Originally published January 17, 2012 at 11:55 AM | Page modified January 19, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Alaska Air announces cancellation of 38 flights
Hotels and Sea-Tac International Airport are preparing for a winter storm around the Puget Sound area.
Seattle Times travel writer
In anticipation of snow, Alaska Airlines late Tuesday canceled 38 Wednesday flights to and from Seattle and Portland.
Customers flying on Alaska, Horizon Air and SkyWest flights were urged to check alaskaair.com before leaving for the airport.
The airline said passengers on flights into or out of Seattle and Portland through Thursday could rebook without change fees or apply for a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket.
Some downtown hotels were offering special rates Tuesday.
"We're getting quite a few people calling and booking rooms in anticipation of snow," said a desk clerk at the Doubletree Hotel at Sea-Tac, where all 850 rooms were booked.
Taking advantage of what normally is a slow period, many downtown Seattle hotels also were offering snow specials Tuesday.
Kimpton Hotels, which owns the Hotel Vintage Park, Hotel Monaco and Alexis Hotel, was offering rooms at 32 percent (as in 32 degrees) off its best available rates, plus parking and restaurant discounts through the weekend.
The Mayflower Park Hotel was offering rooms starting at $99 Tuesday and Wednesday and perhaps longer, depending on the weather, reservations manager Craig Packer said. Also offering $99 specials Wednesday and Thursday were the Maxwell Hotel, Hotel Five, University Inn and Watertown Hotel.
The Paramount Seattle hotel was running a $109 special for Wednesday and Thursday. Manager Matt Murphy said the 146-room hotel was 70 percent booked by Tuesday afternoon, and it planned to put up staff in some of the rooms.
Sea-Tac airport
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport crews are prepared to keep two of the airport's three runways open at all times, spokesman Perry Cooper said.
The airport has emergency supplies, blankets and food available in case passengers are stranded, Cooper said. Restaurants and shops have been ordering extra food and drinks in case the weather disrupts deliveries.
If you're flying
Some things to know if you are planning to fly this week:
• Check your airline's website or call to check the status of your flight before going to the airport. Flight info also is available at www.flightstats.com and www.portseattle.org/Sea-Tac.
• If your flight is canceled, you will be offered a refund or a chance to reschedule, but don't expect the airline to pay for a hotel or meals. When it comes to delays or cancellations caused by mechanical problems, crew shortages, etc., airlines often will provide compensation, but not for weather problems.
• Plan to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight. The busiest time for departures is 6-8:30 a.m.
Carol Pucci: cpucci@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @carolpucci.
