0000766421false00007664212024-07-172024-07-17



UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549


FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

July 17, 2024
(Date of earliest event reported)

ALASKA AIR GROUP, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
1-895791-1292054
(Commission File Number)(IRS Employer Identification No.)
19300 International BoulevardSeattleWashington98188
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)

(206) 392-5040
(Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐      Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐      Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTicker SymbolName of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, $0.01 par value ALKNew York Stock Exchange
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR 240.12b-2).

☐ Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

This document is also available on our website at http://investor.alaskaair.com.


ITEM 2.02.  Results of Operations And Financial Condition

On July 17, 2024, Alaska Air Group, Inc. (Air Group) issued a press release reporting financial results for the second quarter of 2024. The press release is furnished herein as Exhibit 99.1. Supplemental information is furnished herein as Exhibit 99.3.

ITEM 7.01.  Regulation FD Disclosure

Pursuant to 17 CFR Part 243 (Regulation FD), the Company is submitting information relating to its financial and operational outlook in an investor update. The investor update is furnished herein as Exhibit 99.2. Supplemental information is furnished herein as Exhibit 99.3.

In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information under this item and Exhibit 99.2 and Exhibit 99.3 shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing. This report will not be deemed an admission as to the materiality of any information required to be disclosed solely to satisfy the requirements of Regulation FD.

ITEM 9.01.  Financial Statements and Other Exhibits
Second Quarter 2024 Earnings Press Release dated July 17, 2024
Investor Update dated July 17, 2024
Supplemental Earnings Material
104Cover Page Interactive Data File - embedded within the Inline XBRL Document

Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

ALASKA AIR GROUP, INC.                                                                           
Registrant

Date: July 17, 2024

/s/ EMILY HALVERSON
Emily Halverson
Vice President Finance, Controller, and Treasurer




Exhibit 99.1
alaskaairgrouplogob03a.jpg

July 17, 2024
Media contact:Investor/analyst contact:
Media RelationsRyan St. John
(206) 304-0008VP Finance, Planning and Investor Relations
ALKInvestorRelations@alaskaair.com

Alaska Air Group reports second quarter 2024 results
Expected to lead the industry with adjusted pretax margin of 15.8%
Achieved a completion rate of 99.5%, among the highest in the industry
Reached tentative agreement with Alaska flight attendants represented by AFA

SEATTLE — Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) today reported financial results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2024, and provided outlook for the third quarter ending September 30, 2024 and full year 2024.

“It’s clear that premium airlines are rising above the rest of the industry, and Alaska’s product and performance put us in that top tier, with a strong long-term outlook to grow and compete,” said CEO Ben Minicucci. “That’s how we brought in record quarterly revenue and achieved a 15.8% adjusted pretax margin that should lead the industry. Thank you to our 23,000 employees for being safe, operating well, and taking care of our guests through our biggest summer travel season ever.”

Financial Results:
•Reported net income for the second quarter of 2024 under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of $220 million, or $1.71 per share, compared to net income of $240 million, or $1.86 per share, for the second quarter of 2023.
•Reported net income for the second quarter of 2024, excluding special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, of $327 million, or $2.55 per share, compared to net income of $387 million, or $3.00 per share, for the second quarter of 2023.
•Reported adjusted pretax margin of 15.8% for the second quarter.
•Repurchased 663,177 shares of common stock for approximately $28 million in the second quarter, bringing total repurchases to $49 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024.
•Generated $580 million in operating cash flow for the second quarter.
•Held $2.5 billion in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of June 30, 2024.
•Ended the quarter with a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 45%, within the target range of 40% to 50%.

