Winter Storm - Feb. 2021
Feb 13, 2021, 5:19 pm
#47
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
AKScotty is on a delayed SEA-LAS, AS 1236 Apparently the amex CL closed early at 2 PM today. Waiting on deicing now it sounds like...
Feb 13, 2021, 5:41 pm
#48
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: IHG Spire, Cunard Diamond
Posts: 314
My Seattle neighborhood had six inches of snow this morning and it is still coming down. People forget how many hills there are in the city until the chained-up busses go sliding down diagonally. DOT is advising against all non-essential travel for the weekend.
Feb 13, 2021, 6:50 pm
#49
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 34
I'm so disappointed as I had a mileage run scheduled this weekend: SEA/PDX/SEA/FLL/SAN/PDX/SEA (meeting up with a friend based in Portland so the first and last leg were on a separate ticket). With BOGO and 50% EQM bonus, would have earned over 10K EQM and 13.6K award miles for $300. Both of today's SEA-PDX flights were cancelled. Sigh
Feb 13, 2021, 6:56 pm
#50
formerly wchinchen
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Honolulu
Programs: AA CK, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,279
I would highly recommend using Alaska Air Twitter for any help on change/cancellations. The phone number kept on dropping for me when I called, and it’s a couple hour wait time. Twitter handled flight cancellations/changes within 5 minutes.
Feb 13, 2021, 7:37 pm
#51
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Have to say I'm really disappointed to see Alaska didn't get a winter weather waiver up a day or two ahead of this storm to allow travelers to get out early. By the time they posted one this afternoon, seems just a wee bit too late. Prior to that their travel waiver only addressed unaccompanied minors or pets in cargo.
I'm used to AA waivers in the Northeast that give all sorts of flexibility for places like BOS and NYC. If you have empty seats on Thursday and Friday, and you see a major weather event approaching, why not give Saturday's customers a chance to get out on them? Just really can't think of a good explanation. Anyone want to take a stab at it? Does it all revolve around revenue?
Although I was not impacted by today's cancellations (looks like every east coast flight from SEA was cancelled in the morning except EWR which went out almost 5 hours late and MCO 3 hours late - the list includes FLL, PHL, DCA, RDU, BWI, IAD, ATL, BOS), I'm being rerouted through SEA quite a bit due to the reduced schedule at SFO. I'm coming back through there again on Monday, hopefully without any issues.
I'm used to AA waivers in the Northeast that give all sorts of flexibility for places like BOS and NYC. If you have empty seats on Thursday and Friday, and you see a major weather event approaching, why not give Saturday's customers a chance to get out on them? Just really can't think of a good explanation. Anyone want to take a stab at it? Does it all revolve around revenue?
Although I was not impacted by today's cancellations (looks like every east coast flight from SEA was cancelled in the morning except EWR which went out almost 5 hours late and MCO 3 hours late - the list includes FLL, PHL, DCA, RDU, BWI, IAD, ATL, BOS), I'm being rerouted through SEA quite a bit due to the reduced schedule at SFO. I'm coming back through there again on Monday, hopefully without any issues.
Feb 13, 2021, 11:35 pm
#52
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SEA, NW/DL 1.6Million Miler
Programs: DL 1MM Annual Silver,AS 100K 22-24, AS 75K 15-21
Posts: 4,278
Grr Travel waiver came too late
Thursday night, I called if I could proactively rebook my Saturday flight for Friday, but waiver was not yet issued so it meant I would have to pay the difference in fares. I didn’t reissue but booked a new award Rez instead. Just prior to traveling on Friday, I cancelled my Saturday travel as waiver still wasn’t issued. Waiver wasn’t even issued, prior to my originally booked Saturday flight time either, even though it had cancelled. (Flight cancellation didn’t come until early Saturday morning for 8am flight)
Why was Alaska so late in issuing a waiver. Flexible refund policy isn’t the policy fit for all, as some people wants or need to travel. I saw so many abundantly delayed and cancelled flight on the SEA flight schedules. Instead, AS made the cancellation travel experience terrible for more people on Saturday.
AS isn’t perfect, but they could have easily accommodated more people on Friday had they made the option available for people traveling on Saturday.
Jiburi
Why was Alaska so late in issuing a waiver. Flexible refund policy isn’t the policy fit for all, as some people wants or need to travel. I saw so many abundantly delayed and cancelled flight on the SEA flight schedules. Instead, AS made the cancellation travel experience terrible for more people on Saturday.
