NoLaGent

It is interesting that AS isn't bringing more HI options back, especially in December. HA just announced that in December they're returning SFO-OGG and OAK-LIH service on their A321s.

missamo80

With YYC being the new "rapid test, shortened quarantine" pilot airport I was holding out hope Alaska would run a flight up there Looks like the only option to get there is Alaska to DEN then United to YYC. Yuck.

Flying for Fun

Or AS to YVR and AC/WS to YYC. The testing is a great start for returning Canadians who aren't exempt from Quarentine, but ultimately a SEA-YYC would still be a shuttle for Canadians.

If you had YYC on an itinerary that was later cancelled, AS would have got you there on WS or AC. At least that is what they offered me on a cancelled YLW segment. Cancelling all non YVR flights to Canada for the remainder of the year mitigates their risk of buying you a flight on WS/AC from YVR.

James

xliioper

As noted upthread, the December schedule extends through Jan 4th. The Bay Area to Hawaii flights are still in the schedule from Jan 5th onwards. Of course, how many will actually remain is still up in the area. The updates to January schedule will likely be made around a month from now.

missamo80

Unfortunately for the rapid testing pilot you have to arrive in YYC from the US, you can't connect inside Canada.

Flying for Fun

I understand that. There are options other than UA from DEN from AS cities with non-stop service into YYC if you are eligible to enter Canada. WS from LAX/LAS/PHX/PVR which AS is working with, for instance. Since foreign nationals entering Canada as essential workers are exempt from quarentine, the YYC Pilot is only useful for Canadians or permanent residence returning home. Just so everyone is clear, foreign nationals are still prohibited from entering Canada for non-essential purposes. The YYC pilot project doesn't change that.

James

sfozrhfco

On the earnings call, they mentioned they were only bringing back about half the pre-COVID flights to Hawaii so I would expect the Bay Area flights to continue to be cut.

tom911

I have a Tuesday EWR-SFO flight in December that is gone. Not a single EWR-SFO flight operating that day. Have been rerouted JFK-SFO on the 6pm flight, the only SFO service operating from the NYC area on the same day.

missamo80

It's also useful for dual-citizens/Canadians living in the US with family in Canada (my situation). I realize there aren't many of us and the flights from YYC are very much targeted at Canadians heading south to warm-ish areas. I can still dream/hope that Alaska brings back SEA-YYC

SF1K

So once this kind of schedule change hits and it’s the schedule until January 4 does that mean that flights until January 4 are pretty safe at this stage? Or have there historically been additional schedule cuts/changes?

Flying for Fun

I feel your pain. AS will return to YYC, YEG, YLW & YYJ when the borders open but until then not really viable. YVR still gives AS a Canadian presence and useful for foreign nationals transiting to a third country. Flights are still pretty light despite seat blocking. There were 3 in F when I flew October 10th. I have been severed from the AS network since April. Little did I know in August 2019 when I needed to get from LAX to PHX and I flew LAX-SFO-HKG-GUM-HNL-SFO-PHX to fulfill a UA status challenge for Premiére Platinum that my *G would be extended into 2022 and I would be flying AC.

I have SEA-YLW booked for January 5th. It likely will be cancelled too. The certainty of the uncertainty is that the puzzle picture keeps changing.

James

NoLaGent

Everything's a roll of the dice in this environment, but I would say the odds are in your favor at this point, especially w/holiday demand. In some markets, any further cuts would mean no service at all...

sfozrhfco

AS's service from the Bay Area to NYC area airports has been on life support for some time now. Probably about time to choose another carrier that has more than a few flights per week if you need flexibility in day/time of travel.

tom911

Not there yet as a leisure traveler. A $250 transcon on Alaska will bring in 11,000 miles or so at top tier. I have lifetime midtier status at both AA (Platinum) and UA (Gold), but buying the same ticket with them brings in about 1,600 miles. Going to hang in with Alaska as long as I can as I burn a lot of miles on international business and first (or did until March rolled in). I do buy the occasional AA and UA ticket still but only when the fare significantly trumps Alaska or the Alaska routing is so bad, or so late in the day, that I'm cornered into buying with AA or UA.

stephem

So we got hit with a 7 hour 10 minutes change (from 2:30pm to 7:20am departure) and I am not interested in that timing. I should be able to get a full refund given that significant change right? I cannot recall with the change in time limits are now during COVID...