Operational Updates:
•Reached a tentative agreement with mainline flight attendants that recognizes their outstanding contributions. Voting on the agreement is expected to conclude by mid-August.
•Certified substantial compliance with the U.S. Department of Justice's second request for information regarding our proposed acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, maintaining open communication with the DOJ during its review process.
•Finished the second quarter with a completion rate of 99.5%, among the highest in the industry.
•Received six 737-9 aircraft and three 737-8 aircraft during the quarter, bringing the totals within the Alaska fleet to 70 737-9s and four 737-8s.
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•Received one E175 aircraft during the quarter, bringing the total in the Horizon fleet to 44.
•Added a second 737-800 freighter to Alaska Air Cargo's fleet and expanded the freighter network with twice-weekly service to Los Angeles.
•Purchased a 600,000 square-foot facility in Renton, Washington to serve as the new home for Alaska's training programs and operational teams following completion of renovations in 2025.
•Moved Air Group operations at San Francisco International Airport to Harvey Milk Terminal 1, which will improve guests' travel experience with advanced technology in the lobby and convenient proximity to our partners.
•Enhanced onboard offerings with the return of hot meals to the inflight menu within the Main Cabin.
•Began expansion of our lounge at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to offer more than double the seating and improved amenities.

Network and Commercial Updates:
•Announced 20 nonstop routes to provide guests with more winter travel options, including new service to Vail, Colorado as well as La Paz and Monterrey, Mexico.
•Announced seasonal daily service from Portland to New Orleans beginning January 2025, our 55th nonstop destination from Portland.
•Expanded partnership with British Airways to offer guests the ability to book nonstop flights between London and multiple U.S. cities directly at alaskaair.com or via the Alaska Airlines app.

Sustainability Updates:
•Released our 2023 Sustainability Report, sharing the company's progress on its goals for sustainability, safety, and our people, as well as highlighting accomplishments and ongoing initiatives.
•Launched option for guests to reduce their environmental impact by purchasing sustainable aviation fuel credits in the flight booking path, while also providing Mileage Plan members the ability to earn up to 5,000 elite-qualifying miles annually for their contributions.

Awards and Recognition:
•Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan named best U.S. airline frequent flier program by WalletHub for 2024.
•Named to Forbes' Best Employers for Diversity list, receiving the highest ranking of all U.S. airlines.
•Received the highest satisfaction score for 2024 among all U.S. airlines from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
•As recently released by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Alaska generated the fewest customer complaints per 100,000 guests of any U.S. airline in 2023, finishing 75% better than the industry average and 35% better than the second-ranked airline.

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The following table reconciles the company's reported GAAP net income per share (EPS) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 to adjusted amounts.
  Three Months Ended June 30,
  20242023
(in millions, except per share amounts)DollarsDiluted EPSDollarsDiluted EPS
Net income per share$220 $1.71 $240 $1.86 
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments(5)(0.04)1 0.01 
Special items - operating146 1.14 186 1.44 
Special items - net non-operating— — 6 0.05 
Income tax effect of reconciling items above(34)(0.26)(46)(0.36)
Adjusted net income per share$327 $2.55 $387 $3.00 
Six Months Ended June 30,
20242023
(in millions, except per-share amounts)DollarsDiluted EPSDollarsDiluted EPS
Net income per share$88 $0.69 $98 $0.76 
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments(18)(0.14)21 0.16 
Special items - operating180 1.41 250 1.94 
Special items - net non-operating— — 6 0.05 
Income tax effect of reconciling items above(39)(0.31)(67)(0.52)
Adjusted net income per share$211 $1.65 $308 $2.39 

Statistical data, as well as a reconciliation of the reported non-GAAP financial measures, can be found in the accompanying tables. A glossary of financial terms can be found on the last page of this release.

Alaska will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss second quarter results at 8:30 a.m. PDT on July 18, 2024. A webcast of the call is available to the public at www.investor.alaskaair.com. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available after the call.

References in this update to “Air Group,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Alaska Air Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements subject to the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual outcomes to be materially different from those indicated by our forward-looking statements, assumptions or beliefs. For a comprehensive discussion of potential risk factors, see Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. Some of these risks include competition, labor costs, relations and availability, general economic conditions including those associated with pandemic recovery, increases in operating costs including fuel, inability to meet cost reduction, ESG and other strategic goals, seasonal fluctuations in demand and financial results, supply chain risks, events that negatively impact aviation safety and security, and changes in laws and regulations that impact our business. All of the forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the risk factors discussed in our most recent Form 10-K and in our subsequent SEC filings. We operate in a continually changing business environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. Management cannot predict such new risk factors, nor can it assess the impact, if any, of such new risk factors on our business or events described in any forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made today to conform them to actual results. Over time, our actual results, performance or achievements may differ from the anticipated results, performance or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, assumptions or beliefs and such differences might be significant and materially adverse.

Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. We offer our guests a premium flying experience with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program, Mileage Plan. With our fellow oneworld Alliance members and additional Global Partners, our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000 worldwide destinations. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.
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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited)
  Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions, except per share amounts)20242023Change20242023Change
Operating Revenue
Passenger revenue$2,651 $2,598 2 %$4,655 $4,582 2 %
Mileage Plan other revenue174 170 2 %338 324 4 %
Cargo and other revenue72 70 3 %136 128 6 %
Total Operating Revenue2,897 2,838 2 %5,129 5,034 2 %
Operating Expenses
Wages and benefits782 754 4 %1,586 1,477 7 %
Variable incentive pay49 57 (14)%93 104 (11)%
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses615 573 7 %1,180 1,238 (5)%
Aircraft maintenance129 125 3 %251 249 1 %
Aircraft rent46 54 (15)%93 113 (18)%
Landing fees and other rentals173 167 4 %338 319 6 %
Contracted services106 95 12 %203 190 7 %
Selling expenses84 81 4 %161 147 10 %
Depreciation and amortization128 113 13 %254 217 17 %
Food and beverage service67 60 12 %125 114 10 %
Third-party regional carrier expense64 54 19 %118 106 11 %
Other186 182 2 %391 359 9 %
Special items - operating146 186 (22)%180 250 (28)%
Total Operating Expenses2,575 2,501 3 %4,973 4,883 2 %
Operating Income322 337 (4)%156 151 3 %
Non-operating Income (Expense)
Interest income24 22 9 %41 39 5 %
Interest expense(36)(28)29 %(71)(56)27 %
Interest capitalized6 7 (14)%12 14 (14)%
Special items - net non-operating— (6)(100)%— (6)(100)%
Other - net— (7)(100)%— (16)(100)%
Total Non-operating Expense(6)(12)(50)%(18)(25)(28)%
Income Before Income Tax316 325 138 126 
Income tax expense96 85 50 28 
Net Income$220 $240 $88 $98 
 
Basic Earnings Per Share$1.74 $1.88 $0.70 $0.77 
Diluted Earnings Per Share$1.71 $1.86 $0.69 $0.76 
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding used for computation:
Basic126.337 127.440 126.153 127.470 
Diluted128.310 128.919 127.857 128.860 
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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited)
 
