska employees and a remarkable guest\nexperience as the airline enters its next chapter of growth. With Paris and\nAthens joining Alaska's international lineup from Seattle, Darnold will help\ntravelers see what's next, from new places to go, to new ways to engage\nthrough Atmos Rewards and a more premium global travel experience.\n\n\"Sam knows how to compete on a global stage, and that play-to-win mindset\ntotally aligns with our approach at Alaska Airlines,\" said CEO Ben Minicucci.\n\"Partnering with a world champion like Sam is a fun way to celebrate Alaska\nAirlines' momentum as we build a global gateway in Seattle to connect our\nguests to the world.\"\n\n\"Seattle knows what it feels like to reach new heights,\" said Sam Darnold.\n\"After an unforgettable season, I'm excited to partner with Alaska to\ncelebrate that same momentum beyond the field. From Paris to Athens and\nbeyond, Alaska is bringing Seattle to the world in new ways, and I'm proud to\nbe part of a campaign that highlights what's possible when a city keeps\nreaching farther.\"\n\nThe campaign will roll out across Seattle, Portland and key regional markets,\nas well as Alaska's owned channels, with content featuring Darnold, Alaska\nemployees and guest-facing moments tied to travel, loyalty and Seattle\nhometown pride. Throughout the season, guests will be able to engage with\nSam-specific social content, gate experiences and special moments that bring\nthe partnership to life.\n\nThroughout the regular football season, Alaska will delight guests with\nspecial travel and loyalty moments inspired by Darnold's No. 14 jersey. Select\nflights will be renamed \"Flight 1414,\" giving guests onboard an automatic\n1,414 Atmos Rewards points bonus. For away games, featured flights will\nconnect Seattle-area fans with that week's host city. For home games, the\nmoments will spotlight flights from Seattle to the opposing team's home market\nas a fun nod to the matchup and Alaska's deep Seattle roots.\n\nAtmos Rewards gives guests more ways to explore Alaska's growing global\nnetwork, with the ability to earn and redeem rewards across Alaska, Hawaiian,\noneworld alliance members and additional global partners serving more than\n1,000 destinations worldwide. Guests can also enjoy a more premium travel\nexperience, from international business class Suites and premium onboard\namenities to complimentary Starlink Wi‑Fi for Atmos Rewards members.\n\nBeginning Sept. 9, guests wearing Darnold's No. 14 Seattle jersey at\nparticipating gates at SeaTac Airport will also be invited to board with Group\nC, adding another game-day-inspired surprise to the travel experience. Alaska\nalso plans to offer limited-time flight promotions through its social channels\nduring the season, giving fans and travelers more ways to engage with the\npartnership.\n\nThe multi-year effort builds on Alaska's history of working with partners\nacross sports, entertainment and culture to create moments that matter for\nguests. It also reflects Alaska's next brand chapter: rooted in its West Coast\nhistory, connected through Atmos Rewards and focused on bringing Seattle to\nmore of the world through destinations like Paris and Athens.\n\nGuests can learn more about Alaska's latest news, sign up for Atmos Rewards\nand follow along with the campaign at alaskaair.com.\n\nFAQ:\n\nQ: What is Alaska Airlines announcing?\nA: Alaska Airlines is launching a multi-year partnership with Seattle\nquarterback Sam Darnold as part of a Seattle-rooted campaign spotlighting\nAlaska's global growth, including new nonstop routes from Seattle to Paris and\nAthens, expanded Atmos Rewards benefits and a more premium travel\nexperience.\n\nQ: Why is Alaska Airlines partnering with Sam Darnold?\nA: Alaska is partnering with Sam Darnold to connect the energy of Seattle's\nfootball season with the airline's next chapter of growth. The campaign\nfeatures Darnold alongside Alaska employees and guest-facing moments to\ncelebrate Seattle hometown pride while introducing travelers to Alaska's\nexpanding global network.\n\nQ: How is Alaska Airlines becoming more global from Seattle?\nA: Alaska is growing Seattle into a broader global gateway with new nonstop\nroutes to Paris and Athens, building on service to destinations including\nLondon, Rome, Reykjavik, Seoul and Tokyo. Through Atmos Rewards, oneworld\nairlines and additional global partners, guests can earn and redeem rewards\nacross more than 1,000 destinations worldwide.\n\nAbout Alaska, Hawaiian and Horizon\nAlaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska\nAir Group, and McGee Air Services is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. We are a\nglobal airline with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los\nAngeles, San Diego and San Francisco. We deliver remarkable care as we fly our\nguests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America,\nAsia, the Pacific and Europe. