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On Friday night, Alaska Airlines flight 1282 experienced an explosive decompression when an exit door plug failed shortly after takeoff. Thankfully, no passengers were seriously injured, and the pilots safely landed the aircraft back in Portland. This incident led Alaska Airlines to voluntarily ground its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft for inspection. This is an action that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has now required of all airlines operating the aircraft type.
This grounding is leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights each day for the Seattle-based airline. If your travels are impacted, the good news is Alaska Airlines just improved its refund policy for schedule changes and flight cancellations. Note that these are changes to Alaska's general policies — not just for travelers directly affected by the Boeing 737 MAX issue.
Here are the full details of Alaska Airlines' new refund policies and how they differ from what Alaska Airlines used to offer.
New Alaska Airlines Refund Policy for Flight Changes
Effective immediately, travelers who are affected by an Alaska Airlines schedule change of at least one hour can now cancel their flight and receive a full refund to their original form of payment. Alternatively, you can change your flight online to one that departs up to one day earlier or later.
Previously, travelers only had the option to receive a “future travel credit” when canceling a flight due to a schedule change. Or, travelers could change to another flight within a day of the original flight.
Simply put, this new policy is incredibly generous. While most U.S. airlines removed change and cancellation fees during the pandemic, travelers generally only receive a trip credit when opting to cancel their trip. The only time travelers can get a full refund is if there's a significant schedule change — which each airline defines differently. Alaska Airlines now stands alone in offering a full refund for a schedule change of as little as one hour.
New Alaska Airlines Policy for Cancelled Flights
Alaska Airlines also improved its policies for when it cancels a flight. Travelers can now change to another flight within 14 days of their original flight or cancel online for a refund to their original form of payment.
Previously, Alaska fliers only got the option of a “future travel credit” when canceling a trip online after a flight cancellation. Travelers would have to contact an Alaska Airlines representative to get a refund to their original form of payment.
If you didn't want to cancel your trip, you also previously had the option to change to another flight — but the prior policy only allowed a change to a flight within three days of the original flight.
Bottom Line
Alaska Airlines just significantly improved its policies for schedule changes and flight cancellations — and not just for travelers affected by the Boeing 737 MAX 9 grounding. Travelers can now get a full refund for schedule changes as short as one hour.
If Alaska cancels your flight, you can now get a refund online without the hassle of having to call an Alaska representative. Or, you can freely change your travel dates by up to 14 days — instead of the previous three-day window.
These revised Alaska Airlines policies are arguably the most flyer-friendly policies of any U.S. airline. Now, let's hope that other airlines will change to match these generous new policies.
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