Seattle — Facing an intense competitive threat from Delta Air Lines, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is putting its 8,000 employees that work directly with passengers through a series of customer-service workshops.
The airline’s chief operating officer, Ben Minicucci, speaking on a conference call with analysts Thursday, said the workshops would “review real-life examples on how to deliver exemplary service in various and sometimes challenging scenarios.”
The workshops also aim to empower employees by letting them know when it’s appropriate “to make exceptions to policies,” he said.
Alaska revealed the initiative as its parent, Alaska Air Group, reported a record quarterly profit, $234 million, or $1.79 a share. That compares with $165 million, or $1.19 a share, a year ago. Revenue rose 5 percent to $1.44 billion.
Despite the strength of those bottom-line numbers, the stock market reacted negatively to a 5.6 decline in revenue per available seat mile, a key metric for airlines.