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=2764728706&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaair.com%2F&a=alaskaair.com)\n and hawaiianairlines.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=3133692358&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hawaiianairlines.com%2F&a=hawaiianairlines.com)\n. Alaska and Hawaiian are members of the oneworld alliance. Members of our\nAtmos Rewards\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=1603721034&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaair.com%2Fatmosrewards&a=Atmos+Rewards)\n loyalty program can earn and redeem points with oneworld airlines and our\nadditional global partners that serve over 1,000 worldwide destinations. Learn\nmore about what's happening at Alaska and Hawaiian at news.alaskaair.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=2538299635&u=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.alaskaair.com%2F&a=news.alaskaair.com)\n. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as\n\"ALK.\"\n\n \n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-airlines-teams-up-with-world-champion-seattle-quarterback-sam-darnold-to-launch-multi-year-partnership-celebrating-seattle-alaskas-loyal-guests-and-its-growing-global-network-302855907.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-airlines-teams-up-with-world-champion-seattle-quarterback-sam-darnold-to-launch-multi-year-partnership-celebrating-seattle-alaskas-loyal-guests-and-its-growing-global-network-302855907.html)\n\nSOURCE Alaska Air Group\n\n\n\nMedia Relations, newsroom@alaskaair.com\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1972795/Alaska-Airlines-Sam-Darnold-Pilots.jpg?id=OA2899406\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1972796/Alaska-Airlines-Sam-Darnold-Partnership.jpg?id=OA2899407\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1972798/Alaska-Airlines-Sam-Darnold.jpg?id=OA2899409\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS408206/Alaska-Airlines-Logo-Logo.jpg?id=OA2899405\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved.","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nPncck3ZMa","title":"Alaska Airlines teams up with world champion Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold to launch multi-year partnership celebrating Seattle, Alaska's loyal guests and its growing global network","author":"PR Newswire","ticker":"ALK","created":"2026-08-20T12:00:09.842Z","tickers":["ALK"],"exchange":"NYSE","article_body":"Alaska Airlines teams up with world champion Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold to launch multi-year partnership celebrating Seattle, Alaska's loyal guests and its growing global network\n\nPR Newswire\n\nSEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2026\n\n * The multi-year partnership will feature Sam Darnold alongside Alaska employees\nin social content, traditional media and unique guest moments throughout the\nfootball season and beyond.\n * The first campaign for this partnership will spotlight Alaska's new nonstop\nroutes from Seattle to Paris and Athens as the airline continues expanding its\nglobal network from the Pacific Northwest.\n * The partnership connects Seattle hometown pride with its next era of growth,\nincluding a more premium travel experience, Atmos™ Rewards and the broader\nevolution of the Alaska and Hawaiian brands.\nSEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines today announced a\nmulti-year partnership with Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, launching a\nSeattle-rooted campaign that uses football-season energy to spotlight the\nairline's global growth and newest nonstop routes from Seattle to Paris and\nAthens.\n\nThe campaign\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=2898261716&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DAJ5W9bL4IPs&a=The+campaign)\n showcases Seattle hometown pride, Alaska employees and a remarkable guest\nexperience as the airline enters its next chapter of growth. With Paris and\nAthens joining Alaska's international lineup from Seattle, Darnold will help\ntravelers see what's next, from new places to go, to new ways to engage\nthrough Atmos Rewards and a more premium global travel experience.\n\n\"Sam knows how to compete on a global stage, and that play-to-win mindset\ntotally aligns with our approach at Alaska Airlines,\" said CEO Ben Minicucci.\n\"Partnering with a world champion like Sam is a fun way to celebrate Alaska\nAirlines' momentum as we build a global gateway in Seattle to connect our\nguests to the world.\"\n\n\"Seattle knows what it feels like to reach new heights,\" said Sam Darnold.\n\"After an unforgettable season, I'm excited to partner with Alaska to\ncelebrate that same momentum beyond the field. From Paris to Athens and\nbeyond, Alaska is bringing Seattle to the world in new ways, and I'm proud to\nbe part of a campaign that highlights what's possible when a city keeps\nreaching farther.