(in millions)June 30, 2024December 31, 2023
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents$1,115 $281 
Marketable securities1,394 1,510 
Total cash and marketable securities2,509 1,791 
Receivables - net370 383 
Inventories and supplies - net106 116 
Prepaid expenses179 176 
Other current assets212 239 
Total Current Assets3,376 2,705 
Property and Equipment
Aircraft and other flight equipment10,734 10,425 
Other property and equipment1,941 1,814 
Deposits for future flight equipment383 491 
13,058 12,730 
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization4,537 4,342 
Total Property and Equipment - net8,521 8,388 
Other Assets
Operating lease assets1,142 1,195 
Goodwill and intangible assets2,033 2,033 
Other noncurrent assets270 292 
Total Other Assets3,445 3,520 
Total Assets$15,342 $14,613 
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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited)
(in millions, except share amounts)June 30, 2024December 31, 2023
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY  
Current Liabilities  
Accounts payable$203 $207 
Accrued wages, vacation and payroll taxes513 584 
Air traffic liability1,576 1,136 
Other accrued liabilities852 800 
Deferred revenue1,312 1,221 
Current portion of operating lease liabilities153 158 
Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases359 353 
Total Current Liabilities4,968 4,459 
Long-Term Debt, Net of Current Portion2,313 2,182 
Noncurrent Liabilities  
Long-term operating lease liabilities, net of current portion1,050 1,125 
Deferred income taxes746 695 
Deferred revenue1,329 1,382 
Obligation for pension and post-retirement medical benefits358 362 
Other liabilities352 295 
Total Noncurrent Liabilities3,835 3,859 
Commitments and Contingencies
Shareholders' Equity  
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, Authorized: 5,000,000 shares, none issued or outstanding
— — 
Common stock, $0.01 par value, Authorized: 400,000,000 shares, Issued: 2024 - 140,570,032 shares; 2023 - 138,960,830 shares, Outstanding: 2024 - 126,475,292 shares; 2023 - 126,090,353 shares
1 1 
Capital in excess of par value757 695 
Treasury stock (common), at cost: 2024 - 14,094,740 shares; 2023 - 12,870,477 shares
(868)(819)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(287)(299)
Retained earnings4,623 4,535 
 4,226 4,113 
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity$15,342 $14,613 
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SUMMARY CASH FLOW (unaudited)
Six Months Ended June 30, 2024
Three Months Ended March 31, 2024(a)
Three Months Ended June 30, 2024(b)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net Income (Loss)$88 $(132)$220 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities291 168 123 
Changes in working capital493 256 237 
Net cash provided by operating activities872 292 580 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Property and equipment additions(587)(57)(530)
Supplier proceeds162 162 — 
Other investing activities290 213 77 
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities(135)318 (453)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:87 (5)92 
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents824 605 219 
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period308 308 913 
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of the period$1,132 $913 $1,132 
(a) As reported in Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2024.
(b) Cash flows for the three months ended June 30, 2024 can be calculated by subtracting cash flows from the three months ended March 31, 2024 from the six months ended June 30, 2024.

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SPECIAL ITEMS (unaudited)

Air Group has classified certain operating and non-operating expenses as special items due to their unusual or infrequently occurring nature. We believe disclosing information about these items separately improves comparable year over year analysis and allows stakeholders to better understand our results of operations. A description of the special items is provided below.

Fleet transition: Fleet transition costs are associated with the retirement and disposition of Airbus and Q400 aircraft.

Labor agreements: Labor agreement costs are for retroactive pay for Alaska flight attendants pursuant to the tentative agreement reached in the second quarter of 2024 and for changes to Alaska pilots' sick leave benefits resulting from an agreement signed in the first quarter of 2023.

Integration costs: Integration costs are associated with the proposed acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.

Litigation: Litigation costs represent expenses associated with the Virgin trademark license agreement with the Virgin Group and recorded following a negative ruling in an appeal case in the second quarter of 2024.

Net non-operating: These costs are for interest expense associated with certain A321neo lease agreements which were modified as part of Alaska's fleet transition.

Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
2024202320242023
Operating Expenses
Fleet transition$41 $186 $67 $199 
Labor agreements30 — 30 51 
Integration costs30 — 38 — 
Litigation45 — 45 — 
Special items - operating$146 $186 $180 $250 
Non-operating Income (Expense)
Special items - net non-operating$— $(6)$— $(6)
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OPERATING STATISTICS (unaudited)
Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
20242023Change20242023Change
Consolidated Operating Statistics:(a)
Revenue passengers (000)11,88811,5923%21,66221,4441%
RPMs (000,000) "traffic"15,30914,9362%27,83327,4911%
ASMs (000,000) "capacity"18,19617,1606%33,57532,8652%
Load factor84.1%87.0%(2.9) pts82.9%83.6%(0.7) pts
Yield17.32¢17.40¢—%16.73¢16.67¢—%
PRASM14.57¢15.14¢(4)%13.86¢13.94¢(1)%
RASM15.92¢16.54¢(4)%15.28¢15.32¢—%
CASMex(b)
9.89¢10.08¢(2)%10.67¢10.25¢4%
Economic fuel cost per gallon(b)
$2.84$2.763%$2.95$3.07(4)%
Fuel gallons (000,000)2192076%4063963%
ASMs per gallon83.182.9—%82.783.0—%
Departures (000)112.4104.48%208.1199.84%
Average full-time equivalent employees (FTEs)23,36823,301—%23,19023,140—%
Operating fleet(c)
32630719 a/c32630719 a/c
(a)Except for FTEs, data includes information related to third-party regional capacity purchase flying arrangements.
(b)See a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure and Note A for a discussion of the importance of this measure to investors in the accompanying pages.
(c)Includes aircraft owned and leased by Alaska and Horizon as well as aircraft operated by third-party regional carriers under capacity purchase agreements. Excludes all aircraft removed from operating service.
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GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited)
We are providing reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. Amounts in the tables below are rounded to the nearest million. As a result, a manual recalculation of certain figures using these rounded amounts may not agree directly to the actual figures presented in the tables below.
Income (Loss) Before Income Tax Reconciliation
 Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)2024202320242023
Income before income tax$316 $325 $138 $126 
Adjusted for:
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment(5)1 (18)21 
Special items - operating146 186 180 250 
Special items - net non-operating— 6 — 6 
Adjusted income before income tax$457 $518 $300 $403 
Pretax margin10.9 %11.5 %2.7 %2.5 %
Adjusted pretax margin15.8 %18.3 %5.8 %8.0 %

CASMex Reconciliation
 Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)2024202320242023
Total operating expenses$2,575 $2,501 $4,973 $4,883 
Less the following components:
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses615 573 1,180 1,238 
Freighter costs13 12 28 26 
Special items - operating146 186 180 250 
Total operating expenses, excluding fuel, freighter costs, and special items$1,801 $1,730 $3,585 $3,369 
ASMs18,196 17,160 33,575 32,865 
CASMex9.89 ¢10.08 ¢10.67 ¢10.25 ¢
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Fuel Reconciliation
Three Months Ended June 30,
20242023
(in millions, except for per-gallon amounts)DollarsCost/GallonDollarsCost/Gallon
Raw or "into-plane" fuel cost$610 $2.79 $555 $2.68 
Losses on settled hedges10 0.05 17 0.08 
Economic fuel expense$620 $2.84 $572 $2.76 
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment(5)(0.03)1 — 
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses$615 $2.81 $573 $2.76 
Fuel gallons219 207 
Six Months Ended June 30,
20242023
(in millions, except for per gallon amounts)DollarsCost/GallonDollarsCost/Gallon
Raw or "into-plane" fuel cost$1,175 $2.89 $1,188 $3.00 
Losses on settled hedges23 0.06 29 0.07 
Economic fuel expense$1,198 $2.95 $1,217 $3.07 
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment(18)(0.05)21 0.05 
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses$1,180 $2.90 $1,238 $3.12 
Fuel gallons406 396 

Debt-to-capitalization, including operating and finance leases
(in millions)June 30, 2024December 31, 2023
Long-term debt, net of current portion$2,313 $2,182 
Capitalized operating leases1,203 1,283 
Capitalized finance leases(a)
— 64 
Adjusted debt, net of current portion of long-term debt 3,516 3,529 
Shareholders' equity4,226 4,113 
Total Invested Capital$7,742 $7,642 
Debt-to-capitalization ratio, including operating and finance leases45 %46 %
(a)We included our capitalized finance lease balance as of December 31, 2023, which was recognized within the 'Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases' line of the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

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Adjusted net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, rent, and special items
(in millions)June 30, 2024December 31, 2023
Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases$359 $353 
Current portion of operating lease liabilities153 158 
Long-term debt2,313 2,182 
Long-term operating lease liabilities, net of current portion1,050 1,125 
Total adjusted debt3,875 3,818 
Less: Total cash and marketable securities2,509 1,791 
Adjusted net debt$1,366 $2,027 
(in millions)Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2024Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2023
Operating Income(a)
$399 $394 
Adjusted for:
Special items - operating373 443 
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments(41)(2)
Depreciation and amortization488 451 
Aircraft rent188 208 
EBITDAR$1,407 $1,494 
Adjusted net debt to EBITDAR1.0x1.4x
(a)Operating income can be reconciled using the trailing twelve month operating income as filed quarterly with the SEC.

