While United Airlines struck a more neutral tone in response to the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning the constitutional right to abortion, Alaska Airlines has chosen a more assertive approach.
Alaska Airlines Will Pay For Out-Of-State Abortion Procedures, Including Flights
Alaska Airlines was the first U.S. carrier to issue a statement on abortion (which does not even mention the word abortion) and promises to pay not only for the procedure (United still promises this too), but pay for pregnant people to have abortions in other states if not available in their own state. A letter by Andy Schneider, Alaska’s Senior Vice President of People, states:
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the protections previously afforded by Roe and Casey. While the issues at hand are deeply personal, this is a very public event and I know it may generate questions about how Alaska and Horizon provide access to health care through its benefits programs.
First, I appreciate the range of emotions that you, our guests and members of our communities may be feeling. Our culture of care includes ensuring a work environment where everyone feels safe and respected. Regardless of your individual views, this is a time to demonstrate understanding, empathy and kindness for each other.
Second, we will continue, just as we always have, to provide employees with extensive benefits to support your health and well-being, no matter where you live. This includes reimbursing travel for certain medical procedures and treatments if they are not available where you live. Today’s Supreme Court decision does not change that.
Depending on your individual experiences and feelings, today’s news may be distracting. Please remember our number one value of safety, and continue to focus on running a safe operation. If you are unable to focus at the level your role requires, please reach out to your manager or HR partner. We also have resources available to you and your household members through our employee assistance program.
Please continue to take care of yourself and each other.
Interestingly, Alaska Airlines published its memo to employees in its newsroom, suggesting the audience of the letter was not just employees.
Alaska also does not mention the word abortion in its letter. Instead, the procedure is referred to as “protection” or “health and well-being.”
CONCLUSION
Alaska explains, “Just as we always have, our company will continue to provide employees with extensive benefits to support their health and well-being, no matter where they live.” The airline has promised to reimburse employees for flying out of state if needed for an abortion. Interestingly, the airline avoids using the word abortion in its note on abortion.
image: Alaska Airlines
Yikes. One more reason to avoid Alaska.
Can’t run an airline, spend their time being woke.
What a sorry state of affairs at a company that used to be great.
You mean one more reaso to support them.
No, most sane people don’t support baby killers.
I guess you won’t travel to death penalty states since they are state sanctioned killings.
A fetus is not a baby, so your point in not valid.
I disagree. So who is right? The constitution leaves it to States to make that decision.
The Supreme Court ruled slaves were not people, they were property (Dred Scott). Should that matter of personhood just have been left for everyone to decide for themselves, according to their own conscience?
I’d leave it to science, I guess?
“The constitution leaves it to States to make that decision”
Cherry picking what the constitution leaves up to each state to decide is interesting.
Oh, you’d leave it to science?
Whose science? What does that even mean?
“Cherry picking what the constitution leaves up to each state to decide is interesting.”
Perhaps you can explain what you specifically found objectionable in Alito’s analysis.
And yet you support those who rape kids.
Be great if the paid the pilots that are taking employees to these appointments. Added value is great but even it out please. #PilotsWife
So you support killing a baby at 9 months is ok? Oregon is doing that, shame on Alaska Airlines, no wonder they are going under.
Stop lying. No one wants 9th month abortions YOU are a liar.
A liar? You reject the fact that OR makes legal abortions to 9 months? You’ve never heard of partial-birth abortions legal in some states? Many people are FOR 9 month abortions
I find it comically sad that there are actually people who post here that would avoid flying an airline because of the benefits offered to its own employees.
I guess cancel culture really does exist across the political spectrum
Not wanting to kill people isn’t “cancel culture”
Support for abortion rights is over 65% nationwide. Any idea what those numbers look like once you arrive on the left coast?
Alaska’s better off without people like you. And they know that, hence this announcement.
Great! I’ll be happy to not see you and your people my next Alaska flight!
This is virtue signaling at its finest. Airline employees already get unlimited free flights and interline. Pretty dumb announcement that offers nothing additional to what all employees are already entitled to
I assume this will be positive space travel with no payroll implications, but that is just a guess.
Matt,
Point taken and that is a minor but relevant distinction. But to make a public announcement geared to the general public is virtue signaling. Let your employees know, do it internal. When you broadcast it to the world its not intended for employees its intended for customers.
Agreed this is virtue signaling. For sure.
Or a savvy recruitment tool by letting people know this is an extra perk they offer employees.
The two are certainly not mutually exclusive.
Virtue signaling, click bait…all good, I suppose.
Amex just added the free benefit for Amex Platinum card holders… British Airways Visa Signature is following suit as well.
