alk-20230725
0000766421false00007664212023-07-252023-07-25



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 25, 2023
(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 25, 2023, Alaska Air Group, Inc. (Air Group) issued a press release reporting financial results for the second quarter of 2023.  The press release is furnished herein as Exhibit 99.1.

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 99.1.

In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information under this item and Exhibit 99.1 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 8.01. Other Items

On July 21, 2023, the Company executed an amendment to one of its aircraft-backed credit facilities, extending the term of the agreement from June 15, 2024 to June 30, 2026. Upon extension of the agreement, the Company increased the size of the facility from $250 million to $400 million. The facility has a SOFR-based variable interest rate if drawn and maintains a minimum cash covenant of $500 million.

ITEM 9.01.  Financial Statements and Other Exhibits
Second Quarter 2023 Earnings Press Release dated July 25, 2023
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 25, 2023

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



Document

Exhibit 99.1
https://cdn.kscope.io/7204bed2bd13402f5063278b1e16ccab-alaskaairgrouplogob03.jpg

July 25, 2023
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 2023 results
Delivered industry-leading adjusted pre-tax margins of 18.3% on record quarterly revenue
Adjusted pre-tax margin exceeds 2019 second quarter results despite higher fuel costs
Achieved industry's best on-time performance and completion rate in June

SEATTLE — Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) today reported financial results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2023, and provided outlook for the third quarter ending September 30, 2023.

“People are hungry to travel and our frontline employees are delivering the safe, reliable and caring experience that people expect when they fly with us,” said CEO Ben Minicucci. “I’m so proud of our team for knocking it out of the park and delivering industry-leading operational and financial outcomes. We chose to prioritize reliability, which is imperative to restoring stability, improving predictability for our guests and employees, capturing record revenue, and serving as the foundation for our long-term profitable growth.”

Financial Highlights:
Reported net income for the second quarter of 2023 under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of $240 million, or $1.86 per share, compared to a net income of $139 million, or $1.09 per share, for the second quarter of 2022.
Reported net income for the second quarter of 2023, excluding special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, of $387 million, or $3.00 per share, compared to $280 million, or $2.19 per share, for the second quarter of 2022. This quarter's adjusted results exceed the First Call analyst consensus estimate of $2.70 per share.
Generated adjusted pre-tax margins of 18.3%, a 250-basis point increase over the same period in 2019.
Recorded $2.8 billion in operating revenue for the second quarter, the highest quarterly total in company history.
Received $435 million in bank card partner commissions driven by increased consumer spending.
Repurchased 871,987 shares of common stock for approximately $39 million in the second quarter, bringing total repurchases to $57 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The company continues to expect share repurchases of at least $100 million in 2023.
Generated $610 million in operating cash flow for the second quarter.
Held $2.4 billion in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of June 30, 2023.
Ended the quarter with a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 48%, within the target range of 40% to 50%.

Operational Updates:
Received eight 737-9 aircraft and six E175 aircraft during the quarter, bringing the totals in the Alaska and Horizon fleets to 51 and 39, respectively.
1


Announced new routes to Nassau, Bahamas from Seattle and Los Angeles and Guatemala City, Guatemala from Los Angeles, marking six countries that Alaska will fly to and from its West Coast hubs.
Launched partnership with STARLUX Airlines, whose flights between Los Angeles and Taipei allow Mileage Plan members to connect to 16 destinations across Asia.
Reopened the renovated D Concourse Lounge in Seattle, offering 50% more seating and improved amenities.
Completed Intelsat satellite Wi-Fi installation across the Mainline fleet.

Environmental, Social and Governance Updates:
Released the 2022 Care Report, sharing the company's progress towards its environmental, social and governance goals, as well as highlighting accomplishments and ongoing initiatives.
Contributed a retired Q400 aircraft to ZeroAvia to support its development of a hydrogen-electric powertrain system, showcasing Alaska's commitment to creating a sustainable future for aviation.

