air service in Anchorage can stink

Hopefully my experiences are not typical....but here goes !

I was scheduled to fly out of ANC after a cruise ( Island Princess) and my flight was canceled by United Airlines due to high winds. This was Wednesday 19 Sept 2012 and I was stranded in Anchorage until 24 Sept Monday which was the earliest that I could be rescheduled. The airline offered me no hotel=nothing ! I had to find my own hotel room and pay for it from my own pocket. United's gate agents treated me as a nuisance, and not as a valued customer. Here is my advice .....

1) do the round trip cruises from Seattle or Vancouver where air service is much superior to Anchorage. The one way Northbound runs the risk of stranding one in Anchorage due to limited flights out, unless of course you wish to fly to Deadhorse at the North pole !

2) If one opts to use ANC airport, use Alaskan Air,... not United, Delta, American, or US Air.

Alaskan Air has several flights every day to Seattle and a helpful gate crew. The other airlines have maybe one per day and if you get bumped from that single flight, you will spend the night in Anchorage.

3) don't get the foolish idea that the big airlines like United value you as a customer

4) If you ever book an Alaskan cruise through Anchorage, tell your friends/family/boss..." I might be late getting home ".

This happens very seldom. You probably should have spent a few extra dollars and flown with Alaska Airlines to begin with. Maybe this was your first virginal flight, I don't know. But everyone that has flown more then once should know that airlines are not responsible for acts of nature. It's been that way for at least as long as i've been flying and that's over 40 years. You should always look at your airlines flight schedules in advance and have a backup plan....

This happens very seldom. You probably should have spent a few extra dollars and flown with Alaska Airlines to begin with. Maybe this was your first virginal flight, I don't know. But everyone that has flown more then once should know that airlines are not responsible for acts of nature. It's been that way for at least as long as i've been flying and that's over 40 years. You should always look at your airlines flight schedules in advance and have a backup plan....

I usually fly DL but fly Alaska Airlines to Alaska...Since they codeshare it shouldn't make a difference right ?..The OP listed DL as a do not fly :confused:

I usually fly DL but fly Alaska Airlines to Alaska...Since they codeshare it shouldn't make a difference right ?..The OP listed DL as a do not fly :confused:

We live in Alaska and only use United as a last resort. Not only do they have limited flights but their overall attitude and service leaves plenty to be desired. With such few flights, any weather problems are made worse when things back up.

Although based in Seattle, Alaska Airlines (who does NOT codeshare with United/Continental/whatever) offers over 20 flights to Seattle alone. Far better chance in getting rescheduled on them and the service and attitude is far superior as well.

The weather on September 19 was due to an unusual storm with winds in excess of 75mph. Over 20 flights were diverted to Fairbanks or Juneau but that's extremely rare. FYI - I've encounter far worse weather in Minneapolis, Detroit, or Dallas than flying out of Anchorage.

Wife and I are flying to Boston soon and are taking Alaska to Seattle with a nonstop connection to the east coast. Alaska gives us many more options than the other carriers and we get to avoid O'Hare airport as well :)

I see this being the exception and sorry it happened to you.

Keith

We had one of the worst flights ever with United "first class" HA! in July, San Francisco-Anchorage. A tatty, dirty old plane with cranky, rude flight attendants. I believe it was a Continental code share but that's no excuse. We did arrive in one piece and on time though :p

Sorry that happened to you.

I would have been on the phone called United supervisors -- no way should you have been stranded in Anchorage for 5 days.

This was a crisis circumstance. Flights were canceled due to severe weather. None of the airlines, except Alaska, have many flights in/out Anchorage, and those flights run full. As noted there were over 20 flight cancelations.

IF the planes do not get in, how do you think you are going to get out? You are not. Add to the mix. Future flights are full, there are only so many empty seats to place all those passengers. They aren't just going to find a "spare" plane for you.

There are no hotel benefits for weather.

This is a fact of traveling, delays can and do happen, sorry it happened to you.

If you have trip insurance - look into it. This may be something you can get to reimburse your expenses (hotel, food, etc..).

I usually fly DL but fly Alaska Airlines to Alaska...Since they codeshare it shouldn't make a difference right ?..The OP listed DL as a do not fly :confused:

Sorry that happened to you.

I would have been on the phone called United supervisors -- no way should you have been stranded in Anchorage for 5 days.

Oh I called... and no luck.

If you have trip insurance - look into it. This may be something you can get to reimburse your expenses (hotel, food, etc..).

the trip insurance was with Princess, so it is my understanding that this doesn't apply.

I did write to United asking for a refund for the hotel. NO, I don't expect they will oblige.

It's in the written rules that they don't cover acts of God or nature. Our whole family got stranded in Seattle for 3 days trying to get back to Ketchikan back in 97. All they offered us was to get us onto the next flight that had seats. They didn't offer anything. We didn't expect anything. Spent the first 2 nights on the floor of SeaTac. And that was with 3 children. 3rd night broke down and stayed at Motel 6. The next morning we got on a flight.