An “abortion flight?”
This is good. Companies spending their own money. Though many shareholders may not be happy but at least companies will do it because it makes profitable business sense.
But in true liberal, virtue signaling fashion blue states will use tax surpluses to protect women that don’t even live in their own states. And of course none of these liberal bozzos will donate money to charity for this. Always using other people’s tax money to further their agenda.
Conservatives and liberals are both assholes. Trying to further their own ideology at the expense of others.
You make it sound like protecting women who need it is a bad thing. Also the rest if your points are based on assumptions with no proof offered.
It would be easy to take liberals seriously if they were donating most of their wealth to charity. Pelosi is worth $100 million. A rich, liberal, christian is an oxymoron. They shouldn’t exist. And most of these fucks got rich insider trading, both liberals and conservatives in Congress.
All i am saying maybe women should try abstinence and they wouldn’t need to worry about pregnancy and abortion.
You have no idea how much these people are or are not donating to charity.
“All i am saying maybe women should try abstinence and they wouldn’t need to worry about pregnancy and abortion.”
Or maybe you just mind your own business when it comes to women and their bodies?
Also, in many states, women who are raped and get pregnant via their rapist aren’t allowed to even get abortions.
has nothing to do with “protecting women” it’s about killing a child.
A fetus is not a child. Your point is not valid.
So, should any woman that cannot have an abortion because of where she3 lives and cannot afford it, send her un wanted baby to your house for the rest of it’s life for you to take care of?
A fetus is a life.
She should sent it to someone who in anti-abortion.
“A fetus is a life.”
Something has to be born for that happen first.
How many unwanted babies have you adopted?
I suppose its cheaper to send an employee for an abortion than paying for maternity leave and associated costs.
Exactly! A smart business decision. I wish companies would frame it this way instead of playing to the woke crowd.
The idea that employers will pay a female employees expenses to go kill a baby, so she can remain at work as a productive employee, is so much more dystopian than any of the handmaids tale fan-fiction.
@ Mathew — Really, “abortion flights”? Clickbait much? That is some bs I expect to hear on FoxNews, not here (except maybe Sundays).
Are they not free abortion flights, i.e. flights to/from obtaining abortion procedures fully paid for by the airline? Not trying to take a Fox News angle here…but also not sure what else to call them.
The news release says Alaska Airlines will cover travel expenses. Doesn’t say that it must Alaska airlines flights or even flights. It’s not any different than what JPMorgan or Disney are offering their employees as those companies are also covering travel expenses (the procedure expenses are probably already covered under existing health benefits).
Also this benefit likely to be administered through an insurance company to maintain confidentiality. So it wouldn’t not be the same as employee space available flights – instead it would be submitting travel receipts to a third party provider to process reimbursement.
The tone of the post seems hostile to abortion while trying not to be explicitly hostile.
When my father passed away, I got a discounted Burial Flight on Delta.
Years ago my company had a blood drive. The blood bank bus pulled up in the parking lot and employees gave blood. There was a BBQ set up and games with prizes. It was fun! Alaska should absolutely do something similar. They can have an “Abortion Drive”! …you can go into the bus get your abortion (YES!! Men too!! Because they can now get pregnant). They can do it at Angle Lake Park. Rent some bounce houses to keep the kids occupied, have a BBQ (vegan food only), a defund/F The Police rally, mom and dad or mom and mom or dad and dad can get their abortions….a fun family day it will be!
Hoes are currently too mad to attend.
Chris, your cats are getting hungry.
If men can get pregnant then women can get prostate cancer.
More black babies are killed via abortion than every other race combined. 20 million abortions have been black babies. It is a genocide. More black babies were aborted than were allowed to be born in nyc.
margret sanger the founder of Planned Parenthood found that organization as a eugenics cause. She wanted to get rid of the undesirables.
The rhertoric used by pro-baby killers are very similar to that used by the nazis to dehumanize other.
Alaska Airlines HATES black people….especially black babies
Babies weren’t killed. But fetuses were aborted. Nice try, though.
Also, any real statistics or legitimate links to back up your claims?
I’m always particularly disgusted when conservatives use abortion to pretend to care about Black people. Where was your outrage after the mass shooter in Buffalo? Where was your outrage after George Floyd?
I’m “outraged” by neither of those two things. More people are killed every weekend in Chicago by gunfire than the Buffalo supermarket….where’s YOUR outrage?….I know…. because the race of those committing the shootings in Chicago are inconvenient to your agenda. George Floyd?….He was a lifelong violent criminal who ran into the wrong cop. He got what he deserved and it probably saved one or two innocent lives down the line.
