On May 25, 2024, which is celebrated as National Wine Day, Avelo Airlines
(XP) launched the Wine Travels Free program. Passengers traveling from the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (STS) in the Bay Area got to experience the perks of this program, which allowed travelers on the carrier to check a case of wine for free (as a souvenir) from California Wine County. But Avelo isn’t the only airline with such an offer.

Alaska Airlines
(AS) has a Wine Flies Free program, which allows passengers to check a case of wine for free when they are flying from 32 cities on the West Coast. According to the airline, it has “partnered with The Wine Check™ to offer a lightweight, safe, and convenient way to carry your wine from vineyard to cellar”. Let’s dive deeper into the Wine Flies Free program of the carrier.

A few details of Alaska Airlines’ Wine Flies Free program

Mileage Plan™ members who are over 21 years old can enjoy the Wine Flies Free program. Paasengers who are looking to be a part of the program need to ensure that they have added the Mileage Plan number to their reservation so that the wine case is exempt from checked baggage allowance.

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Photo: Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines also cautions about the things that one should do before checking in a case of wine under this program for free:

  • Make sure your purchases are properly packed for the trip home — in a case or box, with packing material such as styrofoam, cardboard liners, or bubble wrap.
  • Check your properly packed case of wine with an Alaska Airlines customer service agent at our ticketing counter. A helpful hint: We consider one case of wine to be a single box or case containing up to 12 bottles and weighing 50 lbs or less.
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Photo: Alaska Airlines

The carrier further cautions:

“Please note if you’re flying from a non-participating city to one of our Wine Flies Free destinations, all luggage incurs standard checked bag fees. Only flights departing from the destinations listed above are eligible for Wine Flies Free…The program does not apply when flying to international destinations.”

The Wine Flies Free destinations of Alaska

Let’s take a look at the select cities on the West Coast from where you are eligible to check in a case of wine for free as a part of this program:

Cities

California

Burbank, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Oakland, Ontario, Orange County, Palm Springs, Redding, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Sonoma County

Idaho

Boise, Idaho Falls, and Sun Valley

Washington

Eugene, Medford, Portland, and Redmond

Oregon

Bellingham, Everett, Pasco, Pullman, Seattle, Spokane, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, and Yakima

However, there’s more than just checking wine for free

In the participating wineries in Idaho, Washington, and Idaho, you can show your boarding passes and participate in wine tasting. Let’s take a look at some specialties related to wine in each of the states that are a part of the Wine Flies Free program.

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Photo: Alaska Airlines

California

California’s six official wine regions are home to approximately 4,600 wineries. The largest producer of grapes in California is Sonoma County, a place from where clippings are obtained to start other vineyards in Northern California.

Sonoma County Airport is also one of the participating airports for the Wine Flies Free program. The airport also writes that alcohol over 70% (140 proof) is prohibited and places a few terms and conditions:

“There is no restriction on the amount of alcohol you may pack in your checked baggage, provided it contains under 24% alcohol by volume (e.g. beer and wine). Alcohol greater than 24% up to and including 70% (140) proof) is allowed with the following restrictions:

  • Up to five liters of alcohol per package
  • Up to five liters of alcohol per person
  • Must be in retail packaging”

Idaho

Idaho’s fertile volcanic soils house:

  • Three American Vinicultural Areas
  • More than 65 wineries
  • More than 1,300 acres of vineyards
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Photo: Alaska Airlines

Washington

Washington is home to more than 60,000 acres of wine grapes, 400 grape growers, and over 1,000 wineries. In order to know which wineries in Washington are offering a wine tasting, you can download Map My WA Win, an app where you can place the filter “Alaska Air Promo”.

Washintonwines.org reports about how you can participate in a wine tasting as a part of Alaska Airlines’ wine Flies Free:

“At participating wineries and tasting rooms, visitors can enjoy a wine tasting by presenting their current (within 10 days of arrival) in-bound Alaska Airlines boarding pass and proof of membership in the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. One waived tasting fee is available per boarding pass per winery. Holiday weekends and special events are excluded.”

Alaska’s guidelines about how you can pack wine for Wine Files Free?

If you are flying your case of wine as a part of Alaska’s Wine Flies Free, you need to ensure that the wine is packed and sealed for transport in a protective shipping container. Alaska Airlines will label the box “FRAGILE” so that it is handled better.

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Photo: Alaska Airlines

To check the content, The Transport Security Administration (TSA) can open your container. However, the agency will reseal the container after inspection. Alaska’s guidelines for packaging do state that “items packaged in a cardboard box are covered in case of loss, but are checked at your own risk for damage.”

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