Awards and Recognition:
Mileage Plan named Best Airline Reward program for 2023-2024 by U.S. News & World Report for the 9th consecutive year.
Presented with the award for "Executive Leadership - North America" at the Airline Strategy Awards in recognition of Alaska's strong financial performance and operational excellence.
Named to Forbes' Best Employers for Diversity list, receiving the highest ranking of all airlines.
Scored 100% for the second year in a row in Disability:IN's Disability Equality Index, which benchmarks companies on their disability inclusion and equality.
Rated by KAYAK users as the #1 overall airline in North America, earning the top scores for crew, comfort, food and boarding.

2



The following table reconciles the company's reported GAAP net income (loss) per share (EPS) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 to adjusted amounts.
  Three Months Ended June 30,
  20232022
(in millions, except per-share amounts)DollarsDiluted EPSDollarsDiluted EPS
GAAP net income per share$240 $1.86 $139 $1.09 
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments1 0.01 40 0.31 
Special items - fleet transition and other(a)
186 1.44 146 1.14 
Special items - net non-operating(c)
6 0.05 — — 
Income tax effect of reconciling items above(46)(0.36)(45)(0.35)
Non-GAAP adjusted net income per share$387 $3.00 $280 $2.19 
Six Months Ended June 30,
20232022
(in millions, except per-share amounts)DollarsDiluted EPSDollarsDiluted EPS
GAAP net income (loss) per share$98 $0.76 $(4)$(0.03)
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments21 0.16 (67)(0.53)
Special items - fleet transition and other(a)
199 1.54 221 1.75 
Special items - labor and related(b)
51 0.40 — — 
Special items - net non-operating(c)
6 0.05 — — 
Income tax effect of reconciling items above(67)(0.52)(37)(0.30)
Non-GAAP adjusted net income per share$308 $2.39 $113 $0.89 
(a) Special items - fleet transition and other in the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 is primarily for impairment charges and accelerated costs associated with the retirement of Airbus and Q400 aircraft.
(b) Special items - labor and related in the six months ended June 30, 2023 is primarily for changes to Alaska pilots' sick leave benefits resulting from an agreement signed in the first quarter of 2023.
(c) Special items - net non-operating in the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 is for interest expense associated with certain A321neo lease agreements which were modified as part of Alaska's fleet transition.

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 25, 2023. A webcast of the call is available to the public at www.alaskaair.com/investors. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available after the call.
3


Third Quarter and Full Year 2023 Forecast Information
Q3 Expectation
Capacity (ASMs) % change versus 2022Up 10% to 13%
Total revenue % change versus 2022Up 0% to 3%
Cost per ASM excluding fuel and special items (CASMex) % change versus 2022Down 0% to 2%
Economic fuel cost per gallon$2.70 to $2.80
Adjusted pre-tax margin %14% to 16%

Full Year Expectation
Capacity (ASMs) % change versus 2022Up 11% to 13%
Total revenue % change versus 2022Up 8% to 10%
Cost per ASM excluding fuel and special items (CASMex) % change versus 2022Down 1% to 3%
Adjusted pre-tax margin %9% to 12%
Earnings per share(a)
$5.50 to $7.50
Capital expenditures~$1.8 billion
(a) Earnings per share guidance assumes a full year tax rate of approximately 25%

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, 2022. 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, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We strive to be the most caring airline with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program. As a member of the oneworld alliance, and with our additional global partners, our guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 25 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. 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.
###
4


CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited)
Alaska Air Group, Inc.
  Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions, except per share amounts)20232022Change20232022Change
Operating Revenue
Passenger revenue$2,598 $2,418 %$4,582 $3,929 17 %
Mileage Plan other revenue170 175 (3)%324 287 13 %
Cargo and other revenue70 65 %128 123 %
Total Operating Revenue2,838 2,658 %5,034 4,339 16 %
Operating Expenses
Wages and benefits754 639 18 %1,477 1,245 19 %
Variable incentive pay57 56 %104 92 13 %
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses573 776 (26)%1,238 1,123 10 %
Aircraft maintenance125 104 20 %249 239 %
Aircraft rent54 73 (26)%113 146 (23)%
Landing fees and other rentals167 136 23 %319 274 16 %
Contracted services95 82 16 %190 160 19 %
Selling expenses81 78 %147 136 %
Depreciation and amortization113 104 %217 206 %
Food and beverage service60 50 20 %114 91 25 %
Third-party regional carrier expense54 50 %106 92 15 %
Other182 177 %359 329 %
Special items - fleet transition and other186 146 27 %199 221 (10)%
Special items - labor and related — NM51 — NM
Total Operating Expenses2,501 2,471 %4,883 4,354 12 %
Operating Income (Loss)337 187 80 %151 (15)NM
Non-operating Income (Expense)
Interest income22 11 100 %39 18 117 %
Interest expense(28)(26)%(56)(53)%
Interest capitalized7 133 %14 180 %
Special items - net non-operating(6)— NM(6)— NM
Other - net(7)10 (170)%(16)24 (167)%
Total Non-operating Expense(12)(2)NM(25)(6)NM
Income (Loss) Before Income Tax325 185 126 (21)
Income tax expense (benefit)85 46 28 (17)
Net Income (Loss)$240 $139 $98 $(4)
 
Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Share$1.88 $1.10 $0.77 $(0.03)
Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share$1.86 $1.09 $0.76 $(0.03)
Shares used for computation:
Basic127.440 126.543 127.470 126.265 
Diluted128.919 127.795 128.860 126.265 

5


CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited)
Alaska Air Group, Inc.
 
(in millions)June 30, 2023December 31, 2022
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents$536 $338 
Marketable securities1,906 2,079 
Total cash and marketable securities2,442 2,417 
Receivables - net351 296 
Inventories and supplies - net107 104 
Prepaid expenses187 163 
Other current assets157 60 
Total Current Assets3,244 3,040 
Property and Equipment
Aircraft and other flight equipment9,918 9,053 
Other property and equipment1,714 1,661 
Deposits for future flight equipment550 670 
12,182 11,384 
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization4,219 4,127 
Total Property and Equipment - net7,963 7,257 
Other Assets
Operating lease assets1,318 1,471 
Goodwill and intangible assets2,036 2,038 
Other noncurrent assets268 380 
Total Other Assets3,622 3,889 
Total Assets$14,829 $14,186 






















6


CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited)
Alaska Air Group, Inc.
(in millions, except share amounts)June 30, 2023December 31, 2022
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY  
Current Liabilities  
Accounts payable$212 $221 
Accrued wages, vacation and payroll taxes463 619 
Air traffic liability1,574 1,180 
Other accrued liabilities871 846 
Deferred revenue1,207 1,123 
Current portion of operating lease liabilities277 228 
Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases572 276 
Total Current Liabilities5,176 4,493 
Long-Term Debt, Net of Current Portion1,889 1,883 
Noncurrent Liabilities  
Long-term operating lease liabilities, net of current portion1,148 1,393 
Deferred income taxes606 574 
Deferred revenue1,370 1,374 
Obligation for pension and post-retirement medical benefits362 348 
Other liabilities327 305 
Total Noncurrent Liabilities3,813 3,994 
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: 2023 - 137,983,828 shares; 2022 - 136,883,042 shares, Outstanding: 2023 - 127,348,343 shares; 2022 - 127,533,916 shares
1 
Capital in excess of par value648 577 
Treasury stock (common), at cost: 2023 - 10,635,485 shares; 2022 - 9,349,944 shares
(731)(674)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(365)(388)
Retained earnings4,398 4,300 
 3,951 3,816 
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity$14,829 $14,186 
7


SUMMARY CASH FLOW (unaudited)
Alaska Air Group, Inc.
(in millions)Six Months Ended June 30, 2023
Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 (a)
Three Months Ended June 30, 2023(b)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net Income (Loss)$98 $(142)$240 
Non-cash reconciling items511 191 320 
Changes in working capital223 173 50 
Net cash provided by operating activities832 222 610 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Property and equipment additions(634)(124)(510)
Other investing activities155 184 (29)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities(479)60 (539)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:(165)(114)(51)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents188 168 20 
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period369 369 537 
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of the period$557 $537 $557 
(a) As reported in Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2023.
(b) Cash flows for the three months ended June 30, 2023, can be calculated by subtracting cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2023, as reported in Form 10-Q for the first quarter 2023, from the six months ended June 30, 2023.
8


