The author, Harriet Baskas, writes that the Washington & Oregon wine growers approached Alaska Airlines to help solve a problem. Supposedly, people had no problem in dropping $300 on a case a wine, but wouldn't because of the $25 or $50 airline checked baggage fee:
"Shipping a case of wine as freight can cost up to $60 via UPS and checking it as baggage on an airplane can cost $25 or more, depending on the weight of the wine and the number of other bags being checked.
"Ironically, we'd see people willing to spend $300 to $500 on a case of wine, yet that extra $25 to put it on the plane was a negative," said Duane Wollmuth, executive director of Washington's Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance. "It did stop people from buying the wine at the wineries."You can learn more about the program here and here.
The program has been a great success. Wollmuth argues the promotion brings "the program represents at least a quarter to a half-million dollars of additional wine sales a month in the peak season,"
As a reciprocal benefit, Alaska Airlines asked "wineries in participating regions to waive the tasting fees for it s passengers who show their boarding passes." However, I could not find of participating wineries.
I think this is a great partnership! Hopefully they renew it for next year.
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