Tomás Reyes
Seven years at Alaska Airlines maintenance scheduling at Sea-Tac. Writes part-time, mostly about Pacific Northwest hubs and the operational side of fleet decisions.
Tomás worked seven years at Alaska Airlines in maintenance scheduling at Sea-Tac before leaving in 2024 to write and to consult for a couple of regional operators on fleet planning. He came up through the Pacific Northwest’s small-airport regional system, and his sense of how airports work is shaped by the cold reality that an aircraft on the ground costs money.
He writes for airport.flights as a paid freelance contributor, one to two pieces a month, focused on the Pacific Northwest and on the operational side of why a route flies what it flies when. His beat is the maintenance-and-scheduling layer most passengers never see, translated for an audience that just wants to know whether their flight is going to leave on time.
He lives in West Seattle, flies Alaska almost exclusively out of either habit or loyalty (he won’t say which), and maintains that PDX’s TriMet integration is one of the quiet wins of US airport ground transport.
Specialises in
12 notes
Seattle Airport Weekly Commuter Math: $37 Parking vs $2.25 Link for Early International Flights
For downtown Link-dependent SEA commuters who fly early-morning international, here is the actual weekly math between $37 on-airport parking, $2.25–3.50 Link light rail, and your 2.5–3 hour buffer before departure.
When Phoenix Sky Harbor Melts Down: Sky Train, Lounges, and $2–4 Light Rail for Delays at PHX
How to use Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s 12 lounges, free Sky Train, and $2–4 Valley Metro Light Rail to keep your trip on track when storms or ATC snarl the schedule.
Seattle–Tacoma Departure Math: $2.25 Link, 12 Lounges, and How a Scheduler Decides When To Leave Home
A maintenance scheduler’s decision tree for when to leave home for Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, built from real SEA data on Link, parking, rideshare, and lounges.
How to Get to PDX Without a Car from Vancouver, Salem, and the Cascades Corridor
Origin‑by‑origin transit playbook for reaching Portland International Airport (PDX) from Vancouver WA, Salem, and Cascades Corridor cities (C‑TRAN 65, Blue Star, Amtrak+MAX), then using the single terminal and multiple l
SEA for Alaska vs Delta flyers: parking, lounges, and rides into Seattle or Tacoma
Same airport, two different systems. How Alaska and Delta flyers can use Seattle–Tacoma International’s parking, lounges, and transport patterns to cut door-to-gate time and cost.
What Terminal Is Alaska Airlines at JFK? Terminal 8 Guide
Alaska Airlines moved to JFK Terminal 8 in 2025, alongside American and oneworld partners. Real gates, concourse walk times, lounges, and how to connect.
PDX Layover Math: When 7 Lounges Beat a MAX Dash into Portland
For 4–8 hour daytime layovers at Portland International Airport, this is the line between staying in PDX’s lounges and shops vs riding MAX light rail downtown.
Anchorage vs Fairbanks vs Juneau: Where Alaska Airlines Winter Connections Actually Survive
A maintenance‑side look at Ted Stevens Anchorage vs Fairbanks and Juneau for dark, icy Alaska Airlines connections, and when each airport makes sense in winter.
Anchorage airport parking math: $9 Park & Ride vs 2‑minute garages at Ted Stevens
How Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) structures its 8 parking areas, from the $9 Park, Ride, & Fly Lot to 2‑minute short‑term garages at $13–$16 per day, and what that really means for your trip cost.
Anchorage airport lounges and hours after dark: surviving Ted Stevens’ late-night connection crunch (ANC airport lounges
How Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport’s lounge hours, seasonal traffic, and thin late-night dining change the rules for summer and shoulder-season connections.
Phoenix Sky Harbor on a short layover: 30/45/60‑minute scripts that actually work
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has 12 lounges across 2 terminals, plus free Sky Train and $2–$4 light rail into the city. Here is how to use that network on 30, 45, and 60‑minute layovers without missing boardi
Landing at Seattle–Tacoma: turn Sea‑Tac’s lounges and transport maze into a simple arrivals plan
How to use Seattle–Tacoma International Airport’s 12 lounges and 8 ways into the city to make arrivals feel planned instead of chaotic, based on your terminal, time, and budget.