Alaska Airlines targets Hispanic

The Portland (Oregon) Business Journal reports that Alaska Airlines is planning to tap into the growing Hispanic market by adding more Spanish-speaking reservation agents, creating a Spanish Web site and offering Spanish as an option at check-in kiosks.

Additionally, they plan to include at least one Spanish-speaking flight attendant on non-beach flights to Mexico and targeting Hispanics with Spanish-language radio ads and billboards. Alaska Air said this will be a three-year effort, with the "major steps" expected to be completed this year.

Here are some words of wisdom from Gregg Saretsky, executive vice president of marketing and planning, that the article quotes:

"By the year 2010, one out of every seven people living in the U.S. will be Hispanic, and by 2050 one of every four. By taking the steps now to be prepared, we'll be in a good position to make Alaska Airlines the airline of choice for Spanish-speaking consumers."