Winter weather impacts - what to know if you're flying on Alaska Airlines

Rhea-AI Summary

Alaska Airlines is facing significant disruptions this week due to winter weather, crew displacements, and the omicron variant's impact on staffing. A total of 170 flights were canceled today, with further cancellations and delays expected. To mitigate issues, the airline is reducing Seattle departures by 20% to allow for aircraft deicing. Passengers are advised to consider rescheduling travel through the airline's flexible policy, as re-accommodations may take up to three days. Alaska Airlines apologizes for the inconvenience and is committed to maintaining service standards.

Positive

• Implementation of a flexible travel policy to accommodate affected passengers.

Negative

• 170 flights canceled today due to winter weather.
• Upcoming delays and cancellations expected throughout the week.
• Passenger re-accommodations may take up to three days.

SEATTLE, Dec. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Winter weather, displaced crew members and aircraft, and the continued impact of the omicron variant on staffing levels are converging to cause more canceled and delayed flights for Alaska Airlines this week.

Today, 170 flights were canceled across Alaska's network, with more cancellations and delays expected throughout the week. As we head into Wednesday and Thursday, we're proactively thinning Seattle departures by about 20% to allow for the additional time it takes to deice aircraft, a requirement during winter weather.  

The weather in Seattle is impacting guests beyond the Pacific Northwest. We strongly urge flyers with non-essential travel scheduled before January 2, 2022, to consider changing their travel to a later date using our flexible travel policy. With more snow expected and limited seats available during an already busy holiday week, we're not able to re-accommodate most guests for at least three days.

"We deeply apologize for the inconvenience this winter storm has on our guests and employees and are working hard to return to the level of service you know and expect from us, while operating safely," said Constance von Muehlen, Alaska Airlines chief operating officer and executive vice president. 

If guests cannot reschedule their flights at this time, rest assured we will hold the value of their ticket until they are ready to travel again. Learn more about our Customer Service Commitment here.    

Tips for guests traveling this week:

• Before heading to the airport, check your email or alaskaair.com to see if your flight is impacted.
• If your flight has been canceled, do not go to the airport to change your itinerary.
• Managing your reservation online is the best option. Our Contact Center is experiencing hold times of more than 20 hours. To reduce long hold times, guests without immediate needs are asked to wait to contact us about their itineraries until next week.
• Guests impacted by cancellations and delays may be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses by providing flight information and expense details here.
• If your flight is canceled while you're at the airport and you've checked a bag, please immediately claim it at the baggage carousel before leaving the airport.

Our baggage service teams are working around the clock to reunite unclaimed bags with their owners. It will take several days to complete this work, but our agents will contact every guest to arrange pick-up or delivery.

We greatly appreciate the patience of our guests and tireless efforts from our employees during this busy travel period.

About Alaska Airlines 
Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We emphasize Next-Level Care for our guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With the alliance and our additional airline partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

 

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SOURCE Alaska Airlines

FAQ

What caused the flight cancellations for Alaska Airlines this week?

The cancellations are due to winter weather, displaced crew members, and staffing issues related to the omicron variant.

How many flights were canceled by Alaska Airlines today?

Alaska Airlines canceled 170 flights across its network today.

What are Alaska Airlines' recommendations for affected passengers?

Passengers are advised to check flight status online and consider rescheduling their travel using the flexible travel policy.

How is Alaska Airlines addressing delays caused by winter weather?

The airline is proactively reducing Seattle departures by approximately 20% to allow additional time for aircraft deicing.

What is the expected timeline for re-accommodating passengers affected by cancellations?

Re-accommodations may take up to three days due to limited seat availability.