ALASKA AIR GROUP, INC.
For the period ended Mar 27, 2025. Filed Mar 27, 2025.
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What shareholders are asked to vote on at a company's meeting. It is where to find what directors and top executives are paid, and who owns the most shares.
Mar 27, 2025 · Filed Mar 27, 2025
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrant Filed by a Party other than the Registrant
Check the appropriate box:
| | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
|---|---|
| | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
| | Definitive Proxy Statement |
| | Definitive Additional Materials |
| | Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
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| | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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Persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.
| March 27, 2025 Dear Shareholders: On behalf of the Board of Directors, we invite you to attend Alaska Air Group’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be held on Thursday, May 8, 2025, beginning at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. This year’s Annual Meeting will be conducted via webcast only. You can attend online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/alk2025, where you will be able to vote and submit questions electronically during the meeting. Specific instructions for accessing the meeting are provided in the notice, proxy card or voting instruction form you received. In addition to our proxy materials posted at www.proxyvote.com, you can access a copy of the proxy at www.alaskaair.com under About Alaska/Investor Relations. We hope you will join us on May 8 as we discuss Alaska Air Group’s 2024 financial and operational performance and vote on issues of importance to our company and to you. Whether or not you choose to participate on meeting day, your vote is important, and we encourage you to cast your ballot in one of the ways outlined in this Proxy Statement. Sincerely, | |
|---|---|
| Patricia M. Bedient | Ben Minicucci |
| Board Chair | President and Chief Executive Officer |
NOTICE OF 2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT
The Board of Directors (the Board) of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (Alaska Air Group, Air Group or the Company) is soliciting proxies for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Annual Meeting). This Proxy Statement contains important information for you to consider when deciding how to vote on the matters brought before the meeting. Please read it carefully.
| DATE | Thursday, May 8, 2025 |
|---|---|
| TIME | 8:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time |
| VIRTUAL MEETING ACCESS | www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/alk2025 |
| MATTERS TO BE VOTED ON | 1.Election of the 10 nominees named in this Proxy Statement to the Board of Directors, each for a one-year term; 2.Approval (on an advisory basis) of the compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers; 3.Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accountants (the independent accountants) for fiscal year 2025;4.Approval of amendments to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (Certificate of Incorporation) to comply with foreign ownership limitations imposed by federal law on U.S. air carriers;5.Approval of amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation to provide for exculpation of certain officers and remove obsolete provisions;6.Approval of amendments to the Company's 2016 Performance Incentive Plan; 7.Approval of amendments to the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan;8.A stockholder proposal to amend the Company’s clawback policy; and9.Other business as may properly come before the meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof. |
The Board has set Friday, March 14, 2025 as the record date for the Annual Meeting. This means that owners of Alaska Air Group common stock as of the close of business on that date are entitled to receive this notice, attend and vote during the Annual Meeting. There were 122,751,785 shares of Air Group common stock outstanding on the record date.
Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. On or about March 27, 2025, shareholders of record, beneficial owners and employee participants in the Company’s 401(k) plans were mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the Notice) directing them to www.proxyvote.com where they can access the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 (the Annual Meeting Materials). The Company’s 2024 Form 10-K was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 14, 2025. If you prefer to receive a paper copy of the proxy materials, please follow the instructions on the Notice and we will mail the Annual Meeting Materials to you.
Attending the Annual Meeting. We will host the Annual Meeting live via an audio webcast. Any shareholder can listen to and participate in the Annual Meeting. Whether or not you attend the meeting, we encourage you to vote online, by phone or by completing, signing and mailing your voting instruction form or proxy prior to the meeting.
Submit Your Questions. We invite you to submit any questions of general shareholder interest to the Assistant Corporate Secretary via email at allie.wittenberger@alaskaair.com, or via the Shareholder Forum at www.proxyvote.com. You can submit questions beginning on March 27, 2025. We will answer questions of general interest during the meeting as time permits. We will also include answers to your questions on www.alaskaair.com under About Alaska/Investor Relations following the meeting. If you encounter issues accessing the website or the virtual meeting, please contact allie.wittenberger@alaskaair.com.
