Single_Flyer

It is sad to see Alaska Airlines fall so far so fast over the past 5 years. I have seen amazing employees leave for other companies as Alaska has left behind the values that once made them different from the other big airlines. Not impressed with leadership at all.

BayAreaTrvler

Quick translation to save you two minutes of watching the video:

“Our leadership team thought they knew what they were doing. They didn’t. For that, our crisis communications consultant has told me to tell you that I am sorry. We will continue to disrupt your travel plans, randomly, for the next two months. You will not be able to reliably contact us when we do, and you will not have good alternative flights when that happens. But, the good news is that we are pretty sure we will know what we are doing by June.”

jerry a. laska

As of 9April:
Pilot numbers and AS statements in April:
https://www.seattletimes.com/busines...es-reputation/

nomad420

To me this is all massive damage control and not for what HAS happened but what is about to happen here. Sadly I believe the worse is yet to come. I think management realizes this as well at this point. Can they change course and fix this sinking ship, I am hoping so.

jiburi

I agree with Mr Minicurri’s assessment of pilot shortage being the cause. We knew it was coming, and now its here. AS needs to make drastic steps to train new pilots and retaining current ones so that they will continue to fly for AS. This is not a quick fix. Seeing B6 try to buy pilots by acquiring NK asset is an example of what this industry is doing to finding new pilots and aircrafts. AS needs to do something similar. Perhaps helping B6 attain NK purchase goal by AS trying to do similar with F9 might have done the trick. Without such un-heard-of steps, AS risk further loss of pilots….

Jiburi

DuckFlyer

Trying to post this in a non-inflamatory way but as soon as my wife and I watched this video we remembered that AS started facing significant ops challenges when they jettisoned the scripture cards from first class meals…

sfozrhfco

Now they are left desperately praying that more pilots won’t leave😂

GumboCook

hiring and training 150 new pilots, 200 additional reservation agents, and 1100 new flight attendants is going to solve the issues?

My experience suggests things getting worse.

EuropeanPete

This is a bit like the message from British Airways earlier in the year: “we’re sorry we really suck, but you better get used to it as I don’t intend to change anything anytime soon”.

Tack

You almost got it perfectly, but it’s actually July. That according to Ben’s apology to employees. Anyone want to set an over-under?

edgewood49

I'm glad you brought Bill Ayer up I have written several times my concerns about the new management of AS which was based on several inter actions with them and observing what is happening at AS. It appears to me that they are more concerned with social issues etc than running a damn airline, now this I rest my case.

I like many of us on this thread have been long time loyal AS flyer's so our voice comes with authority, sadly I predict that AS will not survive as a stand a long carrier and will be merged and they will only have themselves to blame. This certainly is not your "father's Alaska Airlines".

Aliquot

It is about emotional appeal,but is a slap in the face at the same time. They could have shown they understand the value of their costumers' time by at least including the text of the video in the email.

Eastbay1K

AS and "social issues" were an issue long prior to the latest CEO turnover. And those issues are relevant when running a "damn airline," but they don't have anything to do with the current state of affairs, which may have been caused by ineptitude, incompetence, inattention, inability, overoptimism, or praying to the wrong airline reliability gods, and/or all of or a combination of the above.

I am specifically replying to your post, and don't want it to go off the political rails, but it was important for this (and other) companies to show some respect and encourage further respect of historically marginalized workgroups, and public acceptance and inclusion of said groups could only help to improve the workplace, and passenger experience. A not-insubstantial percentage of AS employees are people of color and LGBTQ, and didn't exactly have a welcoming workplace, especially if they were in the cockpit or machine shop. Several years back, I was quite surprised at some of the stickers, etc., that I saw in the maintenance facilities, on tool boxes, etc. And just because your inflight crew may be all part of the "marginalized" community, it doesn't mean that the cockpit was treating them with respect. And as a practical matter, for most of the time, there was no one to complain to, and no real workplace protections for these hostile work environments.

In that regard, I'm glad this isn't my "father's Alaska Airlines." And I think that, long term, if there is an AS long term, that the at least perceived corporate acceptance and promotion of everyone is better than not, and that the current state of affairs isn't caused by the "social issues."

olouie

US really needs passenger friendly regulations similar to EU261. The airlines get bailed out every decade or so and meanwhile keep make flying worse for passengers. BA has a lot of problems but at least when they cancel a flight last minute I get a lot of money (after fighting them for a while).

Eastbay1K

That would be lovely, but so long as there are lobbyists sufficient for bailouts, there are also lobbyists sufficient for no EU261-equivalent.