Blogger wins social media battle against Alaska Airlines
Airline initially pushes back against blogger’s assertion his family was mistreated, but eventually offers reimbursement in wake of online furor.
“Alaska Airlines Hates Families.”
That’s the statement Dan Blais has been circulating around the Web on his blog and Twitter account since Nov. 2.
Last month, Alaska Airlines gave his wife’s ticket for a flight from Las Vegas to Seattle to a standby passenger while she took care of their infant son’s diaper emergency in the bathroom. The family ended up having to buy tickets back home to Edmonton, Alberta, with another carrier for more than $1,000.
According to Blais, he arrived at the desk with 20 minutes to go before the plane’s departure.
The airline initially responded to Blais’ online onslaught by stating that sometimes passengers who aren’t at the gate on time get left behind. But Alaska Airlines changed its tune Monday, Nov. 8, the same day the Edmonton Journal published a story about the fiasco, offering the family a reimbursement.
The airline shouldn’t have waited, say experts. The longer complaints fester online, the more damage they do and the worse the company looks.
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