For thousands of Alaska’s federal workers, the government shutdown that ended last week was the latest episode in a tumultuous year, as President Donald Trump has sought to drastically reduce the size of the federal civilian workforce.

Since the beginning of the year, Alaska’s federal workers have been offered buyouts, been subject to mass firings and watched as programs they administer were cut or altered.

Alaska — with one of the highest concentrations of civil servants in the country — stands to see an outsized impacts from these changes. As of last year, Alaska had more than 15,000 federal employees.

Are you a current or former federal employee in Alaska who has been impacted by these changes? We’d like to hear your story.

Tomorrow night is the final chance to use Alaska/Hawaiian’s WINTER20 code, which takes 20% off the published economy base fare on Alaska and Hawaiian operated flights. The purchase cutoff is 11:59 PM Pacific Time on November 19, and although the offer technically spans all of North America, our focus is on how it applies to Hawaii flights. We tested multiple Hawaii routes this morning, and early December continues to show standout value. The code works only on Alaska or Hawaiian metal.

Travel window from December through February.

The eligible travel period runs from December 3 through February 11. The blackout from December 18 through January 6 removes the Christmas and New Year weeks, but everything before and after books normally.

When we searched for dates in December and after, the code consistently reduced fares across all airlines’ key Hawaii markets. The first half of December is almost always one of the best periods to visit. The weather is warm, crowds are lighter, and seasonal traditions like Honolulu City Lights begin on December 7. Hotels also tend to price far more reasonably before peak holiday demand resets everything.

Day-of-week rules favor mid-week Hawaii trips.

The restrictions are straightforward. For travel to Hawaii, departures must fall on Sunday through Wednesday. For travel from Hawaii, departures must be Tuesday through Friday. For readers who may be booking other eligible cities beyond Hawaii, departures on Fridays and Sundays are not valid in the rest of the domestic network.

These rules mostly align with typical mid-week price patterns. The code applies only to eligible economy base fares. First Class does not qualify, and some economy fare classes also fall outside the promotion. Alaska also notes that certain non-eligible fare types may be priced lower than discounted ones, something we saw occasionally during long-haul tests.

Booking rules and limitations to know.

The code can be used for one to eight passengers traveling together in a single reservation. It must be a brand-new booking on alaskaair.com and cannot be added to existing tickets. Atmos Rewards credit still applies, and upgrades remain eligible. Codeshare flights do not qualify. The discount covers the base fare only and does not apply to taxes or fees.

With the deadline arriving tomorrow night and flight availability still wide open, this could be one of the better pre-holiday opportunities for Hawaii travelers. Will you use the airlines’ WINTER20 for an early December or January trip?

Beat of Hawaii © photo at Honolulu City Lights, 2024.

A former off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to crash a San Francisco-bound flight by shutting off the engines while on a sleepless bender fueled by psycahdelic mushrooms won’t serve any additional prison time, a federal judge ruled.

Joseph Emerson was sentenced Monday to time served and three years’ supervised release by US District Court Judge Amy Baggio in Portland, Oregon — dodging a year of prison time sought by federal prosecutors.

“Pilots are not perfect. They are human,” Baggio said. “They are people, and all people need help sometimes.”

Emerson was subdued by the flight crew aboard a Horizon flight from Everett, Washington to San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2023, after trying to cut the engines while riding off-duty in the cockpit.

He told police that he was grieving his friend and had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier and hadn’t slept in over 40 hours when he tried to pull the hijinx on the flight with over 80 passengers on board.

Emerson recalled believing he was dreaming and tried to wake up by grabbing two red handles that could have activated the fire suppression system and cut fuel to the engines.

Had he been successful, he would have immediately cut off the flow of fuel to the engines.

The flight was diverted and landed in Portland after the harrowing ordeal.

His attorney, Ethan Levi, described Emerson’s actions as “a product of untreated alcohol use disorder.” The distressed pilot had been drinking and accepted mushrooms “because of his lower inhibitions.”

Emerson spent 46 days in jail and was released pending his trial in Dec. 2023, with the court ordering him to stay sober from drugs and alcohol, undergo mental health services, and stay away from aircraft.

He went to treatment after jail and has been sober since, Levi said.

Before he was sentenced, Emerson said he regretted the harm he caused.

“I’m not a victim. I am here as a direct result of my actions,” Emerson told the court. “I can tell you that this very tragic event has forced me to grow as an individual.”

His wife, Sarah Stretch, also told the courtroom that she was proud of how her husband had grown since the incident.

“I am so sorry for those that it’s impacted as much as it has,” Stretch said.

One of the pilots aboard the Horizon Air flight, Alan Koziol, recalled not believing that Emerson had been trying to hurt anyone by reaching to cut the engines, and that he seemed “more like a trapped animal than a man in control of his faculties,” he recalled.

Kozial maintained that while pilots bear an “immense responsibility,” the aviation industry should allow pilots more freedom to seek mental health care.

Geoffrey Barrow, assistant US attorney in the district of Oregon, said Emerson’s actions were serious and that the crew “saved the day by intervening.”

“There were 84 people on that plane who could have lost their lives,” he said.

A passenger aboard the flight, Alison Snyder, told the courtroom over the phone that she and her husband will never feel safe flying again after Emerson pulled the near-catastrophic maneuver.

“Because of Joseph Emerson’s actions that day, we will never feel as safe flying as we once did,” she said.

Emerson pleaded guilty in September to all charges against him as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

He faced federal charges of interfering with a flight crew. A state indictment in Oregon separately charged him with 83 counts of endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft.

On the state level, he was sentenced to 50 days in jail, with credit for time served, and five years of probation.

The state court also ordered him to complete 664 hours of community service, half of which he can serve at his own pilot health nonprofit, “Clear Skies Ahead.”

He will additionally shell out $60,000 in restitution, mostly to Alaska Air Group, and abide by provisions on drugs, alcohol, mental health treatment, and avoiding aircraft, the state ordered.

With Post wires.