We had Hurricane Dean in Mexico in August. It was very difficult getting out of the country. Alaska Airlines, since Saturday evening, had REFUSED TO ADMIT that a Category 5 hurricane was headed toward the Yucatan Peninsula and would not CANCEL flights out of Cancun on Tuesday. They would not refund our tickets, (so we could purchase from another airline.) The Mexican Government forced the hotels to shut down. Our hotel evacuated us to Villahermosa in Tabasco (a 14 hour bus ride.) If we did not evacuate Cancun, our option was to stay in a government-run shelter with no food, water, or restrooms provided. Alaska Airlines finally, after days of pleading for help, rescheduled our flights out of Mexico City, but it was up to us to figure out how to get there. They refused to help us obtain, in any way, flights out of Villahermosa to Mexico City (complimentary or discounted, etc) with their affiliate Continental Airlines or any other airline. It is another 10 hours or so from Villahermosa to Mexico City and there were no travel options to get out of Villahermosa at this point. (Villahermosa is pretty much a jungle and the Hurricane was fast approaching.) We finally found cheap flights through Aeromexico and were able to make it to Mexico City. All other airlines were more than happy to help, even though we could not afford the ticket prices they had, at least they recognized United States citizens were in danger and tried to help us out of there prior to disaster striking.
Alaska Airlines demonstrated the darkest side of greediness in this situation. I and other tourists that used this airline were treated as if there was nothing out of the ordinary and made it clear that they were not taking any precautionary actions to ensure the safety of its customers. Other airlines reached out not only with the extra empty flights they sent into Cancun, but went above and beyond because they actually cared if we were trapped in a foreign country during a category 5 hurricane with no food, water, or adequate shelter.
Upon arriving in Mexico City, we went to check in at the Alaska Airlines counter where they did not have an e-ticket number for us. It was never transferred from the other flight we had out of Cancun (Kelly of the Alaska Airlines Seattle Reservations office was supposed to have done this for us.) We then had to spend more holding time on the phone with Alaska Airlines reservations to straighten this out and were disconnected after holding for 30 minutes. Holding times with the reservation staff and supervisors were excessive and unproductive.
Alaska Airlines behaved in the most inhumane and disgusting manner I have ever witnessed from an American based company. The fact that they would disregard the safety of their customers is inexcusable. I do not want this swept under a rug. Their sending of two empty flights in does not excuse their treatment of the rest of their customers who were essentially trapped in a foreign county as disaster approached.
After weeks of arguing with Alaska Airlines, they still refused to admit guilt, but finally offered two $50 vouchers off of our next Alaska Airlines flights. Too little and too late to save face.
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