AS isn’t perfect, but they could have easily accommodated more people on Friday had they made the option available for people traveling on Saturday.
Jiburi
Feb 14, 2021, 9:34 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,388
Yes. It’s still snowing and SEA is still going to be a goat rodeo in the snow.
Feb 14, 2021, 9:41 am
#55
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AA-EXP
Posts: 616
Feb 14, 2021, 9:55 am
#56
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Seattle
Programs: Alaska airlines 100k
Posts: 923
Outcome:
called on 2/11 around 9pm CST and asked
if I could get put on ORD flight for 2/12. The customer service agent in Boise was initially very proud that they had already booked me
for the next day out of MKE. I asked again if I could just be put on an ORD flight so I could sleep in my own bed on 2/12 as originally planned. He states that there would be a fee difference because it was a different airport. I expressed understanding but asked for the courtesy. He put me on hold and went to a supervisor. Within 2 minutes he returned and ask which flight I preferred but clarified that my FC upgrade could not be immediately transferred or honored as all FC seats were filled.
I asked for the 8:00 am flight and it was completed within 2 minutes. I checked in on my phone subsequently and got a boarding pass and placed on upgrade wait list.
later that evening I looked at the next day flights seating availability. Later flights had some unfilled seats but no FC seats for sale. I was within the 24 hour window so did SDC very easily on my phone to an alternate flight and was placed on the wait list. After checking in I was #1 on list.
more of a pain to get to airport at ORD due to change, had to take train to downtown Chicago then blue line to ORD. Was gonna take Coach airport bus but the timing efficiency was just a bit narrow - with only 15 minute arrival before takeoff- which could easily be a late arrival to ORD).
At T2 before takeoff received email that I was upgraded
overall other than my original flight being cancelled (I suspect because flights for this route both ways was less than 1/2 filled, they could easily combine for the next day) I was satisfied with the result and process.
arrived home in Seattle at nearly the same time as original and able to sleep in my own bed.
called on 2/11 around 9pm CST and asked
if I could get put on ORD flight for 2/12. The customer service agent in Boise was initially very proud that they had already booked me
for the next day out of MKE. I asked again if I could just be put on an ORD flight so I could sleep in my own bed on 2/12 as originally planned. He states that there would be a fee difference because it was a different airport. I expressed understanding but asked for the courtesy. He put me on hold and went to a supervisor. Within 2 minutes he returned and ask which flight I preferred but clarified that my FC upgrade could not be immediately transferred or honored as all FC seats were filled.
I asked for the 8:00 am flight and it was completed within 2 minutes. I checked in on my phone subsequently and got a boarding pass and placed on upgrade wait list.
later that evening I looked at the next day flights seating availability. Later flights had some unfilled seats but no FC seats for sale. I was within the 24 hour window so did SDC very easily on my phone to an alternate flight and was placed on the wait list. After checking in I was #1 on list.
more of a pain to get to airport at ORD due to change, had to take train to downtown Chicago then blue line to ORD. Was gonna take Coach airport bus but the timing efficiency was just a bit narrow - with only 15 minute arrival before takeoff- which could easily be a late arrival to ORD).
At T2 before takeoff received email that I was upgraded
overall other than my original flight being cancelled (I suspect because flights for this route both ways was less than 1/2 filled, they could easily combine for the next day) I was satisfied with the result and process.
arrived home in Seattle at nearly the same time as original and able to sleep in my own bed.
now hopefully our family flight to MCO later today will be OK. They cancelled the morning flight. We chose the later afternoon flight during some promotion several months ago trying to take advantage of very reasonable FC fares so as to insure kid and spouse keep MVPG for next year. If things go well for this weeks round trip may keep purchasing FC fairs for the family and get the EQM to 75K
Feb 14, 2021, 11:02 am
#58
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: IHG Spire, Cunard Diamond
Posts: 314
Feb 14, 2021, 1:08 pm
#60
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 480
Thanks for the heads up....gave it a try but they said they couldn't make changes to the reservation on social media. Luckily I live in a town where the airport is pretty small, so I drove over and spoke with a counter agent and got the flight changed. Only like 5 hours faster than a phone agent...hahah
Thanks again
Thanks again