The crash thrust the regional airline into the international spotlight. Even before the crash, Alaska's image took some dents. A federal grand jury in California is investigating allegations that employees were cutting corners on inspections at the company's Oakland, Calif., maintenance base. But some are convinced that neither the maintenance questions nor the crash will stain Alaska's reputation. This is one of the few airlines people want to fly.
People go out of their way to fly Alaska.
Alaska's employee and customer loyalty traces to the company's roots in the harsh Alaskan bush. Mac McGee founded McGee Airways with a three-passenger plane in 1932. McGee became Star Air Lines, which adopted the Alaska name in 1944. It's a point of pride with the company that even as it has grown to become the 10th-largest air carrier in the country, it remains a leading player in Alaska. Not only does it serve Anchorage, Fairbanks and the notoriously difficult Juneau airport, but it also flies into smaller cities such as Barrow, Dutch Harbor and Nome.