ALASKA AIR GROUP, INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING AND PROXY STATEMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS | 1 |
|---|---|
| PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY | 3 |
| Matters to be Voted On | 3 |
| Governance Highlights | 3 |
| Our Board | 5 |
| Board Skills Matrix | 6 |
| Executive Compensation Practices | 7 |
| CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | 8 |
| Board Leadership | 8 |
| Executive Sessions | 8 |
| Risk Oversight | 9 |
| Board Evaluation Process | 9 |
| Director Orientation and Continuing Education | 10 |
| Other Directorships | 10 |
| Code of Conduct and Ethics | 10 |
| Insider Trading Policy | 10 |
| Prohibition of Speculative Transactions in Company Securities | 11 |
| Approach to Corporate Impact | 11 |
| Shareholder Communications | 13 |
| Virtual Meeting Philosophy | 13 |
| ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | 15 |
| Proposal 1: Election of Directors to One-Year Terms | 15 |
| Structure of the Board of Directors | 22 |
| Director Independence | 27 |
| Director Nomination Policy | 28 |
| Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions | 32 |
| 2024 Director Compensation | 33 |
| Director Stock Ownership Policy | 34 |
| NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | 35 |
| Proposal 2: Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers | 35 |
| Compensation Discussion and Analysis | 37 |
| Compensation and Leadership Development Committee Report | 51 |
| Compensation and Leadership Development Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation | 51 |
| 2024 Summary Compensation Table | 52 |
| 2024 Grants of Plan-Based Awards | 54 |
| Outstanding Equity Awards at 2024 Fiscal Year End | 55 |
| 2024 Option Exercises and Stock Vested | 57 |
| Pension and Other Retirement Plans | 58 |
| 2024 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation | 59 |
| Potential Payments Upon Change in Control and Termination | 60 |
| CEO Pay Ratio | 64 |
| Pay vs. Performance | 65 |
| AUDIT COMMITTEE MATTERS | 69 |
| Proposal 3: Ratification of the Appointment of the Company’s Independent Accountants for Fiscal Year 2025 | 69 |
| Independent Registered Public Accountants | 69 |
| Audit Committee Report | 70 |
| CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION AMENDMENTS | 72 |
|---|
| Proposal 4: Approval of Amendments to to the Certificate of Incorporation to Comply with U.S. Foreign Ownership Limitations | 72 |
|---|---|
| Proposal 5: Approval of Amendments to Certificate of Incorporation to Provide Exculpation of Certain Officers and Remove Obsolete Provisions | 74 |
| 2016 PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE PLAN AMENDMENTS | 76 |
| Proposal 6: Approval of Amendments to the Company's 2016 Performance Incentive Plan | 76 |
| EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN AMENDMENTS | 87 |
| Proposal 7: Approval of Amendments to the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan | 76 |
| STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL | 93 |
| Proposal 8: Shareholders Ratification of Clawback Policy Amendments | 93 |
| SECURITIES OWNERSHIP | 96 |
| Securities Ownership of Management | 96 |
| 5% or More Beneficial Owners | 97 |
| Delinquent Section 16 Reports | 97 |
| Equity Compensation Plan Information | 98 |
| QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | 99 |
| APPENDIX A | A-1 |
| APPENDIX B | B-1 |
| APPENDIX C | C-1 |
| APPENDIX D | D-1 |
| APPENDIX E | E-1 |
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING AND OTHER STATEMENTS
This Proxy Statement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are those that predict or describe future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “may,” “estimate,” “intend” and other similar words. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience or the Company’s present expectations. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements in this Proxy Statement can be found in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and in the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q that we have filed or will file hereafter under the heading “Risk Factors” and “Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements.” Some of these risks include competition; labor costs, relations, and availability; general economic conditions; increases in operating costs, including fuel; uncertainties regarding the ability to successfully integrate the operations of the recently completed acquisition of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., and the ability to realize anticipated cost savings, synergies, or growth from such acquisition; inability to meet cost reduction and other strategic goals; seasonal fluctuations in demand and financial results; supply chain risks; events that negatively impact aviation safety and security; and changes in laws and regulations that impact our business.
The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Proxy Statement and undue reliance should not be placed on these statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document.
This Proxy Statement contains statements regarding individual and Company performance objectives and targets. These objectives and targets are disclosed in the limited context of our compensation plans and programs and should not be understood to be statements of management’s future expectations or estimates of future results or other guidance. We specifically caution investors not to apply these statements to other contexts.
Furthermore, certain statements in this Proxy Statement, particularly pertaining to our sustainability performance, goals and initiatives, are subject to additional risks and uncertainties, including regarding: gathering and verification of information and related methodological considerations; our ability to implement various initiatives under expected timeframes, cost, and complexity; our dependency on third-parties to provide certain information and to comply with applicable laws and policies; our reference to various sustainability reporting standards and frameworks (including standards for the measurement of underlying data), which continue to evolve; and other unforeseen events or conditions. These factors, as well as others, may cause results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. Additionally, we may provide information herein that is not necessarily “material” under the federal securities laws for the SEC reporting purposes but that is informed by various sustainability standards and frameworks (including standards for the measurement of underlying data) and the interest of various stakeholders. However, we cannot guarantee strict adherence to framework recommendations and much of this information is subject to assumptions, estimates or third-party information that is still evolving and subject to change, and our disclosures based on these frameworks may change due to revisions in framework requirements, availability of information, changes in our business or applicable governmental policy, or other factors, some of which may be beyond our control.
Website References
You may also access additional information about Alaska Air Group at investor.alaskaair.com. References to our website throughout this Proxy Statement are provided for convenience only and the content on our website does not constitute a part of this Proxy Statement.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.