Alaska Airlines offers discounts, reimbursement after holiday travel mess
Alaska has been all over the news lately for spreading its holiday cheer, from early boarding for wearing ugly Christmas sweaters to amazing deals on airfare. The airline has raised the bar for holiday travel.
Unfortunately, it seems as if holiday cheer was in short supply at the Seattle airport on December 21, as a cascade of events meant that many passengers flying Alaska Airlines didn't receive their bags on arrival. In a total good-guy move, Alaska has called itself out on the mishap, explaining that bad weather, increased travel and a large number of employees who called out sick meant that the airline was unable to handle all the luggage.
Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel tips!
Alaska is suggesting that if you're affected, you should file a claim before leaving the airport, promising it's staffed its desks with as many people as possible in order to combat the lines. Once a claim is opened, customers can go and wait for a call from the airline, which will deliver your bags wherever you specify.
While losing your bags at Christmas seems like the worst thing possible, there is a silver lining: Alaska is offering to reimburse expenses incurred while waiting for your bags to arrive. These include things like clothes and toiletries, though you'll need to keep your receipts. You can also check your credit cards to see if they have baggage delay protection.
Even better, Alaska has promised those who encounter a delay of 24 hours or more a discount off a future flight. The airline already offers a 20-minute baggage guarantee, so this is in keeping with its policies. No word yet on the discount, but its guarantee gives you $25 for bags more than 20 minutes late, so hopefully they make this a pretty good offer.
Feature photo by Digital Media Pro/Shutterstock.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app