You enjoyed your trip to Oregon Wine Country, and you'd like to to bring a taste of the Willamette Valley home? We gotcha! Since 2013, Alaska Airlines, Travel Oregon, and the Oregon Wine Board have teamed up to offer the Wine Flies Free program, which allows visitors to check a case of wine for free when flying from certain cities throughout the Pacific Northwest-including Portland and Eugene. So all you need to do is narrow it down to 12 bottles and join the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan -even if you're in the middle of your trip.

what is wine flies free?

Alaska Airlines, Travel Oregon, and the Oregon Wine Board know how important wine is to visitors and communities throughout the Pacific Northwest-which is why the organizations partnered to offer the program to travelers 21 and older. Wine Flies Free allows Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members to check a case of up to 12 bottles of their favorite wines (weighing 50 pounds or less) when flying from 32 airports throughout the Pacific Northwest-all at no charge. Around the Willamette Valley, the participating airports are Eugene Airport (EUG) and Portland International Airport (PDX); note that all outbound flights must be within the United States to qualify for Wine Flies Free.

how does wine flies free work?

Make sure you're an Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan member, and add your membership number to your flight reservation; this ensures you won't be charged for that case of wine.
Enjoy your trips to some of the more than 700 wineries across the Willamette Valley. (Not sure how to get started? We've put together a beginner's guide to wine tasting in the Willamette Valley.)
Safely pack your wines for the return flight; we'd recommend putting bottles in a case or box and using packing materials (such as Styrofoam, bubble wrap, crumpled-up newspaper-basically, whatever will keep the bottles safe and stable). Many participating wineries offer cases and packing materials for free; just ask! And Alaska Airlines offers excellent tips for securely packing your wine to fly.
Once at the airport, check your case of wine with an agent at an Alaska Airlines ticketing counter, and enjoy your flight!

additional tips

Wine selection: You can buy an entire case from one winery or mix and match bottles from different stops; as long as they're packed into one case or shipping container, they all fly free!
Free tastings: Enjoy a complimentary tasting after showing your recent boarding pass (within 10 days) and proof of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan membership at more than 300 participating wineries throughout Oregon. (Heads up: Free tastings may not be available on holiday weekends or during special events.)
Total cases: Each traveler can check one free case of up to 12 bottles; any additional cases are subject to Alaska Airlines baggage fees.

Want to learn more? Get the lowdown on Wine Flies Free from the Oregon Wine Board.