You can’t claim to care about Floyd or those in buffalo of you support black genocide.
There is no black genocide as you are trying to claim based on Black people getting abortions. It is their choice to get an abortion.
Will Alaska Airlines also provide taxi or cabulance service for Alaska Airlines employees when they have to travel to get glaucoma surgery or surgery for pancreatic cancer? After all, not every town has that capability. In Washington state, outside of the Seattle-Tacoma area, it’s possible that glaucoma surgery and pancreas operations is available only in Spokane but not in Wenatchee or Bellingham, WA, which are AS destinations. If you have a rare type of cancer, even Spokane may not have the expertise.
This will be filled with abuse by employees taking free vacations. How are they going to prove it, bring back the fetus?
Don’t worry, I’m sure they will figure it out. Not that it affects you anyway.
I’m not sure why all the feigned outrage. There’s a “Plan-B” baby killer pill available, over the counter, without a prescription everywhere, if someone chooses to end a life. The only travel required is to take a bus/train/lyft to the closest CVS or Walgreens…
Can’t wait for the peaceful protests and declaration of a national emergency.
Do you support someone who murders a pregnant “birthing person” being charged with two murders? Why or why not?
Babies aren’t being killed, but fetuses are getting aborted.
So why the double murder charge?
Hola Chris! Que pasa! Send us a photo of yourself in your mom’s basement with Cheetos stain on your fingers and wife beater tshirt. Thank you and tell mom I look forward to our next “date.”
Dangerous precedent. Regardless of your view on the ruling, the fact that businesses are now helping people evade laws is a dangerous precedent.
Similarly to Alaska Airlines, Dick Sporting Goods is now paying up to $4K in travel expenses for employees to travel to states where abortions are legal, and thus helping employees evade laws in their own states.
I wonder what Dick’s point of view is on customers who choose to ignore shoplifting laws. After all, Dick’s Sporting Goods is choosing to select which laws they are willing to abide by, so they should give the same courtesy to customers who choose to ignore shop lifting laws.
That is a bad analogy.
Dick’s isn’t encouraging people to have illegal abortion in states where abortion is illegal. They are sending people to have legal abortions in states where abortion is legal.
So you’re shoplifting analogy doesn’t quite work.
Fantastic and a bit shocking as this is the same company that used to place pithy bible quotes on my first class dining tray.
Another reason for me to fly AS
Travel blogger pads coffee reviews with second abortion related post to generate traffic.
These posts generate a lot of discussion from regular readers, but not huge traffic….people don’t seem to care. I do. This topic fascinates me.
You win the comments section for the week lol
The Supreme Court has occasionally overruled legal precedents, but generally to expand people’s rights — not to diminish them. Yet here we go. And as Matthew points out, it’s not impossible that the right to purchase contraceptives, the right to same-sex marriage, and the right to have consensual sexual relations may be next.
I disagree, though, with Matthew’s assertion that Alaska Airline’s move is merely a signal as opposed to a substantive attempt to preserve women’s access to abortion. It’s an employee benefit that will likely help them retain employees. Releasing the letter publicly could be deemed a savvy PR move, since a significant majority of Americans support abortion rights. Also, in general it’s better for institutions that make controversial decisions to get the news out themselves first rather than have it spun by ideologically driven opponents.
Alaska Airlines is not alone in corporate America in doing its part to support women’s reproductive choices. JP Morgan Chase, Patagonia, Disney, Starbucks, Nike, Kroger, and many others have done likewise. Indeed, for Alaska Airlines NOT to have matched those benefits would put them at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to retaining employees.
Regardless of where you stand on current social and political issues, it’s hard to deny that this Supreme Court has departed significantly from 50 years of precedent regarding abortion, guns, environmental regulation, the 5th Amendment, and other issues. This is a radical court. To my mind, its recent decisions have done much to undermine its own legitimacy.
I’m glad that on my next trip to Gilead – oops, I meant to write USA- I’ll just be visiting NY!
They already get free travel! Open it up to non employees, now that’s special!
If Alaska would have only wanted to offer a benefit to their employees they would have slipped it into the benefits package and left it at that. But to issue a full press release about it shows that adding this benefit was just a PR move. Very cheap of Alaska.
And it worked.. Here you are, talking about it… so thanks for supporting the story in that way.
Sad to see the moral decay evident with the leadership of Alaska Airlines. Once upon a time Alaska Airlines provided a card that had a Bible verse (usually from the Psalms) with meals. First the prayer cards were discontinued. Then Alaska Airlines sacked two Flight Attendants who questioned that company’s support for the Equality Act. Now Alaska has gone pro abortion.