OPERATING STATISTICS SUMMARY (unaudited)
Alaska Air Group, Inc.
Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
20232022Change20232022Change
Consolidated Operating Statistics:(a)
Revenue passengers (000)11,59211,0055%21,44419,7009%
RPMs (000,000) "traffic"14,93613,7469%27,49124,33213%
ASMs (000,000) "capacity"17,16015,61110%32,86529,39412%
Load factor87.0%88.1%(1.1) pts83.6%82.8%0.8 pts
Yield17.40¢17.59¢(1)%16.67¢16.15¢3%
RASM16.54¢17.03¢(3)%15.32¢14.76¢4%
CASMex(b)
10.15¢9.92¢2%10.33¢10.24¢1%
Economic fuel cost per gallon(b)
$2.76$3.76(27)%$3.07$3.23(5)%
Fuel gallons (000,000)2071966%3963688%
ASMs per gallon82.979.64%83.079.94%
Departures (000)104.4105.7(1)%199.8198.9—%
Average full-time equivalent employees (FTEs)23,30122,6033%23,14022,0925%
Mainline Operating Statistics:
Revenue passengers (000)9,2218,32111%17,05414,88715%
RPMs (000,000) "traffic"13,82712,46011%25,49621,97216%
ASMs (000,000) "capacity"15,85114,05213%30,46226,43915%
Load factor87.2%88.7%(1.5) pts83.7%83.1%0.6 pts
Yield16.12¢16.28¢(1)%15.37¢14.89¢3%
RASM15.48¢16.02¢(3)%14.26¢13.81¢3%
CASMex(b)
9.26¢8.98¢3%9.38¢9.29¢1%
Economic fuel cost per gallon(b)
$2.74$3.74(27)%$3.05$3.21(5)%
Fuel gallons (000,000)1791658%34531111%
ASMs per gallon88.685.24%88.385.04%
Departures (000)67.261.69%129.8117.411%
Average full-time equivalent employees (FTEs)18,14717,3155%17,96616,8257%
Aircraft utilization11.510.114%11.39.815%
Average aircraft stage length1,3841,3632%1,3751,3492%
Operating fleet(d)
226233(7) a/c226233(7) a/c
Regional Operating Statistics:(c)
Revenue passengers (000)2,3722,685(12)%4,3904,813(9)%
RPMs (000,000) "traffic"1,1091,285(14)%1,9942,360(16)%
ASMs (000,000) "capacity"1,3091,559(16)%2,4032,955(19)%
Load factor84.7%82.4%2.3 pts83.0%79.9%3.1 pts
Yield33.37¢30.35¢10%33.30¢27.88¢19%
RASM29.26¢26.04¢12%28.59¢23.21¢23%
Departures (000)37.244.1(16)%70.081.5(14)%
Operating fleet(d)
81104(23) a/c81104(23) 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)Data presented includes information for flights operated by Horizon and third-party carriers.
(d)Excludes all aircraft removed from operating service.

