Alaska Airlines Changing my flight times

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

I have 2 big trips this year, both scheduled with Alaska Airlines. Both have now had schedule changes. First one, they cut my vacation time by about 3 hours and have me concerned about rushing from the cruise terminal to the airport. It will cost me $75./pp to change the times, even though they got to change my times for free.

Today, I was looking at my Hawaii flight for November to see how much it would cost to upgrade the tickets to first class and it shows that I can't view my reservation online because of schedule changes and says I have to call. I did a search for those days to see what the flight times are and again cutting out my vacation time.

I've never flown Alaska before and because of this, probably won't again. Is it normal for them to change the flight times like that?

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

I don't know about Alaskan Airlines, but it is pretty normal for airlines to change flight times, and even routes. I think the "rule" is, if the change results in something like more than 3, or 4 hours, they have to make the changes for you at no cost, or even refund the tickets.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I have 2 big trips this year, both scheduled with Alaska Airlines. Both have now had schedule changes. First one, they cut my vacation time by about 3 hours and have me concerned about rushing from the cruise terminal to the airport. It will cost me $75./pp to change the times, even though they got to change my times for free.

Today, I was looking at my Hawaii flight for November to see how much it would cost to upgrade the tickets to first class and it shows that I can't view my reservation online because of schedule changes and says I have to call. I did a search for those days to see what the flight times are and again cutting out my vacation time.

I've never flown Alaska before and because of this, probably won't again. Is it normal for them to change the flight times like that?

In my 30 years of flying experience, it happens regularly and happens with all airlines; in my experience Alaska no more so than any other airline.

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

It will cost me $75./pp to change the times, even though they got to change my times for free.

Have you called them? My read of their Contract of Carriage is that you should be able to be rebooked without fee. They define "change in schedule" thusly (Rule 5AS):

Schedule Change -

The cancellation of a scheduled flight where no AS flight of comparable routing is available within 60 minutes of the original time of departure; or
A change in the scheduled departure time of an AS flight which exceeds 60 minutes; or
A change in the routing of a scheduled AS flight which adds one or more stops to the original itinerary; or
A change in the routing of an AS scheduled flight that results in a scheduled arrival time more than 60 minutes later than the original scheduled arrival time; or
Any change in the arrival time of an AS flight that results in a misconnection to any flight shown in the same reservation and ticket.

Most airlines will re-book you into any other flight when that happens. I would assume that Alaska is the same, based on Rule 240AS Clause 5:

Change in Schedule: When a ticketed, confirmed passenger will be delayed because of a change in AS's schedule as defined in Rule 5AS, AS will arrange to:
Transport passenger to his/her destination or next ticketed stopover point on another AS flight (without stopover) on which space is available in the same or higher class of service than reflected on the passenger's ticket at no additional charge; or
Refund according to Rule 260. Exception 1: When an AS schedule results in the cancellation of all AS service between two cities, AS will reroute passengers holding confirmed reservations on AS between such cities over the lines of one or more other carriers at no additional cost to the passenger. Exception 2: Change in schedule does not include force majeure events as defined in Paragraph I).

And, yes, all of them* do this.

*: Southwest does it less often, but that's largely because they publish their schedules/fares relatively late.

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

Thanks for that info, bnoble. Never heard the rule 260 before. I'll have to look into a refund for part of my booking, since the new flight time would make me change another flight in another airline. If Alaska will refund that portion, I can just fly direct on Hawaiin.

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

Call and ask what your options are. But, most airlines have a similar rule in their CoC. I know Delta does.