Guest Operations Specialist II

Company

The Team

Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you. 

Role Summary

The Guest Operations Specialist II is responsible for executing real-time, day-of-travel guest communication strategy and decision-making at Alaska Airlines in a 24/7 Network Operations environment. As a member of the Guest Operations team, this individual contributor role ensures guest communications are timely, accurate, brand-aligned, and responsive to evolving operational conditions, while serving as a coach and escalation resource for Guest Operations Specialists.

Key Duties

• Lead and execute day-of-travel guest messaging strategy during live operations by drafting, approving, and aligning communications across SMS, email, app, and other guest-facing channels; ensure messaging is clear, consistent, timely, brand-aligned, and responsive to evolving operational conditions.
• Make high-impact, time-sensitive decisions on communication timing, cadence, channel strategy, compensation or service recovery approach, and copy while balancing guest experience, operational constraints, regulatory requirements, and Alaska Airlines brand standards.
• Gather and share decision-impacting information from cross-functional partners, including Dispatch, Crew Scheduling, AOCS, Social, CCO, Customer Advocacy, NOD, NOC, Customer Care, Social Care, Guest Communications leadership, and other stakeholders to support aligned execution.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex, high-risk, or brand-impacting guest communication scenarios during irregular operations, major events, and other time-sensitive situations.
• Partner with and support Guest Operations Specialists in daily execution by providing guidance on messaging decisions, priorities, tools, standards, tone, and guest-centric decision-making.
• Follow established procedures, playbooks, and regulatory requirements, with additional research and judgment as needed, to determine appropriate guest communication responses and ensure alignment with DOT, EU261, and other applicable obligations.
• Provide input on ways to improve team processes by identifying opportunities to increase the speed, clarity, consistency, and effectiveness of guest communications, templates, systems, and playbooks.
• Contribute insights from live operations, post-event reviews, and operational learnings to support continuous improvement of systems, processes, and communication strategies.

Job-Specific Experience, Education & Skills

Required

• 2 years of experience in operations, communications, customer experience, or a related area.
• Experience working in real-time or high-pressure decision-making environments.
• Strong written communication skills with close attention to tone, clarity, accuracy, and brand alignment.
• Ability to balance multiple priorities and make fast, informed decisions in ambiguous or evolving conditions.
• Proven ability to collaborate and influence without formal authority.
• Strong operational judgment, curiosity, and critical thinking.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum age of 18.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Preferred

• Airline, Network Operations Center, or irregular operations experience.
• Experience with multi-channel guest or customer communications, including SMS, email, mobile app, or similar channels.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, English, or a related field.
• Familiarity with Sabre, Airship, or similar operational and communication platforms.

Job-Specific Leadership Expectations

Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be caring and kind, and deliver performance.

Starting Rate

Bonus

Pay Details

Pay differential of $2.25 an Hour. 

Total Rewards

Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air pay and benefits can vary by company, location, number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status.

• Free stand-by travel privileges on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air
• Comprehensive well-being programs including medical, dental and vision benefits
• Generous 401k match program
• Annual bonus plans
• Generous holiday and paid time off 

For more information about Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon Total Rewards please visit our career site and view benefits.

Regulatory Information

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement  

It is the policy of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and to ensure equal opportunity in all terms, conditions, and benefits of employment or potential employment.   

We also prohibit discrimination and harassment against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories.  

We have established an EEO Compliance Program under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 503”) and the Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (“VEVRAA”).  All applicants and employees are treated without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. In addition, we have established an audit and reporting system to allow for effective measurement of its equal employment opportunity activities.   

To implement this policy, we will: 

(1) Recruit, hire, train and promote qualified persons in all job titles, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and any other legally protected categories; (2) Ensure that employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements; and (3) Ensure that all personnel actions and employment activities such as compensation, benefits, promotions, layoffs, return from layoff, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air sponsored programs, and tuition assistance will be administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories. 

Employees and applicants for employment will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination because they have engaged or may engage in (1) filing a complaint, (2) opposing any act or practice made unlawful by, or exercising any other right protected by, any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions of VEVRAA, or (3) assisting or participating in any investigation, compliance evaluation, hearing, or any other activity related to the administration of any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions  of VEVRAA. 

Government Contractor & Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulations Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT – regulations, 49 CFR part 40) and all applicants are advised that post-offer and/or pre-employment drug testing will be conducted to determine the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP) and amphetamines or a metabolite of these drugs prior to any offer or employment or transfer into a safety-sensitive position. Failure to submit to testing or positive indications of drug use will render the applicant ineligible for employment with Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines/Horizon Air and any employment offer will be withdrawn. 

Apply by 7:00 PM Pacific Time on

FLSA Status

Employment Type

Regular/Temporary

Requisition Type

Location