Posts Tagged ‘Northwest’

We just got through with Delta and Northwest. Plus, the whole three-way merger between Era Aviation, Frontier Flying Service and Hageland Aviation. Heck, even Denver-based Frontier Airlines got gobbled up by Midwest Airlines in Milwaukee (well, technically, Republic Airways Holdings in Indianapolis).

So, who’s next? Word on the street is United and Continental are picking out a ring and a date for a mega-merger that would create the world’s biggest airline.

“This all started when Continental left Skyteam for the Star Alliance,” said Mark Eliason of USTravel in Anchorage. “Ultimately, it will be good for the industry,” he said.

But what does it mean for Alaska travelers?

We can look to the merger between Delta and Northwest for some guidance. Both carriers had minimal presence in Anchorage–and by combining there really wan’t any additional service or consolidation, aside from the amount of gate space at the airport. The new airline still flies nonstop to Minneapolis, Detroit, Salt Lake City and Atlanta. Neither Northwest nor Delta was known as a “low fare leader”, so Alaskans really shouldn’t expect any spur-of-the-moment fare wars to stimulate business.

It’s a similar scenario should a merger go through with United and Continental. Neither carrier is known for its aggressive pricing. Continental, with two flights between Anchorage and Seattle, makes no moves to build market share against Alaska Airlines by cutting prices. That said, Continental did drop the price on its new nonstop flight to Portland by more than $100. The current low fare to Seattle is a whopping $514 roundtrip. To Portland? $400 roundtrip.

We’ll cover this in depth next week in the Alaska Dispatch. Bookmark it.

Just on the phone with my friends at USTravel. Toni and I were reviewing these G-R-E-A-T fares. I even called Penny over in Kodiak to confirm.

Hawtness, folks. Don’t miss these:

Anchorage-Chicago: $157 one-way ($355 roundtrip all-in)

Anchorage-Denver: $157 one-way ($355 roundtrip all-in)

Anchorage-Los Angeles: $157 one-way ($355 roundtrip all-in)

Anchorage-Portland: $157 one-way ($355 roundtrip all-in)

These fares come and go like the wind. Right now, it’s just Northwest and Delta offering the rates (although it’s possible you’ll end up flying on Alaska Airlines because of their code-share arrangements). Stay tuned for more cities.

Call USTravel:

Anchorage: (907)561-2434 or (800)544-2434

Kodiak: (907)486-3232 or (800)478-3273

YES, these rates are good during the summer, but availability is SKETCHY.

Okay–True story. Kelly Jo over at USTravel saved me yesterday. I was charged with making arrangements for my family–everyone was coming and going at different times. Different flights. DIfferent times. Some award miles. Some cash (yecch–I hate that!!). But it was my responsibility. I made an honest effort before throwing up my hands and calling Kelly Jo. (more…)