\"\n\nThe campaign will roll out across Seattle, Portland and key regional markets,\nas well as Alaska's owned channels, with content featuring Darnold, Alaska\nemployees and guest-facing moments tied to travel, loyalty and Seattle\nhometown pride. Throughout the season, guests will be able to engage with\nSam-specific social content, gate experiences and special moments that bring\nthe partnership to life.\n\nThroughout the regular football season, Alaska will delight guests with\nspecial travel and loyalty moments inspired by Darnold's No. 14 jersey. Select\nflights will be renamed \"Flight 1414,\" giving guests onboard an automatic\n1,414 Atmos Rewards points bonus. For away games, featured flights will\nconnect Seattle-area fans with that week's host city. For home games, the\nmoments will spotlight flights from Seattle to the opposing team's home market\nas a fun nod to the matchup and Alaska's deep Seattle roots.\n\nAtmos Rewards gives guests more ways to explore Alaska's growing global\nnetwork, with the ability to earn and redeem rewards across Alaska, Hawaiian,\noneworld alliance members and additional global partners serving more than\n1,000 destinations worldwide. Guests can also enjoy a more premium travel\nexperience, from international business class Suites and premium onboard\namenities to complimentary Starlink Wi‑Fi for Atmos Rewards members.\n\nBeginning Sept. 9, guests wearing Darnold's No. 14 Seattle jersey at\nparticipating gates at SeaTac Airport will also be invited to board with Group\nC, adding another game-day-inspired surprise to the travel experience. Alaska\nalso plans to offer limited-time flight promotions through its social channels\nduring the season, giving fans and travelers more ways to engage with the\npartnership.\n\nThe multi-year effort builds on Alaska's history of working with partners\nacross sports, entertainment and culture to create moments that matter for\nguests. It also reflects Alaska's next brand chapter: rooted in its West Coast\nhistory, connected through Atmos Rewards and focused on bringing Seattle to\nmore of the world through destinations like Paris and Athens.\n\nGuests can learn more about Alaska's latest news, sign up for Atmos Rewards\nand follow along with the campaign at alaskaair.com.\n\nFAQ:\n\nQ: What is Alaska Airlines announcing?\nA: Alaska Airlines is launching a multi-year partnership with Seattle\nquarterback Sam Darnold as part of a Seattle-rooted campaign spotlighting\nAlaska's global growth, including new nonstop routes from Seattle to Paris and\nAthens, expanded Atmos Rewards benefits and a more premium travel\nexperience.\n\nQ: Why is Alaska Airlines partnering with Sam Darnold?\nA: Alaska is partnering with Sam Darnold to connect the energy of Seattle's\nfootball season with the airline's next chapter of growth. The campaign\nfeatures Darnold alongside Alaska employees and guest-facing moments to\ncelebrate Seattle hometown pride while introducing travelers to Alaska's\nexpanding global network.\n\nQ: How is Alaska Airlines becoming more global from Seattle?\nA: Alaska is growing Seattle into a broader global gateway with new nonstop\nroutes to Paris and Athens, building on service to destinations including\nLondon, Rome, Reykjavik, Seoul and Tokyo. Through Atmos Rewards, oneworld\nairlines and additional global partners, guests can earn and redeem rewards\nacross more than 1,000 destinations worldwide.\n\nAbout Alaska, Hawaiian and Horizon\nAlaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska\nAir Group, and McGee Air Services is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. We are a\nglobal airline with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los\nAngeles, San Diego and San Francisco. We deliver remarkable care as we fly our\nguests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America,\nAsia, the Pacific and Europe. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=2764728706&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaair.com%2F&a=alaskaair.com)\n and hawaiianairlines.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=3133692358&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hawaiianairlines.com%2F&a=hawaiianairlines.com)\n. Alaska and Hawaiian are members of the oneworld alliance. Members of our\nAtmos Rewards\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=1603721034&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaair.com%2Fatmosrewards&a=Atmos+Rewards)\n loyalty program can earn and redeem points with oneworld airlines and our\nadditional global partners that serve over 1,000 worldwide destinations. Learn\nmore about what's happening at Alaska and Hawaiian at news.alaskaair.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4756308-1&h=2538299635&u=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.alaskaair.com%2F&a=news.alaskaair.com)\n. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as\n\"ALK.\"\n\n \n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-airlines-teams-up-with-world-champion-seattle-quarterback-sam-darnold-to-launch-multi-year-partnership-celebrating-seattle-alaskas-loyal-guests-and-its-growing-global-network-302855907.