Alaska Airlines Axes 8% of Seats, Cuts Staff

Impelled by still-high fuel prices and a softening economy Alaska Airlines is eliminating 8 percent of its capacity. That equates to about 15 percent fewer departures. Most of the move takes effect with the carrier's November 9 schedule.

Here's what has happened, what to expect, and how to cope:

- Alaska is canceling low-demand Saturday and holiday flying. This will impact the availability of some discount airfares. Saturdays are, typically, the best days of the week to find low rates. How to cope: shift your flying to Tuesdays and Wednesdays. That's where the remaining deep discounts should reside;

- Alaska is reducing flying in high-frequency markets, such as Seattle to San Francisco. In most instances, AS (that's the carrier's code) will be cutting a single daily round trip. How to cope: when a carrier takes seats out of a market, consider booking as far ahead as possible;

- Alaska is, in effect, downsizing aircraft on routes between Portland and the San Francisco area. Look for Horizon Air CRJ-700s and Q400 propjets to fly in place of Alaska's full-size 737s;

- Alaska is doing away with seasonal nonstop service from San Francisco to a trio of Mexican resort destinations: Cancun, Mazatlan, and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo. How to cope: best bet is to catch an Alaska flight from San Francisco down to Los Angeles. Alaska says it intends to continue to serve these three Mexican markets nonstop from LAX;

- Alaska ended nonstop service from Portland to Orlando on August 24. How to cope: according to Official Airline Guide (OAG), discount airline Southwest offers one-stop service on the route. Unless someone else steps in, nonstop Portland-Orlando flights go away altogether;

- Alaska did away with nonstop service from San Francisco to Vancouver, also on August 24. How to cope: OAG says United Airlines and Air Canada continue to fly from San Francisco to Vancouver nonstop.

With the reduced flying Alaska is reducing its workforce by between 9 and 10 percent.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler