SEATTLE — Alaska Airlines today launched "Deals and Destinations," a Windows 8 travel application that alerts fliers to airfare deals from their hometown and to cities where their friends live. The app is available for free in the Windows 8 Store and can be used on a variety of devices including tablets, ultra-books and any desktop running Windows 8.

"Alaska Airlines is laser-focused on adapting technology to fit how our customers live, work and travel. Our newest app does that and it's fun to use," said Curtis Kopf, Alaska Airlines' managing director of customer innovation and alaskaair.com. "Deals and Destinations delivers personalized fares to travelers and allows them to share those fares with their friends by email or through their social networks, making it easier to connect with friends and family."

With Deals and Destinations, Alaska Airlines is the first U.S. carrier to release a Windows 8 travel app that brings great deals and fares to desktops and enables travelers to easily share them with friends. In addition to integrated social sharing, travelers using the Deals and Destinations app can search for tickets from their hometown or view fares by city or region. To purchase a ticket, customers are then directed to alaskaair.com.

Curtis said the airline's latest travel app is visually stunning, boasting colorful photos and descriptions of the 95 cities Alaska Airlines serves. Alaska Airlines' Windows 8 app was built in five weeks by a team of Microsoft and Alaska employees who worked together to conceive and launch the app.

"Alaska Airlines has embraced the Windows 8 design philosophy and delivered a high-quality user experience," said John Richards, senior director of Windows App marketing for Microsoft Corp. "A cool feature, sure to be a fan favorite, is the social integration that enables the user to quickly identify the deals and destinations that will help them visit friends in their social network."

During the past 18 months, Alaska Airlines has continued to evolve its mobile apps and mobile site, allowing travelers to purchase tickets; view and choose/change seats; check in and obtain an electronic boarding pass; and check flight status, schedules, and upgrade and standby lists; among other features. Learn more about Alaska Airlines mobile advances at www.alaskaair.com/mobile.

Editor's note: Screen shots of the Deals and Destinations app can be downloaded from the carrier's online image gallery www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with its partner regional airlines, serves 95 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines has ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates North America Airline Satisfaction StudySM for five consecutive years from 2008 to 2012. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.