Alaska Airlines Operation Ayuda
Saw this on Talk Baja so reposting here:
Jeanine Stenzel
3 mins
I work for Alaska Airlines and have a home in LaPaz. Thank you for all of your information on current conditions in the area. I wanted to share some
news on what Alaska Airlines is doing for the travelers in Baja.
Alaska Airlines has launched Operation Ayuda – “help” in Spanish – to fly customers home and provide supplies for the people of Los Cabos in the wake
of Hurricane Odile.
On Wednesday, Alaska sent its first plane to Los Cabos since the hurricane severely damaged the area and closed the airport Sunday.
The special humanitarian flight left Los Angeles about 10:10 a.m. and arrived about 1:30 p.m. in Los Cabos. Alaska is believed to be the first United
States airline to reach Los Cabos since the storm knocked out power and phone service.
“We’re taking 16,000 pounds of water and food on each flight, but our main mission is to get to Los Cabos and bring people home,” Rick Hines, Alaska
Airlines director of customer service-airports and station operations for the southern region that includes Mexico. He was on Wednesday’s first flight
to Los Cabos.
Los Cabos International Airport remains closed to commercial air service, but opened a runway for humanitarian flights. No customers were onboard the
flight down to Mexico, but the return flight will carry Alaska customers and any others who are trying to get back to the United States.
Because the Los Cabos airport is in such poor condition, the plane was fueled for a round-trip and carried 16 Alaska employees to help out on the
ground: customer service agents, ramp agents, a maintenance technician, and IT employees with computer equipment and satellite phones.
“This has been a cross-divisional, highly coordinated, united effort,” said TJ Banakes, director of customer and incident response. “A lot of folks
have put in many hours to make this happen. In all of the decisions we have been making, safety and compliance have always been at the forefront.”
If that first flight goes well, two more relief flights are planned for today – one out of San Diego and another out of Los Angeles. More flights
could be added Thursday.
Alaska Airlines is closely monitoring the situation in Los Cabos and is making in-bound flight decisions on a daily basis.
Hines described conditions in Los Cabos as “very bad.”
“The terminal has been literally destroyed, there’s no electricity, no water,” Hines said. “It’s very, very stressful. They’re running out of food and
water, so it’s very, very difficult for everybody.”
About 45 Alaska Airlines employees live and work in the Los Cabos area.
“We’re very, very concerned about them and we want to make sure we take good care of them,” Hines said.
Evacuation flight from Mazatlán
On Tuesday, Alaska Airlines sent a special flight to evacuate people from Mazatlán.
Alaska Capt. Robert Kelly and first officer Vicki Frank flew the aircraft from Los Angeles to Mazatlán, prepared to depart with 74 customers at 7 p.m.
local time. Just before departure, the crew got word that 14 additional U.S. citizens were on their way via police helicopter and held the plane an
additional 20 minutes.
Frank said she and Kelly began to truly understand the impact of the situation as they flew the customers home.
“Many were in tears after their ordeal in Cabo,” said Kelly. “Some people had no belongings at all. There were several rounds of cheering on the plane
while on the way to Los Angeles.”
The flight landed in Los Angeles at 8:51 p.m. with tears, cheers and hugs for the crew.
Flexible travel policy related to Hurricane Odile
Alaska Airlines has extended its flexible travel policy for customers with tickets in or out of Los Cabos that were purchased on or before Sept. 14
for travel Sept. 14 through Oct. 15. Change fees and difference in fare will be waived if new travel is booked in the same cabin, and customers may
choose to travel in or out of Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Manzanillo or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. Travel must be completed on or before Nov. 20,
2014. Tickets must be exchanged or refunded by Nov. 20, 2014.
Flexible travel policy related to Tropical Storm Polo
Another severe storm is on the horizon. Tropical Storm Polo is off the west coast of Mexico south of Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo. It is expected to become a
hurricane late Wednesday. Alaska Airlines is closely monitoring the situation and will share any new information as soon as it becomes available.
Alaska Airlines has extended its flexible travel policy for customers with tickets in or out of Ixtapa, Loreto, Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta that
were purchased on or before Sept. 17 for travel Sept. 17-22. Change fees and difference in fare will be waived if new travel is booked in the same
cabin to Ixtapa, Loreto, Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta. Travel must be completed on or before Oct. 6, 2014. Tickets must be exchanged or refunded by
Oct. 6, 2014.
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