Tech Troubles Ground Alaska Airlines Twice in Four Months

Multiple IT Failures in Four Months

Alaska Airlines has encountered significant IT challenges recently, with two major failures occurring within a span of four months.

First Outage: July Incident

• Cause: Hardware problem at the data center
• Impact:
• All flights halted for three hours
• Both main and backup systems failed
• Disruptions lasted for four days

Second Outage: Recent Incident

• Date: Last Thursday
• Impact:
• Flights grounded for eight hours
• Over 400 flights canceled
• Nearly 49,000 passengers affected

Alaska Airlines' Response

• Acknowledges the severity of the situation
• Hiring external experts to review the entire IT system
• Committed to preventing future occurrences

Passenger Experiences

• Andrew Moore: Stranded in Denver; flight to Seattle canceled twice
• Rebecca Jameson: Flight canceled after hours of waiting; rebooked flight also canceled
• Paul Schumacher: Diverted to a different airport; incurred $135 Uber expense

Expert Opinions

• Occasional tech issues unlikely to severely damage Alaska's reputation
• Passengers primarily choose airlines based on schedule and network reliability

Alaska's Commitment

• Working to enhance IT system reliability
• Aiming to restore passenger trust and confidence