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Note A: Pursuant to Regulation G, we are providing reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. We believe that consideration of these non-GAAP financial measures may be important to investors for the following reasons:

•By excluding certain costs from our unit metrics, we believe that we have better visibility into the results of operations. Our industry is highly competitive and is characterized by high fixed costs, so even a small reduction in non-fuel operating costs can result in a significant improvement in operating results. We believe that all domestic carriers are similarly impacted by changes in jet fuel costs over the long run, so it is important for management and investors to understand the impact of company-specific cost drivers which are more controllable by management. We adjust for expenses related directly to our freighter aircraft operations to allow for better comparability to other domestic carriers that do not operate freighter aircraft. We also exclude certain special charges as they are unusual or nonrecurring in nature and adjusting for these expenses allows management and investors to better understand our cost performance.

•CASMex is one of the most important measures used by management and by the Air Group Board of Directors in assessing quarterly and annual cost performance. CASMex is also a measure commonly used by industry analysts, and we believe it is the basis by which they have historically compared our airline to others in the industry. The measure is also the subject of frequent questions from investors.

•Adjusted pretax income is an important metric for the employee incentive plan, which covers the majority of Air Group employees.

•Disclosure of the individual impact of certain noted items provides investors the ability to measure and monitor performance both with and without these special items. We believe that disclosing the impact of these items as noted above is important because it provides information on significant items that are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Industry analysts and investors consistently measure our performance without these items for better comparability between periods and among other airlines.

•Although we disclose our unit revenue, we do not, nor are we able to, evaluate unit revenue excluding the impact that changes in fuel costs have had on ticket prices. Fuel expense represents a large percentage of our total operating expenses. Fluctuations in fuel prices often drive changes in unit revenue in the mid-to-long term. Although we believe it is useful to evaluate non-fuel unit costs for the reasons noted above, we would caution readers of these financial statements not to place undue reliance on unit costs excluding fuel as a measure or predictor of future profitability because of the significant impact of fuel costs on our business.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Adjusted net debt - long-term debt, including current portion, plus capitalized operating and finance leases, less cash and marketable securities

Adjusted net debt to EBITDAR - represents net adjusted debt divided by EBITDAR (trailing twelve months earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, special items and rent)

Aircraft Utilization - block hours per day; this represents the average number of hours per day our aircraft are in transit

Aircraft Stage Length - represents the average miles flown per aircraft departure

ASMs - available seat miles, or “capacity”; represents total seats available across the fleet multiplied by the number of miles flown

CASM - operating costs per ASM; represents all operating expenses including fuel, freighter costs, and special items

CASMex - operating costs excluding fuel, freighter costs, and special items per ASM, or "unit cost"

Debt-to-capitalization ratio - represents adjusted debt (long-term debt plus capitalized operating and finance lease liabilities) divided by total equity plus adjusted debt

Diluted Earnings per Share - represents earnings per share (EPS) using fully diluted shares outstanding

Diluted Shares - represents the total number of shares that would be outstanding if all possible sources of conversion, such as stock options, were exercised

Economic Fuel - best estimate of the cash cost of fuel, net of the impact of our fuel-hedging program

Freighter Costs - operating expenses directly attributable to the operation of Alaska's Boeing 737 freighter aircraft exclusively performing cargo missions

Load Factor - RPMs as a percentage of ASMs; represents the number of available seats that were filled with paying passengers

PRASM - passenger revenue per ASM, or "passenger unit revenue"

RASM - operating revenue per ASMs, or "unit revenue"; operating revenue includes all passenger revenue, freight & mail, Mileage Plan and other ancillary revenue; represents the average total revenue for flying one seat one mile

RPMs - revenue passenger miles, or "traffic"; represents the number of seats that were filled with paying passengers; one passenger traveling one mile is one RPM

Yield - passenger revenue per RPM; represents the average revenue for flying one passenger one mile

14

Exhibit 99.2
alaskaairgrouplogoa92a.jpg

Investor Update - July 17, 2024

References in this update to “Air Group,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Alaska Air Group, Inc. unless otherwise specified.

