Alaska Airlines Offers Free Flight to See Total Solar Eclipse; Two Seats Are up for Grabs
Alaska Airlines offers astronomy fans a chance to witness the Aug. 21 solar eclipse over the clouds, and are giving away two free tickets for the special flight.
A total solar eclipse is a unique event, and an overland transit over the United States is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as the last time the phenomenon was visible in the country was in 1918, according to Newsweek.
With that, Alaska Airlines is offering a special flight that will let astronomy fans appreciate the rare celestial event 35,000 feet from the ground. The airline will organize a special charter flight that will leave Portland, Oregon on Aug. 21 and follow the path of the eclipse along the west coast.
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Sanigta Woerner, vice president of marketing for Alaska Airline, described their unique offer. "As an airline, we are in a unique position to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for astronomy enthusiasts," Woerner said on behalf of the airline.
"Flying high above the Pacific Ocean will not only provide one of the first views, but also one of the best," the marketing executive added.
The flight is set to leave the Portland International Airport in Oregon at 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time, according to Space.com. From there it will meet the shadow of the eclipse over the Pacific coast to give its passengers a view of the rare event from above the clouds.
Tickets to the flight will not be available for sale since the charter flight for the event is by invitation only. Seats are being given out mostly to select guests and astronomers. That said, the airline is also giving away two seats to a lucky winner in a promo event starting July 21.
The contest will be held on the social media accounts of Alaska Airline, and the winner will win one rare seat on the chartered flight, plus another for their guest. They will join an exclusive group of guests aboard the flight.
"The aircraft has capacity for 181 guests, but we are limiting the seats available to provide an optimal viewing experience for those on board. It's safe to say there will be fewer than 100 people on the flight, including crew," a spokesperson for the airline said by email, as quoted by Space.com.
