Alaska Airlines’ heartwarming gesture: A gift of travel for Maui wildfire-affected families

Friday, December 22, 2023

In the weeks following the fires, Alaska Airlines played a crucial role in transporting 220,000 pounds of relief supplies to the affected communities. The airline promptly initiated rescue flights to evacuate individuals from the island, creating space for ongoing recovery efforts.

In collaboration with its long-time partner, the local non-profit Kanu Hawaiʻi, Alaska Airlines distributed 27 million donated miles from Alaska, its employees, and guests. These miles were provided to support individuals who needed assistance and could no longer afford the cost of flying. In total, 544 impacted residents of Maui were aided through the distribution of these miles.

Alaska Airlines collaborated with Kanu Hawai‘i to identify families that could benefit from Alaska’s Gift of Travel program. This program aims to provide the magic of travel to deserving individuals, offering options such as all-inclusive trips, roundtrip tickets, or donated miles.

Alaska Airlines pleasantly surprised the Cabanillas, Recites, and Ceballos families earlier this month with a weekend-long vacation to California’s cherished Disneyland Resort, including accommodations at the Westin Anaheim hotel.

Earlier this month, Jordan Cabanilla and his family experienced the final ride of the evening as the gates were closing at Disneyland Resort in Southern California. Following a day of joy and excitement at the park, Jordan’s three children – AJ, Jade, and Ethan – continued to radiate smiles. The infectious enthusiasm of his kids moved Jordan emotionally, but it was the smile on his wife’s face that made him pause and reflect throughout the weekend.

“I didn’t want to believe it because it was too good to be true,” Rose Ann said. “We were due for a family trip after what we’ve been through. More importantly, the kids deserved it.”

Jordan and his wife, Ana, suffered devastating losses on August 8 when wildfires swept through Lahaina, destroying their business and home. Within minutes of evacuating and salvaging what they could, their home succumbed to the flames in the catastrophic event that affected numerous residences in Lahaina and beyond, damaging or destroying over 2,200 structures.

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