Archive for September 29th, 2009

Have you made your plans for Halloween at Alyeska Resort? Act now and line up your Spookfest package!

Ride the “Alyeska Mystery Train” this Halloween! Board the train in Anchorage and travel along Turnagain Arm high into the Kenai Mountains for spectacular views of Spencer Glacier, then on to the haunted Hotel Alyeska in “Girdwoodvania”. Local lore claims that resident ghosts wander the shadowy hallways of the haunted castle. Call the Alaska Railroad to book the train package: (907) 265-2494 or (800) 544-0552.

Wow. we had a great time flying around Girdwood and Alyeska Resort. If you haven’t seen the video, check it out:

So–stay over for Halloween and see if you survive the mysterious events of the evening. Are you up for this frightening challenge?
Enjoy complimentary appetizers and a cash bar along the way. Costumes worthy of Transylvania encouraged.
Upon arrival at the haunted Hotel Alyeska, guests will check in and the murder mystery officially begins with a vampire welcome reception, gruesome dinner and deathly dessert buffet. Find out who dunnit before the evening’s out.

Package price: $239 per person, based on double occupancy. Includes one-way rail/one-way bus Anchorage-Girdwood. A cash bar and complimentary appetizers during the train ride. One-night stay at The Hotel Alyeska, seated dinner, dessert buffet, and entry to the Halloween Dance Party at the Daylodge. Call for more information: (907) 754-1111.

Just for kids: Carnival and Haunted House is slated for 4-7p. There’s a $3 charge ($10 per family). Enjoy a costume contest, games and snacks.

Just the party: Come to the “Dance Party to Die For” between 9p-1a. This is strictly 21+ (bring your ID). Cost is $5 in advance or $10 at door. There’s a $5 discount if you’re in costume. Enjoy live music by “Chill Factor” with John Tracy. And yes, there’s a grown-up costume contest, cash bar and food ’til Midnight. Get your tickets: (907)754-2275.

Alaska Airlines has announced their annual PFD air fare sale. As usual, there are good and bad points to the sale.

Good: For Alaska’s rural communities, these often are the best prices of the year. Almost all destinations are included (Adak, Dutch Harbor, Nome, Barrow, Hawaii, Mexico). Fares are zone-based, so little towns like Redding, CA and North Bend, OR have the same fare as Portland, for example. Also, more cities are included as Alaska’s routes expand, including Atlanta, Houston and Austin.

Bad: For Anchorage travelers, there actually are price hikes over peak summertime travel rates. Fares are trending up, up and away.

Ugly: More blackout dates. No travel permitted on Fridays or Sundays. From Alaska, no travel is permitted Nov. 20-21, 25, 28-30, Dec. 16-23, 2009 or Mar. 4-9, 2010. To Alaska, no travel is permitted Nov. 20-21, 25, 28-30, 2009 or Jan. 1-7, or Mar. 11-16, 2010.  Change fees are higher. PFD travel not applicable to Seattle-Hawaii flights or to Anchorage-Maui nonstop.

Silver Lining: Alaska’s mileage program is one of the best. I’m a big fan of the airline as a whole, even if their fares are “North of Expected”. Plus, I flew on a r-e-a-l-l-y nice day between Juneau and Anchorage (actually, I started in Ketchikan and stopped in Wrangell and Petersburg as well….an all-day affair!). I made a slide show:

From Anchorage to:

–Seattle $199 ea. way or 418 roundtrip, all-in.
–Honolulu (nonstop) 209 ea. way or 438 rt all-in
–Portland 229 ea. way or 478 roundtrip, all-in.
(includes all destinations in Oregon, Washington and Idaho including Klamath Falls, Lewiston, Walla Walla…plus Arcata, CA and Redding, CA)
–Chicago (nonstop) 239 ea. way or 498 roundtrip, all-in
–San Francisco 249 ea. way or 539 rt all-in
(includes Reno, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Fresno)
–Billings, MT 249 ea. way or 539 rt all-in
(includes Missoula, Helena, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell)

All other destinations (Newark, Orlando, Houston, Minneapolis, Atlanta, etc.) also are available–but the prices are higher. Check the website.

From Fairbanks to:

–Seattle $249 ea way or $539 rt all-in
–Honolulu (via Anchorage-Honolulu nonstop) 259 ea way or 557rt all-in
–Portland 279 ea way or $600 rt all-in
(includes all destinations in Oregon, Washington and Idaho…plus Arcata, CA and Redding, CA)
–San Francisco 298 ea way or 638rt all-in (includes Oakland, San Jose, Reno, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Fresno)
–Billings 299 ea way or 638rt all-in (includes Missoula, Helena, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell)

From Juneau/Sitka/Petersburg/Wrangell  to:

–Seattle $179 ea way or 397rt all-in
–other cities in WA, OR, ID (plus Arcata, CA and Redding, CA): 460rt all-in
–Bay Area (SFO, SJC, OAK, SMF, RNO, STS, FAT): 498rt all-in
–Montana (BIL, BZN, FCA, GTF, MSO, HLN): 498rt all-in
–Southern California (LAX-area airports, SAN, Palm Springs): 539rt all-in

Check the website for departures from Bethel, Kodiak, Cordova, Nome, Kotzebue, Barrow, etc.

Purchase tickets by Nov. 2, 2009. Complete travel by Aug. 25, 2010. This is a developing story. Please stay tuned for updates.