Alaska TravelGram

Alaska Airlines finally caved and will institute the dreaded $25 fee for the second checked bag.

Plus, the airline plans a raft of new fees, starting May 21.

Here’s a preview:

a. $15 to book flights by phone or at the airport

b. $50 for overweight bags (each way)

c. $100 for taking pets aboard the plane

d. $75 unaccompanied minor fee (each way) 

e. $25 for a second checked bag (intra-Alaska passengers are exempt, as are MVP/MVPG mileage plan members)

More details about these new charges will follow. The “Great Unbundling” continues unabated. Many of these fees already were in place–but Alaska should not charge the extra-bag fee. I feel for them as they report their latest losses: $36 million for the first quarter or 2008.

Guess what? I’m losing money because of high fuel costs, too (not quite that much). But the charge to check a second bag is a fee for which travelers receive nothing–not even an assurance their bag will arrive on the same flight. 

Mad? Sad? Me, too. 

Laura over at USTravel keeps finding more bargains. All the best fares mandate that you complete travel no later than June 19. Check ‘em out:

Anchorage-San Francisco $414 rt ai (all-in)

Anchorage-Reno 452 rt

Anchorage-Denver 452 rt (Frontier has a cheaper fare–but no seats.)

Anchorage-Las Vegas 459 rt

Anchorage-Dallas/Ft Worth 434 rt

Anchorage-Chicago 434 rt

Anchorage-Charlotte 428 rt WOW!

Anchorage-Atlanta 434 rt

Again, all of these prices include taxes and fees. USTravel’s ticketing charge of $38 is additional. Call now: (907)561-2434 or toll-free (800) 544-2217. All travel must be completed by June 19. 

New lower fare on ALASKA AIRLINES between Anchorage and L.A.: $371  $350 a.i. (new fare drop– including taxes and fees). Fourteen-day advance purchase required. Must complete travel by June 19. 

Just got off the phone with Laura at USTravel, who told me it’s tight-tight-tight in June. However, “it’s wide open in May”, she said. Act now. Call her to lock in the seats. She’ll charge you an additional $38, but these seats are going fast–and the seats can be hard to find.

Call Laura at USTravel: 907-561-2434 or 800-544-2217.

Below: California Dreamin’ on Highway 1. Just give me an Audi A4 convertible, a sunny California day, Bruce Springsteen on the CD. Y-e-e-a-a-h!

Even as oil prices soar, there still are great fares to be found–if you know where to look. That’s where the professionals at USTravel come in. Laura, Giovanni and the other agents have been digging around to find some great rates to East Coast cities between now and June 19. Also–great in-state rates through May 31. Remember, these fares include all taxes and fees. USTravel’s reservation fee ($38) is additional. Check ‘em out:

Between Anchorage and:

Fairbanks: $88 each way on weekends (Fri., Sat., Sun.) through May 31

Kodiak: $88 each way on weekends (Fri., Sat., Sun.) through May 31

Cordova: $88 each way on weekends (Fri., Sat., Sun.) through May 31

Anchorage-L.A.: $460rt through 6/19/08 (see new post “California Dreamin’” above…now $371 on Alaska Airlines!) Whoa! Now just $350 rt a.i. 

Anchorage- Dallas: $439rt through 6/19/08

Anchorage-Detroit: $446rt through 6/19/08

Anchorage-Atlanta: $437rt through 6/19/08

Anchorage-Philly: $383rt through 6/19/08 WHOA! 

 Anchorage-New York: $372rt through 6/19/08 WOW!

Anchorage-St. Louis: $438rt through 6/19/08

Anchorage-Cincinnati: $434rt through 6/19/08

Anchorage-Pittsburgh: $434rt through 6/19/08

Below: the view from 33,000 feet can be spectacular!

There are many other cities that have discount for travel between now and June 19, but these are the best ones. Don’t miss out. Call Laura or one of the agents at USTravel today: (907)561-2434 or toll-free (800)544-2217.

If you’re traveling around the state this summer, stop what you’re doing and go get yourself a copy of the Great Alaskan TourSaver online here.  

Everything in the book is 2-for-1.

When you have the TourSaver in hand, you pay the regular rate and your companion goes free. Here are some of the favorite coupons:

a. Renown Tours cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park: $139

b. Talkeetna Air Taxi flightseeing with Glacier Landing at Denali

c. Dimond Center Hotel in Anchorage: $249

d. Glacier Bay National Park, lodging/transfer/cruise package: $350

e. Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge: $189

f. Alaska Rail Tours on the Alaska Railroad between Anchorage and Denali: $340

g. Kennicott Glacier Lodge in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park: $165

h. Kodiak ATV Adventures: sightseeing and fishing: $225

i. Island Fever adventures in Sitka, including SCUBA diving! $200

j. Weeklong lodge adventure in Nikolski featuring fishing, adventure, hiking wildlife viewing and much more (includes accommodations and meals): $2,900

k. Flyout to Bettles Lodge near the Arctic Circle, including accommodations: $1,080

There are many coupons that are more valuable than the cost of the book ($99.95). So you make your money back with just one use! Remember: the bok is valid all summer long!

There are more than 140 offers in this year’s edition, equalling more than $22,000 in travel values! Order yours today! Find out why smart travelers have been getting the TourSaver for 10 years! Take a cruise on the m/v Ptarmigan on Portage Lake right up to Portage Glacier! There’s a 2-for-1 coupon in the Great Alaskan TourSaver!  

Delta and Northwest announced they plan to merge their airlines. There is something in this merger for everyone to hate. Planebuzz.com’s Holly Hegeman sez Northwest’s pilots hate it because Delta’s pilots were bribed with a pay raise. Consumers should hate it because it will enable both airlines to trim service and hike fares. Investors should hate it because, instead of adding value, it’s simply perpetuating the losing proposition of the hide-bound legacy carriers. There’s a reason they’re called dinosaurs, after all.

Worse, this merger does nothing to address the systemic problems plaguing the airlines: sky-high fuel prices are here to stay. Labor costs continue to rise as real purchasing power lags in the face of the escalating cost of living. Regulatory nightmares abound, including everybody’s favorite: the TSA. And lately, the FAA has been finding new muscle to try and and get off its knees and enforce its procedures. 

So, here comes Delta and Northwest who attempt to solve the problems the old-fashioned way: form an anti-competitive trust to cram bad service and Shylock fares down the collective throats of millions of hapless travelers. Oh, there are several labor groups (particularly at Northwest) who have some choice words for this ill-fated match. Yep, it’s a marriage, of sorts. Made somewhere far south of here.