ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Airlines says in a Facebook update that it is pre-canceling 50 Friday flights due to a powerful ice storm which hit the Pacific Northwest.
The carrier says fluctuating weather conditions will allow the company to operate 60% of its 120 daily departures.
"We realize this has been a very long day for many people; we really appreciate your patience as we work to get our operation back on track," the airline wrote on Facebook.
They canceled 310 flights to and from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Thursday, affecting 29,000 passengers.
Alaska Airlines spokesperson Bobbie Egan said only 15 of 114 daily Alaska Airlines flights and one Horizon Air flight were able to leave Seattle before the storm hit. Deicing planes in Seattle took up to one hour -- four times the usual amount of time.
More than 345 Alaska Airlines reservations agents, a 35 percent staffing increase, have been assigned to assist passengers with flight changes. As many as 750 people have been on hold Thursday on the airline’s reservations hotline.