9


OPERATING SEGMENTS (unaudited)
Alaska Air Group, Inc.
Three Months Ended June 30, 2023
(in millions)MainlineRegionalHorizon
Consolidating & Other(a)
Air Group Adjusted(b)
Special Items(c)
Consolidated
Operating Revenue   
Passenger revenue$2,228 $370 $— $— $2,598 $— $2,598 
CPA revenue— — 92 (92)— — — 
Mileage Plan other revenue158 12 — — 170 — 170 
Cargo and other revenue67 — — 70 — 70 
Total Operating Revenue2,453 382 92 (89)2,838 — 2,838 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, excluding fuel1,468 279 87 (92)1,742 186 1,928 
Fuel expense490 81 — 572 573 
Total Operating Expenses1,958 360 87 (91)2,314 187 2,501 
Non-operating Income (Expense)— (10)(6)(6)(12)
Income (Loss) Before Income Tax$498 $22 $(5)$$518 $(193)$325 
Pretax Margin18.3 %11.5 %
Three Months Ended June 30, 2022
(in millions)MainlineRegionalHorizon
Consolidating & Other(a)
Air Group Adjusted(b)
Special Items(c)
Consolidated
Operating Revenue
Passenger revenue$2,028 $390 $— $— $2,418 $— $2,418 
CPA revenue— — 101 (101)— — — 
Mileage Plan other revenue159 16 — — 175 — 175 
Cargo and other revenue64 — — 65 — 65 
Total Operating Revenue2,251 406 101 (100)2,658 — 2,658 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, excluding fuel1,262 289 98 (100)1,549 146 1,695 
Fuel expense617 119 — — 736 40 776 
Total Operating Expenses1,879 408 98 (100)2,285 186 2,471 
Non-operating Income (Expense)— (5)— (2)— (2)
Income (Loss) Before Income Tax$375 $(2)$(2)$— $371 $(186)$185 
Pretax Margin14.0 %7.0 %
10


Six Months Ended June 30, 2023
(in millions)MainlineRegionalHorizon
Consolidating & Other(a)
Air Group Adjusted(b)
Special Items(c)
Consolidated
Operating Revenue
Passenger revenue$3,918 $664 $— $— $4,582 $— $4,582 
CPA revenue— — 170 (170)— — — 
Mileage Plan other revenue301 23 — — 324 — 324 
Cargo and other revenue124 — — 128 — 128 
Total Operating Revenue4,343 687 170 (166)5,034 — 5,034 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, excluding fuel2,858 535 171 (169)3,395 250 3,645 
Fuel expense1,051 166 — — 1,217 21 1,238 
Total Operating Expenses3,909 701 171 (169)4,612 271 4,883 
Non-operating Income (Expense)(3)— (18)(19)(6)(25)
Income (Loss) Before Income Tax$431 $(14)$(19)$$403 $(277)$126 
Pretax Margin8.0 %2.5 %
Six Months Ended June 30, 2022
(in millions)MainlineRegionalHorizon
Consolidating & Other(a)
Air Group Adjusted(b)
Special Items(c)
Consolidated
Operating Revenue
Passenger revenue$3,271 $658 $— $— $3,929 $— $3,929 
CPA revenue— — 195 (195)— — — 
Mileage Plan other revenue259 28 — — 287 — 287 
Cargo and other revenue121 — — 123 — 123 
Total Operating Revenue3,651 686 195 (193)4,339 — 4,339 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, excluding fuel2,456 551 197 (194)3,010 221 3,231 
Fuel expense998 192 — — 1,190 (67)1,123 
Total Operating Expenses3,454 743 197 (194)4,200 154 4,354 
Non-operating Income (Expense)— (10)— (6)— (6)
Income (Loss) Before Income Tax$201 $(57)$(12)$$133 $(154)$(21)
Pretax Margin3.1 %(0.5)%
(a)Includes consolidating entries, Air Group parent company, McGee Air Services, and other immaterial business units.
(b)The Air Group Adjusted column represents the financial information that is reviewed by management to assess performance of operations and determine capital allocation and excludes certain charges. See Note A in the accompanying pages for further information.
(c)Includes special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments.




11


GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited)
Alaska Air Group, Inc.
CASM Excluding Fuel and Special Items Reconciliation
 Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
(in cents)2023202220232022
Consolidated:
CASM14.57 ¢15.84 ¢14.86 ¢14.81 ¢
Less the following components:
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses3.34 4.98 3.77 3.82 
Special items - fleet transition and other(a)
1.08 0.94 0.61 0.75 
Special items - labor and related(b)
 — 0.15 — 
CASM excluding fuel and special items10.15 ¢9.92 ¢10.33 ¢10.24 ¢
Mainline:
CASM13.56 ¢15.06 ¢13.73 ¢13.69 ¢
Less the following components:
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses3.10 5.06 3.52 3.84 
Special items - fleet transition and other(a)
1.20 1.02 0.67 0.56 
Special items - labor and related(b)
 — 0.16 — 
CASM excluding fuel and special items9.26 ¢8.98 ¢9.38 ¢9.29 ¢
(a) Special items - fleet transition and other in the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 is primarily for impairment charges and accelerated costs associated with the retirement of Airbus and Q400 aircraft.
(b) Special items - labor and related in the six months ended June 30, 2023 is primarily for changes to Alaska pilots' sick leave benefits resulting from an agreement signed in the first quarter of 2023.

