17 Apr 2023
Our trip to Alaska was almost three years in the making, Covid Delays, and a surprising hip replacement at 33 all contributed but in April of 23 we finally made it. One of the two activities we were dead set on doing was a visit to the China Hot Springs. Spoiler Alert this activity did not go as planned. We booked this excursion via viator with the operator, made all the necessary arrangements well in advance and felt confident about the excursion. On Tuesday April 4th we set out for Fairbanks we made arrangements to get to Fairbanks for the day by taking one of the many daily flights offered by Alaskan Airlines. We were to be picked up at a nearby hotel around 415 and then take the Tour operators shuttle to China for the hot springs. At around 350 we received a call from the tour operator letting us know that they were going to need to CANCEL our excursion 25 min before they were supposed to pick us up. When asking why this was happening they indicated that the guide had become sick and would be unable to operate the shuttle for the ride to China. Needless to say when they called my significant other was upset, very upset. The thing she had been waiting YEARS for was now gone in an instant. We were now in Fairbanks with a return flight out the next day, and a full day of Alaska wasted. We were not offered any alternative, or compensation for the day of travel or the cost of getting to Fairbanks. Quite the contrary we were told it would be unusual to come for the day the way we did ( it is actually quite common, Alaskan airlines has 5 flights RT to FB), the other means is a 4.5-5 hour drive from the main city of Anchorage. While I do understand that things to happen especially when you nickname is "the last frontier", wouldn't it seem prudent to have a backup plan for the inevitable happens? It just seems like poor planning to only have one person capable of shuttling people when your business relies on being able to do so to generate revenue. We were thankfully able to have the next days tickets changed and take a flight back to anchorage that same day. This awful and inexcusable handling and utter lack of empathy towards the situation changed the tone of the rest of the trip, and hung like a dark cloud for the rest of the week. After returned home I followed up with the business owner and attempted to revisit the scenario after everyone had a chance to calm down in the hopes of them making right on what was a unexpected disappointment. While polite, and understanding the owner was not willing to do anything to make the situation right other than say the next time we are in Alaska to give them the opportunity on another outing. This gesture while "nice" is rather empty since we are from Ohio some 3,000 plus miles away on what could be a once in a lifetime trip or once in a very very long time at best. I had genuinely hoped afterwards that there would have been some attempt to salvage the situation or there be some attempt to make things right, sadly this didn't happen. The feeling we were left with was this was cancelation was acceptable ,that our experience wasn't important, our trip was expendable and didn't matter one bit.