I don' think that absolves Alaska from providing the excellent customer service that they just acknowledged in winning a JD Power award:
It's our pleasure to help you get from place to important place in your life; we pinky-swear promise to stay focused on lower fares, better service, and sweeter rewards to keep your future flights fantastic.
Our employees are extraordinary, experts at anticipating your every need to help you fly smart, land happy, and enjoy your trip even more as you head out into the world. They're the reason flying with us is an award-worthy experience. We're beyond grateful for their kind-hearted, thoughtful, dedicated work.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/ab...r-satisfaction
I'd say they dropped the ball here in not proactively assisting the passengers on this flight. Their contract or carriage, though, says accommodations
MAY be provided, not WILL be provided, so maybe they have an escape clause there, though later on it does say they can offer an electronic certificate to reimburse for passenger hotel costs. Will be interesting to see if
VegasGambler is offered a certificate versus a check.
- Canceled: If the Passenger's flight is canceled, and the city where the cancellation occurs is 100 miles away from the Passenger's home, hotel accommodations may be provided. Accommodations include single or family rooms and round-trip ground transportation to an airport area hotel if such ground transportation is not furnished by the hotel. Alaska will provide at its option either one night's hotel accommodations, or, if no hotel accommodations are provided and upon the Passenger's request only, reimbursement for one night's hotel accommodations in the form of an electronic travel certificate that may be applied to future travel on Alaska up to a maximum amount determined by Alaska. Such accommodations will only be provided when a Passenger incurs a delay that is expected to exceed four hours between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time. Where hotel accommodations have been offered but not accepted by a Passenger for whatever reason, Alaska is not liable to reimburse the Passenger for expenses relating to alternative hotel accommodations secured independently by the Passenger. Hotel accommodations will not be furnished to a Passenger whose trip is interrupted at a city which is his/her permanent domicile, origin point, or Stopover point or when such cancellation is due to circumstances outside Alaska's control, including due to Force Majeure Events. Alaska will provide ground transportation to the place of lodging via public conveyance if such ground transportation is not furnished by the hotel. Where ground transportation has been offered but not accepted by a Passenger for whatever reason, Alaska is not liable to reimburse the Passenger for expenses relating to alternative ground transportation secured by the Passenger.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/le...arriage/rule-8