Fuel Reconciliation
Three Months Ended June 30,
20232022
(in millions, except for per-gallon amounts)DollarsCost/GallonDollarsCost/Gallon
Raw or "into-plane" fuel cost$555 $2.68 $824 $4.20 
Losses (gains) on settled hedges17 0.08 (88)(0.44)
Consolidated economic fuel expense572 2.76 736 3.76 
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment1  40 0.20 
GAAP fuel expense$573 $2.76 $776 $3.96 
Fuel gallons207 196 
Six Months Ended June 30,
20232022
(in millions, except for per gallon amounts)DollarsCost/GallonDollarsCost/Gallon
Raw or "into-plane" fuel cost$1,188 $3.00 $1,328 $3.61 
Losses (gains) on settled hedges29 0.07 (138)(0.38)
Consolidated economic fuel expense1,217 3.07 1,190 3.23 
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment21 0.05 (67)(0.18)
GAAP fuel expense$1,238 $3.12 $1,123 $3.05 
Fuel gallons396 368 

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Debt-to-capitalization, including operating and finance leases
(in millions)June 30, 2023December 31, 2022
Long-term debt, net of current portion$1,889 $1,883 
Capitalized operating leases1,425 1,621 
Capitalized finance leases(a)
316 — 
Adjusted debt, net of current portion of long-term debt 3,630 3,504 
Shareholders' equity3,951 3,816 
Total Invested Capital$7,581 $7,320 
Debt-to-capitalization ratio, including operating and finance leases48 %48 %
(a)To best reflect our leverage at June 30, 2023, we included our capitalized finance lease balances, which are recognized within the 'Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases' line of the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Adjusted net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, rent and special items
(in millions)June 30, 2023December 31, 2022
Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases$572 $276 
Current portion of operating lease liabilities277 228 
Long-term debt1,889 1,883 
Long-term operating lease liabilities, net of current portion1,148 1,393 
Total adjusted debt3,886 3,780 
Less: Total cash and marketable securities2,442 2,417 
Adjusted net debt$1,444 $1,363 
(in millions)Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2023Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2022
GAAP Operating Income(a)
$236 $70 
Adjusted for:
Special items609 580 
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments164 76 
Depreciation and amortization426 415 
Aircraft rent258 291 
EBITDAR$1,693 $1,432 
Adjusted net debt to EBITDAR0.9x1.0x
(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 fuel expense and special items 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. In addition, 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 thus investors) to understand the impact of (and trends in) company-specific cost drivers such as labor rates and productivity, airport costs, maintenance costs, etc., which are more controllable by management.

Cost per ASM (CASM) excluding fuel and special items, 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.

CASM excluding fuel and special items is 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 income before income tax (and other items as specified in our plan documents) 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, or "unit cost"; represents all operating expenses including fuel and special items

CASMex - operating costs excluding fuel and special items per ASM; this metric is used to help track progress toward reduction of non-fuel operating costs since fuel is largely out of our control

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

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

Mainline - represents flying Boeing 737, Airbus A320, and Airbus A321neo jets and all associated revenue and costs

Productivity - number of revenue passengers per full-time equivalent employee

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

Regional - represents capacity purchased by Alaska from Horizon and SkyWest. In this segment, Regional records actual on-board passenger revenue, less costs such as fuel, distribution costs, and payments made to Horizon and SkyWest under the respective capacity purchased arrangement (CPAs). Additionally, Regional includes an allocation of corporate overhead such as IT, finance, other administrative costs incurred by Alaska and on behalf of Horizon.

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

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