3:12pm 03/18/05

Alaska Airlines: Q1 cost per avail seat mile up 2.9% (ALK) By August Cole

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Alaska Airlines expects its cost per available seat mile, a key industry measure, to rise 2.9 percent in the first quarter to 10.7 cents, parent Alaska Air Group (ALK) said in an 8-K regulatory filing Friday. Excluding fuel costs, the figure is 8.4 cents. Overall capacity is expected to rise 3.8 percent from last year, the company said.

*************************

imo companies like Southwest will eventually cave as pressure to provide entertainment on longer flights as it becomes the norm with the competition and proves to be not only cost effective but profitable.

Jet Blue started marketing it in high profile dosages and now we are seeing a growing trend world wide.

Alaska Air ran with it and now appears to be expanding on it.

If you fly Southwest, start complaining ! lol.