Ugly Sweater Day

Airport or the North Pole?

Airports and airlines are certainly getting into the holiday spirit.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has a giant walk-through ornament and a mailbox where anyone who has been nice this year can mail their letter to Santa. There’s also indoor snow.

Portland International Airport (PDX) is all decked out with giant snowflakes and cool-looking gifts.

And, looking ahead a bit, if you’re flying on Alaska Airlines on December 20 and own a holiday sweater, this is your chance to wear it.

Courtesy Alaska Airlines

December 20 is National Ugly Sweater Day and, for the third year in a row, Alaska Airlines will be offering flyers wearing any kind of holiday sweater (because “ugly sweater” is in the eye of the beholder) priority boarding on Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights.

And, ugly sweater-fan or not, keep an eye out for the Alaska Airlines “Snowplane” with a fun, winter livery.

See something festive in an airport? Or have something planned?

Let us know.

Your ugly sweater gets you early boarding on one airline

If you’re traveling on Alaska Airlines on December 15 this year, be sure to wear your ugliest holiday sweater.

That’s because the airline is participating in National Ugly Holiday Sweater Day (yes, of course that’s a thing) and inviting passengers wearing festive holiday sweaters (the more outrageous, the better…) to board their flights early on December 15.

On that day, your ugly sweater will get you early boarding on all Alaska flights in their network and on Virgin American and Horizon Air flights as well.

To help set the mood, the airline is playing festive holiday-themed boarding music all month long.

“This fun promotion not only allows guests to board early on that day, but gives people another opportunity to dust off that ugly holiday sweater hanging in the back of their closet,” said Natalie Bowman, managing director of marketing and advertising at Alaska Airlines.

If you see an especially festive ugly sweater – or a gate hold full of them – on December 15, Alaska is encouraging travlers to post photos and vidoeos on Twitter using the hashtags #UglySweaterDay and #MostWestCoast.

And, of course, to arrive at the airport extra early.