FAA proposes $165k fine against Alaska Airlines for allegedly boarding intoxicated passengers

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed fining Alaska Airlines $165,000 for allegedly allowing intoxicated passengers to board flights.

According to the FAA, there have allegedly been 11 instances between February 2024 and February 2025 of a passenger boarding an Alaska Airlines flight while appearing intoxicated. The FAA prohibits airlines from allowing anyone who appears to be intoxicated to board an aircraft.

We take seriously our responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for our guests and employees,” the Alaska Airlines newsroom told KIRO Newsradio. “We participated fully with the FAA’s audit of our policies and practices as it relates to intoxicated guests on board our aircraft.

“Since the FAA shared these concerns with us over a year ago, we made meaningful changes to ensure compliance with the FAA’s expectations — including enhanced training for all flight attendants and customer service agents,” Alaska Airlines continued in its statement. “We respect the results of the FAA’s audit and are confident in the changes that have been in place for the last year to ensure our shared standards are being met.”

Alaska Airlines has 30 days to respond to the FAA.

Alaska Airlines among top-ranked national air services in customer satisfaction, new survey finds

Alaska Airlines was rated among the highest-performing and most sought-after airlines in the nation, according to a new survey published by YouGov.

When survey respondents were asked, “Which of the following would you consider purchasing a ticket from?” Alaska Airlines ranked sixth, ahead of British Airways, Emirates, and Air France. Delta Air Lines ranked first, followed by American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue.

In customer satisfaction, Alaska Airlines ranked seventh, trailing Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Japan Airlines, and Cathay Pacific, but ranking ahead of Lufthansa, British Airways, and Hawaiian Airlines.

Alaska Airlines is building the biggest airline lounge in America

Alaska Airlines confirmed it will open a 41,000-square-foot, two-story premium club on the C Concourse at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in late 2027. The facility will top Delta’s 39,000-square-foot lounge at New York’s JFK. It’s a private-sector investment in a city whose government can barely fill a pothole, and it fits neatly into Alaska’s aggressive push to turn SeaTac into a genuine global hub with at least a dozen long-haul international routes by 2030.

The lounge is part of a $399 million C Concourse expansion overseen by the Port of Seattle. Permit filings from Alaska are expected in July.

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