Alaska Airlines

LAX to Portland, OR and return. Carry-on only, on-line check-in, so no interaction at the airports. Both flights left on time and arrived early. Clean planes, nice lunches, affable crews. All in all a very good experience, as I always expect when I fly Alaska now and then.

This was an evening flight from Orange County airport (California) to Seattle. As the first insult, without us realizing it, the ticketing agent in Santa Ana created tags for a different “Ross” party than my wife and me. She created tags for a “Ryan Ross” (rather than for me, “Glade Ross”). More seriously, this particular “Ryan Ross” was ticketed to Portland, rather than to our own destination of Seattle. In itself, the mistake was evidently a very human one, and forgivable. What is not forgivable (much less comprehensible) is that Alaska systems evidently leave it up to a human operator to see and select an apparent match for passenger on his/her computer screen (as basis for creating luggage tags), as opposed to using a scan to the boarding pass as basis for a positive (and reliable) match. Where a human works in that mode, it can be certain occasional mistakes (such as in this instance in fact happened) will occur. Shame on Alaska Airlines for maintaining such an ignorant system — in particular, one that can be guaranteed to cause enormous customer inconvenience and frustration at some regular interval! So, already arriving late in the night and very tired, my wife and I ended up spending an extra hour in the baggage claim area working out the issue, and finally began our 90 minute drive home sans baggage, toothbrushes and other essentials. At least, I got a call reasonably early this morning indicating our two suitcases were in-hand in Seattle, and would be out on courier for morning delivery. The only upset in that call (essentially adding insult to injury) was when the caller initially asked if I am “Ryan Ross?” No, no, no! Can’t they finally get that straight. Regardless, disappointments were not at an end. By noon today, the courier still had not arrived with our two suitcases. I called the provided number. After some minutes of waiting I spoke with a person who could not locate the issue based on the first of two File Locator numbers we had been provided. She succeeded on the second, but said she’d have to transfer me to another desk if any information was to be provided. After many more minutes of waiting, I was disconnected. Eventually 2 pm rolled around. We had still not seen a courier with our luggage, so I called again. Now the automated attendant predicts I’ll need to wait approximately one hour before again speaking with a human (presumably to again be disconnected on transfer?). Beyond the above, the agents in the baggage claim area last night indicated that we’d be provided with $125 in compensation as connected to each misdirected suitcase. She collected email addresses as basis to so provide. I have still received nothing via email. I find it hard to believe that an otherwise respected airline has so horribly structured its luggage-handling (and subsequent error-correcting) systems. Honestly, it is very, very pitiful. It is now 3:00 in the afternoon and I still have neither luggage nor further information.

Great service from Alaska airlines! We ran the airport to try to make our flight, yet still missed our boarding. The customer service agent was friendly, sweet, understanding and got us on another flight, no charge, even though it was not their fault we missed our flight. Thank you Alaska for amazing service!

Second time is a charm. Totally impressed with this Airlines! Great personnel, clean plane, smooth landings, loading and unloading of passengers quick and organized, and got my luggage very quickly, what’s not to love! Not to mention on time flights every time. Will continue to use Alaska Airlines for sure, and recommend to family and friends.

If Alaska Airlines made beer…….