Posts Tagged ‘air fare sale’

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.

Sept. 10 is the last day for air fare sale on Era Aviation for these destinations. Travel through Feb. 12, 2010. No blackouts.

NO TSA HASSLES. Keep your shoes on. Bring your latte on board (just don’t spill it in my lap–or yours!).

ANCHORAGE-Kodiak $109 ea. way

ANCHORAGE-Cordova $99 ea. way

ANCHORAGE-Fairbanks $79 ea. way (more…)

Great deal on Era Aviation from Anchorage:

Anchorage-Fairbanks: $75 ea way

Anchorage-Bethel: $139 ea way

Anchorage-Cordova: $89 ea way

Anchorage-Kodiak: $119 ea way

There is a 7-day advance purchase. Travel through Dec. 15, 2008.

Remember, Era Aviation also has web specials each weekend to the above locations, plus Kenai, Homer and Valdez. 

Are you a frequent flyer? Check out “Fly Away Rewards” to earn free tickets on Era Aviation. 

Finally. Here are some great deals on Alaska Airlines. You have to purchase these tickets no later than Nov. 24 for travel through Mar. 11, 2009. There are a few blackout dates: Dec. 19, 20, 27, 28 2008 and Feb. 13, 14, 16, 21, 22 2009. All these fares are one-way, plus taxes and fees. 

Between Anchorage and:

Billings/Bozeman/Missoula other MT destinations:  $259 ea way

Seattle $209 ea way

Chicago $259 ea way

Eugene, Medford, Pendleton, Bend other OR destinations: $239 ea way

Fresno $259 ea way

Spokane, Walla Walla, Pasco and other WA destinations: $239 ea way

Idaho Falls, Lewiston, Boise and other ID destinations: $239 ea way

L.A./Long Beach/Burbank, Orange County/Ontario $279 ea way

Portland $239 ea way

Phoenix/Tucson $299 ea way

Minneapolis $299 ea way

S.F., Oakland, San Jose $259 ea way

San Diego $279 ea way

Washington, DC $319 ea way

Newark $319 ea way

Yakutat (yep, Yakutat) $139 ea way!

Cancun $289 (lots of taxes and surcharges for Mexico fares!)

Puerto Vallarta $219 ea way

Guadalajara $219 ea way

Cabo San Lucas $229 ea way

Mazatlan $219 ea way

La Paz $229 ea way

Between Fairbanks and:

Fresno 309

Spokane 289

Las Vegas 349

Minneapolis 349

Palm Springs 329

Bay Area (Oakland, SFO, San Jose) 309

L.A. Basin (LAX, Burbank, Orange County, Ontario, Long Beach) 329

Reno 309

San Diego 329

Seattle 259

Portland ( and other OR destinations) 289

Washington, DC 369

Newark 369

…many more

Between Juneau and 

L.A. Basin  (LAX, Long Beach, Orange County, Burbank, Ontario) 259

Phoenix/Tucson 279

Bay Area (SFO, Oakland, San Jose) 239

Reno 239

Portland (and other OR destinations) 219

Seattle 189

San Diego 259

Washington, DC 299

…many more

There are other cities, but I cherry-picked the most popular. Check the website for full details at www.alaskaair.com