I flew back to Alaska from Seattle on Saturday night/Sunday morning. As always, I flew Alaska Airlines. I have had my quarrels with this airline over the past 25+ years I've lived in Alaska but there have been a handful of times I felt that they treated me pretty well as a passenger.
Saturday night my flight boarded in Seattle at 7:00 something and we took off and had just gotten our digi players and I was starting into the second video on it when the Captain came over the intercom saying that there was a serious problem with an engine and that we would be returning to Seattle immediately. In all the years I have been flying this has never happened to me before. They came and collected the digi players, gave us credit for them, picked up any service items and instructed us in the crash landing position. In no time flat it seemed like we hit the ground really, really hard. I looked out the window and saw all these emergency vehicles with flashing red lights converging on the aircraft. We were told to stay in our seats while the outside was inspected by the emergency crew. After what seemed like a long time, the aircraft started to taxi to the concourse.
We were told that another plane was being prepared for us in the next slot on the concourse and that we should go to the check in desk and be assigned a seat. When I got there we were told that the plane they were going to use did not have a pilot so they were re-booking everyone. The plane they were going to put me on to Anchorage ended up being cancelled out of Anchorage and didn't get to Fairbanks until the next day. As it turned out I was put on a direct flight to Fairbanks that had already boarded!! This plane was on a different concourse so off I went. I was exhausted and shaken and felt like I just wouldn't make it in time. They did hold the plane however and I got on board.
It was a miserable flight...I had a middle seat and my outside seatmate kept getting up and down and waking me up. It was more crowded than the first flight I was on too.
When I got to Fairbanks my bags were nowhere to be seen, of course. There just wasn't time for the transfer. So all in all, Alaska Airlines gave me 6,000 miles for my "trouble" that night. Would I be afraid to fly again? No, I don't think so...this is the first problem I have ever encountered in a very long flying history. I believe that if it is your time then it's just your time....It wasn't MY time!
I hope your travels are enjoyable ones!
Janie
I don't like to fly ... I'd choose a road trip any day of the week over flying but sometimes it's not practical ... like when you live in Alaska. Jane, I know exactly how you feel about "when it's your time, it's your time". The flight I took from Cordova to Anchorage one time had a problem with the landing gear. The indicators said they were not locked in place. I got a chance to review my life in about 20 minutes and I totally felt at peace that if that was the day I was to die, so be it. I had had a beautiful weekend with a good friend, the weather was gorgeous and I was surrounded by Alaskan mountains, and I was ready go. Glad you made it home in one piece! love, susan
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