Tagged: alaska-airlines

The Airlines, Unchecked, are Showing Passengers Prices They Can’t Actually Find

It's difficult enough comparison shopping for airfares among online ticket agencies and the carriers' own sites. Airline pricing has gotten more complicated and more confusing…

The Proposed U.S. Airline Mergers Are Terrible for Americans, And Here's Proof Why

I spent Halloween in federal court in Boston at a trial that pits the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against the merger of JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines. There have been much…

How Safe Are U.S. Airlines Compared with the Rest of the World? Safety Monitor Has Answers

The swarms of flight delays and cancellations plaguing airports were easily the worst parts of travel in 2022—and so far the same issues haven't exactly made 2023 a happy new year for…

Alaska Airlines Launches Electronic Bag Label: See How it Works

Alaska Airlines has started rolling out a new electronic bag tag that eliminates the need for printed destination labels for checked luggage. The new devices, which were announced…

Why Alaska Airlines' New Subscription Service May Not Save You Money

Like much of the traveling world, I'm a big fan of Alaska Airlines. The mid-sized carrier consistently ranks in the top five or in the number-one spot for customer satisfaction and…

2022's Safest U.S. Airline—and Where It Ranks Worldwide

Covid-19 has been the biggest safety concern in air travel (and every other kind of travel) for two years now. So it's no wonder the expert safety monitors at AirlineRatings.com have…

Warning: Time May Be Running Out on Your Covid Flight Credits

Forget free champagne in first class. Starting in spring 2020, the most coveted amenities for air travelers became a flexible cancellation policy and flight credits that could be used…

Which U.S. Airline Is Safest for Pets? Government Data Shows Top Dog

Each year, U.S.-based airlines transport hundreds of thousands of pets, and the vast majority of those dogs and cats reach their destinations with no trouble. When something goes wrong…

What to Do About Canceled Flights in This Summer of Airline Meltdowns

When American Airlines went through a rocky period early in June, when it canceled 10% of its flights during a fraught Father's Day weekend, I warned that the company's problems would…

Airlines Bring Back Fees, But Not for Every Passenger

Strange as it may feel to find anything about 2020 that could possibly qualify as the Good Old Days, the global crisis did yield a few positives. When demand for commercial flights…

Guess the Safest U.S. Airline for 2021—and Where It Ranks Worldwide

The world's 20 safest airlines have been named for 2021 by the safety monitors at AirlineRatings.com. Among 385 carriers that were evaluated according to factors such as incident…

Ski Free If You Fly Alaska Airlines to the Slopes

Airlines and ski resorts have something in common: They're desperate to take customers to high altitudes this winter. Like all the major carriers, Alaska Airlines is doing everything…

Spit Take! Study Says Don't Drink the Water on Planes

You should probably stick to bottled water in the skies. That's the conclusion of a new study measuring airline water safety, conducted by Hunter College's New York City Food Policy…

Hey, Airlines! Maybe We Don't Want to Watch TV on Our Phones

The airlines have stripped coach passengers of nearly every vestige of dignity—our legroom, our food, our free checked bags. But they're not done yet. Now they are taking away seatback…

Basic Economy Fares: What You Get and What You Lose, Airline by Airline

Despite what airlines say, "basic economy" fares do not mean lower fares for everyone. In fact, they have increased prices for most of us because they now label the lowest prices as…

An Airline Perk for Ugly Holiday Sweaters

Alaska Airlines passengers will want to raid their closets for brightly colored, snowman-bedecked, jingle-bell-festooned sweaters on December 15.In honor of National Ugly Christmas…

Blaming Trump, Another Airline Calls It Quits in Cuba

Alaska Airlines will discontinue its service to Cuba on January 22, 2018, the carrier has announced. The reason: the Trump Administration's new rules that make it too difficult for…

Date Set for Last Virgin America Flights

Your last chance to fly with Virgin America is April 24, 2018. The award-winning and much-loved carrier was acquired by Alaska Airlines for $2.6 billion in late 2016. Alaska later…

Virtual Dives at Marine Sanctuaries, A Second Seattle Airport?, and America's Best Beaches: Today's Travel Briefing

MAY 31, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's airports, beaches, and dive sites. A SECOND AIRPORT FOR SEATTLE? (USA Today)The Seattle area could soon get a…

Underwater Titanic Tours, Virgin America Gets the Axe, and a Delayed Airline Rule: Today's Travel Briefing

MARCH 27, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's airlines and underwater submersibles. * ALASKA AIRLINES IS DOING AWAY WITH VIRGIN AMERICA (Los Angeles…

Booze at Airports, Pokémon Go at Airports, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Here's what's happening today in the world of travel.* UK AIRPORTS TO CRACK DOWN ON ALCOHOL SALES (Condé Nast Traveler). After a string of news stories involving drunken Brits behaving…

America’s Best Airline Is Crowned, But Is It About to Sink Soon?

It looks like Alaska Airlines just made a great deal in picking up Virgin America, which was itself just rated, for the fourth year in a row, as the best airline in the U.S. by the…

The Department of Transportation Is Getting Serious About Airlines Compensating Passengers for Damaged Luggage

If you think passengers are being treated disrespectfully by the airlines—what with ever shrinking seats and ever growing fees—consider what their luggage is going through. Recently,…

American Airlines Changes Its Frequent Flyer Program, Making It Near Impossible for Average Joes to Earn Miles Just from Flying Any Longer

And then there were none.Did you hear a loud groan last week? That was the members of American Airlines' frequent flyer program—well, all but the business travelers—reacting to…

Cell Phones on Planes: Time to Rethink the Policy?

How do you know that the rules restricting electronics on planes are impractical? When you see a crewmember openly texting at 36,000 feet.That's what Peter Zapalo says he saw on a…