Looking back on 2021, one thing remains certain—we’re grateful for every person who packed a bag, wore a mask and had a seat on our aircraft. And for every employee in our operation who shouldered every twist and turn along the way – thank you.

Since the pandemic began, we’ve overcome some of the greatest challenges in our 90-year history. Despite our preparation, including increasing staff and preparing for snow, this was among the most difficult holidays many of us have experienced at Alaska. Unfortunately, last week, winter weather coupled with the impact of the omicron variant on staffing levels caused significant operational challenges. We know you expect the highest standard of care when you fly Alaska. We apologize for the considerable inconvenience and are using the lessons we learned to improve.

As we look ahead to the new year, we are working hard to return to the level of service you know and expect from us while operating safely. Here are just a few things to expect from us in the coming weeks:

We’re reducing our schedule. 

As we have entered 2022, the continued impacts of omicron have been disruptive in all our lives and unprecedented levels of sick calls have impacted our ability to operate our airline reliably. As a result, we are proactively thinning our schedule and reducing departures by about 10% through the end of January. This will give us the time and space we need to build back more reliability into our operation, while continued flexible travel policies will enable our guests to adjust their plans accordingly.

If your travel is impacted, we’ll make every attempt to reschedule you on the next available flight and will try to notify you with as much notice as possible before you head to the airport.

Canceling a flight is always our last resort and we understand how frustrating it can be, especially when many of us have important trips or are eager to connect with friends & family.

We’re committed to Next-Level Care. 

The safety of our guests and employees always comes first, and we want you to feel great about booking a flight with us. Our commitment to Next-Level Care means we’re always maintaining the highest level of safety throughout your travels—from booking and boarding to day-of travel and beyond. Learn more.

We’re finding ways to show how much we care. 

We know we are at our best when we are safe, reliable and caring. We will learn from these challenges, improve where we must and make this year as great as we possibly can for each of you, your families and for Alaska Air Group as a whole.  

With gratitude to everyone who flies with us and the people who make it possible—we look forward to taking care of you on board soon.