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-airlines-teams-up-with-world-champion-seattle-quarterback-sam-darnold-to-launch-multi-year-partnership-celebrating-seattle-alaskas-loyal-guests-and-its-growing-global-network-302855907.html)\n\nSOURCE Alaska Air Group\n\n\n\nMedia Relations, newsroom@alaskaair.com\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1972795/Alaska-Airlines-Sam-Darnold-Pilots.jpg?id=OA2899406\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1972796/Alaska-Airlines-Sam-Darnold-Partnership.jpg?id=OA2899407\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1972798/Alaska-Airlines-Sam-Darnold.jpg?id=OA2899409\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS408206/Alaska-Airlines-Logo-Logo.jpg?id=OA2899405\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved."},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-08-20T12:00:10.119112213Z","server_sent_at_ms":1787227210119},"received_at":"2026-08-20T12:00:10.170Z","source_url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-airlines-teams-up-with-world-champion-seattle-quarterback-sam-darnold-to-launch-multi-year-partnership-celebrating-seattle-alaskas-loyal-guests-and-its-growing-global-network-302855907.html"},"analysis":{"id":"112876","press_release_id":"123901","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Airlines","sector":"Industrials"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"partnership","narrative":"Alaska Airlines announced a multi-year marketing partnership with Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold to celebrate the city's hometown pride and the airline's global expansion efforts.\n\nThe campaign highlights new nonstop routes from Seattle to Paris and Athens, featuring guest activations such as 'Flight 1414' which awards an automatic 1,414 Atmos Rewards points bonus.\n\nCEO Ben Minicucci stated that Darnold's play-to-win mindset aligns with the company's strategy as it builds a global gateway in Seattle and enhances its premium travel experience.","sentiment":"bullish","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Marketing push with Sam Darnold highlights new Paris/Athens routes and Atmos Rewards."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"points_bonus":1414,"global_destinations":">1000","north_american_destinations":">140"}},"quotedText":"Sam knows how to compete on a global stage, and that play-to-win mindset totally aligns with our approach at Alaska Airlines","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Sam Darnold","role":"Seattle Quarterback"},{"name":"Ben Minicucci","role":"CEO"}],"products":["Atmos Rewards","Starlink Wi-Fi","Flight 1414"],"companies":[{"name":"Alaska Airlines","ticker":"ALK"},{"name":"Alaska Air Group","ticker":"ALK"},{"name":"Hawaiian Airlines"},{"name":"Horizon Air"},{"name":"McGee Air Services"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":1,"reasoning":"Marketing partnership with a celebrity athlete to promote brand awareness and existing route expansions; no direct financial impact or change in business fundamentals."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"ALK"},"globalImportance":10,"audienceRelevance":25,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap","eventGravity":"marketing_partnership","sectorWeight":"industrials","localInterest":"seattle"}},"event_type":"partnership","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"bullish","material_impact_score":1,"narrative":"Alaska Airlines announced a multi-year marketing partnership with Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold to celebrate the city's hometown pride and the airline's global expansion efforts.\n\nThe campaign highlights new nonstop routes from Seattle to Paris and Athens, featuring guest activations such as 'Flight 1414' which awards an automatic 1,414 Atmos Rewards points bonus.\n\nCEO Ben Minicucci stated that Darnold's play-to-win mindset aligns with the company's strategy as it builds a global gateway in Seattle and enhances its premium travel experience.","key_figures":{"customDimensions":{"points_bonus":1414,"global_destinations":">1000","north_american_destinations":">140"}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Sam Darnold","role":"Seattle Quarterback"},{"name":"Ben Minicucci","role":"CEO"}],"products":["Atmos Rewards","Starlink Wi-Fi","Flight 1414"],"companies":[{"name":"Alaska Airlines","ticker":"ALK"},{"name":"Alaska Air Group","ticker":"ALK"},{"name":"Hawaiian Airlines"},{"name":"Horizon Air"},{"name":"McGee Air Services"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-4.7","prompt_hash":"sha256:727b4b9429a443af","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-08-20T13:14:55.002Z","global_importance":10,"audience_relevance":25,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap","eventGravity":"marketing_partnership","sectorWeight":"industrials","localInterest":"seattle"}},"durationMs":125225,"modelName":"glm-4.7"}}