Posts Tagged ‘PFD’

Some of the best deals of the year roll out during September. As the peak summer travel season ebbs, deals spring up for the fall months–and beyond.

Then there’s the Permanent Fund Dividend deals. USTravel is rolling out some great deals in a one-day extravaganza on Sat., Sept. 18.

Mark the date now–and make plans to stop by the Dimond Center. In addition to one-time-only savings, USTravel is giving away a boatload of travel prizes (literally), including: a Caribbean cruise for two, trips to Hawaii and Puerto Vallarta–and much more.

Some of the standout travel bargains include:

a. Spring Break cruise to Mexico, as little as $545 per person, double.
b. Maui vacation for four: as little as $963 per person (quad) includes air and seven nights condo.
c. Costa Rica escape, $1,620 per person, double includes air and six-day holiday.

Watch the website for more details. you don’t want to miss this event on Sat., Sept. 18. Our friends at USTravel are keeping the BEST deals UNDER WRAPS until the VERY DAY!

Follow USTravel on Facebook and Twitter .

Here are some kewl…er…hot packages from our friends at USTravel. Spend six days/five nights in Honolulu in January 2010. Check out these prices:

a. Castle Maile Sky Court Hotel, incl. RT air from Anchorage: $627 per person, double occupancy.

b. Aqua Aloha Surf and Spa Hotel, incl. RT air from Anchorage: $650 per person, double occupancy.

c. Miramar at Waikiki, incl. RT air from Anchorage: $657 per person, double occupancy.

Taxes and fees are additional. Special pricing also available from USTravel cities, including Kodiak, Fairbanks, Dutch Harbor–and more. Also, these are just the “leader” prices from Alaska to Honolulu. Of course, the professionals at USTravel statewide can put together the perfect Aloha Getaway to the Neighbor Islands. Heck, there also are cruises available through the islands.

Start planning your next vacation today. Check the website for the location nearest you. Or call Kelly Jo in Anchorage at (800)544-2217 or locally in Anchorage (907)561-2434.

Alaska Airlines is offering their annual PFD air fare sale through Nov. 2 ONLY. Below, I took this photo from Alaska Airlines flight #75 between Seattle and Juneau.

Here’s what we know:

Zone fares. For the most part, Alaska Air‘s fares are zone-based. That means that all the towns (aside from Seattle) in Washington, Oregon and Idaho get the same rate. That’s great news if you’re going to some of the smaller towns in Oregon (Pendelton, North Bend) or Idaho (Idaho Falls, Lewiston).

Alaska’s rural communities. If you are going to or from Alaska’s smaller towns served by Alaska’s jets (Kodiak, Cordova, Kotzebue, King Salmon), this sale may represent the best prices of the year. Check ‘em out.

Blackout dates. Travel on Fridays or Sundays is not available at the lowest rates (except to Hawaii and Mexico). It costs, on average, about $20 more each way.

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.

Dollars and Cents. Here are some of the best deals:

Anchorage to:

1. Seattle $199 ea. way or 418 roundtrip, all-in.

2. Honolulu (nonstop) 209 ea. way or 438 rt all-in.

3. 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)

4. Chicago (nonstop) 239 ea. way or 498 roundtrip, all-in

5. San Francisco 249 ea. way or 539 rt all-in (includes Reno, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Fresno)

6. 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.). Check the website.

From Fairbanks to:

1. Seattle $249 ea way or $539 rt all-in

2. Honolulu (via Anchorage-Honolulu nonstop) 259 ea way or 557rt all-in

3. Portland 279 ea way or $600 rt all-in (includes all destinations in Oregon, Washington and Idaho…plus Arcata, CA and Redding, CA)

4. San Francisco 298 ea way or 638rt all-in (includes Oakland, San Jose, Reno, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Fresno)

5. Billings 299 ea way or 638rt all-in (includes Missoula, Helena, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell)

From Juneau/Sitka/Petersburg/Wrangell to:

1. Seattle $179 ea way or 397rt all-in.

2. Portland and all other cities in WA, OR, ID (plus Arcata, CA and Redding, CA): 460rt all-in

3. Bay Area (SFO, SJC, OAK, SMF, RNO, STS, FAT): 498rt all-in

4. Montana (BIL, BZN, FCA, GTF, MSO, HLN): 498rt all-in

5. 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.

Follow Alaska Airlines on Twitter. They regularly post specials, the schedules for their “Nerd Bird” with wireless access–and more.

Era Aviation, in conjunction with other “Frontier Alaska” airlines (Frontier Flying Service and Hageland Aviation) are offering PFD fares as follows:

Anchorage to/from:
Kodiak $129 OW
Cordova  99 OW
Bethel  152 OW
Fairbanks 89 OW
Barrow   209 OW
Kotzebue 159 OW
Nome     159 OW
Kenai     75 OW
Homer     99 OW
Valdez   116 OW
Aniak    119 OW
St. Mary’s  176 OW
Unalakleet  157 OW
Galena      240 OW
Fairbanks to/from:
Barrow    $189 OW
Nome      $219 OW
Kotzebue  $219 OW
Cordova   $149 OW
Kodiak    $189 OW
Bethel    $209 OW
Kenai     $160 OW
Homer     $172 OW
Valdez    $172 OW
Galena    $130 OW

Ten-day advance purchase  required.  Airport/Federal taxes additional.  Travel 10/11/09 – 8/25/10.  Tickets must be purchased by 11/2/2009. No blackouts, although space is limited.

COMMUTER BOOKS. Check these prices–and scoop up these coupon books while they still are available.  There are eight one-way tickets in each book. They are completely transferable!

To/From Anchorage and:
Barrow    $2080 ($260 ea way)
Bethel     $1199 ($150 ea way)
Fairbanks  $825 ($103 ea way)
Kenai   ova  $639 ($80 ea way)
Homer  $935 ($117 ea way)
Kodiak   $1359 ($170

ea way)
Cordova  $1039 ($130 ea way)
Valdez    $1039 ($130 ea way)
Aniak     $999 ($125 ea way)
St. Mary’s  $1479 ($185 ea way)
Unalakleet  $1319 ($165 ea way)

To/From Fairbanks and:
Barrow  $1680 ($210 ea way)
Nome    $1912 ($239 ea way)
Kotzebue     $1912 ($239 ea way)
Galena    $1092 ($136 ea way)

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.