Certain financial information provided in this exhibit (“non-GAAP financial figures”) is not presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”). Non-GAAP financial figures may be useful to stakeholders, but should not be considered a substitute for GAAP figures. Air Group is not able to reconcile certain forward looking non-GAAP financial figures without unreasonable effort because the adjusting items will not be known until the end of the indicated future periods and could be significant. Please see the cautionary statement under “Forward-Looking Information.”

We are providing information about estimated fuel prices. Management believes it is useful to compare results between periods on an “economic basis.” Economic fuel expense is defined as the raw or “into-plane” fuel cost less any cash we receive from hedge counterparties for hedges that settle during the period, offset by the recognition of premiums originally paid for those hedges that settle during the period. Economic fuel expense more closely approximates the net cash outflow associated with purchasing fuel for our operation.

Forward-Looking Information
This update contains forward-looking statements subject to the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual outcomes to be materially different from those indicated by any forward-looking statements. For a comprehensive discussion of potential risk factors, see Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. Some of these risks include the risks associated with contagious illnesses and contagion, general economic conditions, increases in operating costs including fuel, competition, labor costs and relations, our indebtedness, inability to meet cost reduction goals, seasonal fluctuations in our financial results, an aircraft accident, and changes in laws and regulations. All of the forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the risk factors discussed therein. We operate in a continually changing business environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. Management cannot predict such new risk factors, nor can it assess the impact, if any, of such new risk factors on our business or events described in any forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform them to actual results. Over time, our actual results, performance or achievements will likely differ from the anticipated results, performance, or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, and such differences might be significant and materially adverse.
















OUTLOOK
The table below reflects our updated expectations for the third quarter and full year 2024. We are lowering our FY EPS guidance by $0.25 at the midpoint, and back to the original FY EPS midpoint of $4.00 provided at the beginning of the year. Our FY guide reflects the economics of a newly signed tentative agreement with our flight attendants and moderating domestic revenue environment.
Q3 Expectation
Capacity (ASMs) % change versus 2023Up 2% to 3%
CASMex % change versus 2023Up high single digits
RASM % change versus 2023Flat to positive
Economic fuel cost per gallon$2.85 to $2.95
Earnings per share(a)
$1.40 to $1.60
Full Year Expectation
Capacity (ASMs) % change versus 2023Up < 2.5%
Earnings per share(a)
$3.50 to $4.50
Capital expenditures$1.2 billion - $1.3 billion
(a) Earnings per share guidance assumes a full year tax rate of approximately 25%. Full year EPS guidance assumes an economic fuel cost per gallon of approximately $2.90 for FY 2024.

HISTORICAL CASMEX
In 2024, we removed expenses directly related to freighter aircraft operations from our calculation of CASMex. To provide comparable year over year analysis, the table below provides a reconciliation of 2023 quarterly operating expenses and CASMex to also exclude freighter costs.
(in millions)Q1 2023Q2 2023Q3 2023Q4 2023
Total operating expenses$2,382 $2,501 $2,628 $2,521 
Less the following components:
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses665 573 694 709 
Freighter costs14 12 12 15 
Special items - operating64 186 156 37 
Total operating expenses, excluding fuel, freighter costs, and special items$1,639 $1,730 $1,766 $1,760 
ASMs15,705 17,160 18,582 17,077 
CASMex10.44 ¢10.08 ¢9.50 ¢10.31 ¢

 

 
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v3.24.2
Cover
Jul. 17, 2024
Cover [Abstract]  
Document Type 8-K
Document Period End Date Jul. 17, 2024
Entity Registrant Name ALASKA AIR GROUP, INC.
Entity Central Index Key 0000766421
Amendment Flag false
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code DE
Entity File Number 1-8957
Entity Tax Identification Number 91-1292054
Title of 12(b) Security Common stock, $0.01 par value
Security Exchange Name NYSE
Trading Symbol ALK
Entity Address, Address Line One 19300 International Boulevard
Entity Address, City or Town Seattle
Entity Address, State or Province WA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 98188
City Area Code 206
Local Phone Number 392-5040
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Entity Emerging Growth Company false
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