For those reading this thread the storm which caused the flight cancellations in Anchorage was a massive storm which impacted all of southcentral Alaska. The winds were ferocious, and even impacted the interior village of Tanacross. Tanacross had roofs ripped from structures and overturned cars. We live on Chena Ridge in Fairbanks which overlooks the Fairbanks International Airport. Suddenly we realized that plane after plane after plane was landing at FIA. FAI can park twenty-eight of the biggies, and they nearly filled the slots. That day Fairbanks also had strong wind, but nothing even approaching what southcentral experienced.

While it is unfortunate that the OP was delayed in Anchorage, we also have to realize that a massive and unusual weather system can cause disruption in our travel plans.

the trip insurance was with Princess, so it is my understanding that this doesn't apply.

I did write to United asking for a refund for the hotel. NO, I don't expect they will oblige.

It would only apply if you purchased the air through Princess. Sorry about that. In the future, if you book Princess insurance for the cruise, you can purchase a cheap policy through many companies (I use Access America) for the flight. Though this probably will never happen again to you.

I do hear it was an awful storm. I had friends stuck on the Sapphire in the Whittier for several days as the ship didn't leave the pier.

Sorry for your woes but acts of God/nature are not covered by the airlines.

If you have trip insurance - look into it. This may be something you can get to reimburse your expenses (hotel, food, etc..).

That was my first thought, besides contacting your travel agent who you booked through. Oh, wait. No one uses a travel agent anymore :). It is exactly for reasons like this, and volcanic eruptions and severe snow/weather delays that good travel agents will never go away.

the trip insurance was with Princess, so it is my understanding that this doesn't apply.

Most likely it doesn't apply, but I would not rely on your layman's "understanding." I would contact the insurance to be sure. Good lesson learned for the future - never purchase insurance through one of the providers of the services you are trying to insure. It is just a bad practice all around.

This might be a relatively cheap lesson for you to learn. In any case, hopefully you used your extra days in Anchorage wisely. Lots you could have done in that time.

Sorry for your woes but acts of God/nature are not covered by the airlines.

 

That was my first thought, besides contacting your travel agent who you booked through. Oh, wait. No one uses a travel agent anymore :). It is exactly for reasons like this, and volcanic eruptions and severe snow/weather delays that good travel agents will never go away.

 

I still do! And she gives me great rates.

There is a remote chance that the OP credit card may have some travel insurance included if they used the credit card to buy the plane tickets. They are usually higher end credit cards.

For those reading this thread the storm which caused the flight cancellations in Anchorage was a massive storm which impacted all of southcentral Alaska. The winds were ferocious, and even impacted the interior village of Tanacross. Tanacross had roofs ripped from structures and overturned cars. We live on Chena Ridge in Fairbanks which overlooks the Fairbanks International Airport. Suddenly we realized that plane after plane after plane was landing at FIA. FAI can park twenty-eight of the biggies, and they nearly filled the slots. That day Fairbanks also had strong wind, but nothing even approaching what southcentral experienced.

 

While it is unfortunate that the OP was delayed in Anchorage, we also have to realize that a massive and unusual weather system can cause disruption in our travel plans.

I understand that acts of nature prevents flights, so I understand being delayed. My main issue was with United's customer service attitude.

So I'll revise what I said....DO visit Alaska....by all means visit Alaska. Anchorage is a lovely city, but I still advise flying Alaskan Air.

So visit Anchorage, but do so on an Alaskan air ticket...or e-ticket I should say.

It would only apply if you purchased the air through Princess. Sorry about that. In the future, if you book Princess insurance for the cruise, you can purchase a cheap policy through many companies (I use Access America) for the flight. Though this probably will never happen again to you.

 

I do hear it was an awful storm. I had friends stuck on the Sapphire in the Whittier for several days as the ship didn't leave the pier.

For my next cruise I did purchase air & insurance through Princess. Some say it is better to book everything separately, but right now I just love the cruise-line taking care of everything.

Living in a Gulf coast state, I understand all about weather delays and canceled flights due to storms. Hurricanes and tropical storms disrupt our plans ever so often. Talking with others who got stranded in Anchorage, the main issue seems to be with United Airlines and their lack of customer service.

That is why I first submit my claim to United, once they turn me down...and they will...then I will talk with Princess's insurance. I did speak with Princess's airport representatives and they told me that it was between me and the airline, but I feel that it still would not hurt to call.

thanks everyone.

Some say it is better to book everything separately, but right now I just love the cruise-line taking care of everything.

Ease is not necessarily the most productive or most effective. But if it is ease you want, then you pay the consequences, as you have already found out.

For my next cruise I did purchase air & insurance through Princess. Some say it is better to book everything separately, but right now I just love the cruise-line taking care of everything.

But, if purchasing the air with the cruiseline. MOST people have no idea what kind of tickets they are purchasing. For some, it would be a good idea to go to the cruise air site on this site and read about consulator tickets. You want a LONG delay getting home due to canceled flights, then purchase those. The LAST to get taken care of and the most inconvenience. The cruiseline will NOT help you with any rebooking.

If you haven't slept on the floor of an airport in Alaska at least once, you have not experienced Alaska. Period.

The airlines can only do so much when weather conditions are dangerous.

Alaska isn't DisneyWorld.

One darn thing for sure is don't fly in on the same day as a cruise. That is why I go a day early.

If you haven't slept on the floor of an airport in Alaska at least once, you have not experienced Alaska. Period.

So is that the "real Alaska" that so many people say they want to see??? :D