Posts Tagged ‘air fares’

Penny Lampl is my go-to agent for travel to/from Asia. She heads up the Kodiak office of USTravel. We’ve done a  couple of presentations together and she’s helped me drill down to get the best deals, particularly on nonstop  flights from Anchorage to Asia.

Her suggestion? “China Airlines is the only carrier providing year-round service from Anchorage to Asia, via Taipei,” she writes.

It’s a bummer you cannot get Alaska Airlines miles on China Air. For that, you have to fly Northwest out of Seattle or Honolulu, or Qantas out of L.A. or Honolulu.

Here is a sampling of the latest fares that Penny researched:

ANC-Manila = $924 rt + ~$279 taxes

ANC-Seoul = 984 rt + ~$279 taxes

ANC-Hong Kong = 864 rt + ~$279 taxes

ANC-Beijing = 940 rt + ~$279 taxes

ANC-Bangkok = 924 rt + ~$279 taxes

All travel must begin by May 20, 2009 to qualify. Check with Penny for rates to/from Taipei, Dehli, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and other Asian destinations. 

Give her a call: (907) 486-4272 or email her: penny.lampl@ustravel.us

Tell her I sent you! Learn more online.

I love tracking down great air fares. Here are a couple I’ve been working on:

Anchorage-New York-Anchorage $479 roundtrip (including a-l-l taxes and surcharges). Fly Alaska Airlines to Chicago, then hook up with one of the worst-ever airlines: American Eagle. Do your own research. This fare takes you right into LGA (LaGuardia). It’s a great rate–and it’s available right now. Laura over at USTravel has some great theater packages to go with it.

Anchorage-Hartford-Anchorage $481 roundtrip (including taxes). Again, take Alaska’s #130 nonstop to Chicago and hook up with American Eagle. This is about half the price of a ticket to Boston. So, Hartford is a great option for travelers to/from the Northeast. 

There is a 14-day advance purchase required for these tickets. Check with USTravel for the best flights, plus your hotel/rental car reservations. Janelle, Tesa and Linda are available Monday-Saturday to book your flights. Call ‘em at (800) 622-6449. 

Anchorage-Washington, DC-Anchorage: $513 roundtrip. Of course, you cannot get this fare to get back to the inauguration party on Jan. 20. Fuggetaboutit. There is a 21-day advance purchase. Northwest Airlines offers this rate in/out of Dulles (IAD).

Anchorage-Denver-Anchorage: $490 roundtrip. This is a Delta flight through SLC. There’s a 21-day advance purchase. I’m not a big fan of Delta Air Lines, but I’m glad they fly in/out of Anchorage. More competition is better than less. Much better. 

My prediction? Watch for big air fare sales in a matter of days, not weeks. Stay tuned.

Big shout-out to readers from the Anchorage Daily News who now will be surfing online to get current travel news. Welcome! Be sure and subscribe to the weekly newsletter (on the right-hand column…just enter your email address). It’s free.

Oh, I snapped this shot at LAX last month on the way to Mexico. It’s as close as I’ve gotten to one of those big Qantas A380 double-deckers. Yet!

Hot! Read the newsletter HERE. Get the latest on:

a. Screaming deal to Frankfurt (nonstop from Anchorage), just $705rt all-in.

b. Blistering vacation sale from USTravel: Disney, Club Med and Fare Sale!

c. Hot Yoga. Yeah. Chill out! HA! From our friends at Laughing Lotus.

Remember, you can subscribe to the newsletter FREE here (on the right–in the box that says “Email Updates”. Or, click over to the SITE and subscribe there. Below–we flew Condor Air to Germany.

Check it out here.

It’s a rough-and-tumble time in the airline business. We’ll try and strip away some of the veneer to let you see where the bargains are. These days, it really does make a difference where you fly–and it makes a difference which airline you employ to haul you there. 

Anchorage-Newark on Alaska Air: $476rt  includes tax (compare with ANC-Philly for $537 on Delta)

Anchorage-Hartford on Delta, NW or Alaska: $472rt includes tax (compare with ANC-Boston for $621 on Delta)

Anchorage-Washington, DC on NW: $515 includes tax (compare with ANC-Richmond for $803 on Delta)

Anchorage-Santa Barbara on USAir: $475 includes tax (compare to ANC-LAX for $838 on Delta). Here’s a shot of the pool at the Hotel Viceroy in Santa Monica. We had breakfast there on the way to my flight at LAX:

The advance-purchase requirement on these fares vary. But the point is this: you’d better shop around. Check with the professionals at USTravel and let them map out the best rates. They charge $38 to track down the best fares. But as you can see in the fares we’ve listed, it can make a BIG difference if you know where the bargains are. 

Just for reference–compare the aforementioned rates  with the lowest price Anchorage-Seattle: $442rt including tax on Continental.

Call USTravel today in Anchorage: (800)544-2217. Remember to ask them about their great “Buy Today, Fly Today” fares. There’s no advance purchase, although you do have to buy a couple of nights’ hotel accommodations to qualify.

Stay tuned for more specials.