Horizon Service Cuts?
May 10, 2022, 10:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: ALW
Programs: AS Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 97
Horizon Service Cuts?
I just had several flights out of ALW require rebooking as of mid September, going to November at least. Looks like the other shoe may be dropping with the upcoming transition away from the Q400 - appears we’ve lost our early flight that gets to SEA in time to connect to the east coast.
Did this happen to anyone else?
Did this happen to anyone else?
May 10, 2022, 10:44 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: ALW
Programs: AS Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 97
We’re used to a seasonal transition from 3 to 2 flights. 2 to 1, knocking out east coast connections, is a whole different ballgame.
May 10, 2022, 11:17 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,857
There was some discussion about the Horizon service cuts due to the Q400 retirements in April in this thread (including that ALW and others would be dropping to one flight a day):
Labor Issues Cause Flight Cancellations
Labor Issues Cause Flight Cancellations
May 11, 2022, 8:24 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: YYJ
Posts: 179
I have noticed YYJ down to 1x a day after Labour Day. This makes a lot connections very inconvenient.
I am about to book New Years flights to Hawaii but I’ll now look at WS and AC. Will still probably travel on AS as I have a companion pass to use.
I am about to book New Years flights to Hawaii but I’ll now look at WS and AC. Will still probably travel on AS as I have a companion pass to use.
May 11, 2022, 10:57 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,030
This is brought to you by the same management group that can’t make peace with their pilots. Now they have decided to get rid of the Qs before there are replacement aircraft. Soooo 25% fewer aircraft mean 25% less flights.
May 11, 2022, 11:44 pm
#8
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May 18, 2022, 4:47 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: YKM
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 135
I noticed it as well.
I also noticed that Pullman maintained their flights as did Missoula, Bend and Medford.
At this point, I think the writing is on the wall for Walla Walla and Yakima in a general effort or final step to "consolidate" air traffic into Pasco. How do you continue to staff and maintain a spot for one flight per day. And that one flight per day is realistically only good for connecting to someplace no further east than Denver. Heck, the two flights per day is already not very convenient. I went to Fresno in March, and it was faster for me to drive the hour and a half to Pasco as opposed to leave from Yakima at 5:30am and sit in SeaTac for five hours.
I also noticed that Pullman maintained their flights as did Missoula, Bend and Medford.
At this point, I think the writing is on the wall for Walla Walla and Yakima in a general effort or final step to "consolidate" air traffic into Pasco. How do you continue to staff and maintain a spot for one flight per day. And that one flight per day is realistically only good for connecting to someplace no further east than Denver. Heck, the two flights per day is already not very convenient. I went to Fresno in March, and it was faster for me to drive the hour and a half to Pasco as opposed to leave from Yakima at 5:30am and sit in SeaTac for five hours.
May 18, 2022, 8:16 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 170
100% this. If the management team is publicly stating that a new month beginning can cause flight issues and express surprise about the number of pilots they have, it’s hard to avoid assuming that they have not thought fully through the individual flight and out station implications of their big fleet announcement. I actually really hope I’m wrong about that, but think the evidence is stacking up in favor of a leadership team in completely over their heads.
May 19, 2022, 5:03 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: YKM
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 135
100% this. If the management team is publicly stating that a new month beginning can cause flight issues and express surprise about the number of pilots they have, it’s hard to avoid assuming that they have not thought fully through the individual flight and out station implications of their big fleet announcement. I actually really hope I’m wrong about that, but think the evidence is stacking up in favor of a leadership team in completely over their heads.
Wayfarer, what is it like/the sentiment in Walla Walla?
May 20, 2022, 9:18 am
#12
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,030
I don't think it is "100% this" for the cities we are talking about. As a resident of Yakima, that late night into Yakima/early departure to Seattle gets canceled a fare amount and has for years; even pre-covid. Several years ago during one January, I think it was canceled over 30% of the time or something. Meanwhile, down the road in Pasco it just rolled on.
Wayfarer, what is it like/the sentiment in Walla Walla?
Wayfarer, what is it like/the sentiment in Walla Walla?
May 20, 2022, 5:27 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
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But it looks like Skywest is taking over some flying. As far as I recall, RDM had had only Horizon flights, and I noticed Skywest flying about half the SEA schedule starting in November (18th, I think). And RDM-LAX seems to go to Skywest in June 16.
May 21, 2022, 1:16 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 917
I noticed it as well.
I also noticed that Pullman maintained their flights as did Missoula, Bend and Medford.
At this point, I think the writing is on the wall for Walla Walla and Yakima in a general effort or final step to "consolidate" air traffic into Pasco. How do you continue to staff and maintain a spot for one flight per day. And that one flight per day is realistically only good for connecting to someplace no further east than Denver. Heck, the two flights per day is already not very convenient. I went to Fresno in March, and it was faster for me to drive the hour and a half to Pasco as opposed to leave from Yakima at 5:30am and sit in SeaTac for five hours.
I also noticed that Pullman maintained their flights as did Missoula, Bend and Medford.
At this point, I think the writing is on the wall for Walla Walla and Yakima in a general effort or final step to "consolidate" air traffic into Pasco. How do you continue to staff and maintain a spot for one flight per day. And that one flight per day is realistically only good for connecting to someplace no further east than Denver. Heck, the two flights per day is already not very convenient. I went to Fresno in March, and it was faster for me to drive the hour and a half to Pasco as opposed to leave from Yakima at 5:30am and sit in SeaTac for five hours.
May 23, 2022, 12:41 pm
#15
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: YKM
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 135
I think it's unlikely that they're going to keep places like EAT or YKM at one per day long-term (well... depends on the definition of long, I guess), or leave those cities entirely. But it's going to be hard to hang on to elites in those Horizon-only cities with such a minimal schedule. Once you start having to drive to SEA/PAI from EAT or SEA/PSC from YKM, they will have other options and understandably less trust in AS/QX. Just maintaining their status becomes an annoying and expensive proposition.
We then were talking about the value of one flight per day with a history of cancelations, especially in December and January. At that point, it is a net negative. What if you are going someplace and you need to be there at a given time? You would now need a contingency plan for each booking.