For travelers in Anchorage, the airfare chase always is at full throttle. We have several carriers competing for the business: USAir, Delta, United and Alaska. All the summertime carriers have gone home for the winter -- so that's who's left.
For the rest of the state (Fairbanks, Kodiak, Nome, Bethel, Juneau, etc.) it's Alaska, Alaska and Alaska.
In keeping with the one-airline-fits-all situation, travelers should rise up and seize the day. Today (Tuesday) is the last day to purchase the PFD airfares. Alaska has a special page for the sale, which details the days of the week you can travel. Also, you'll find when you CANNOT travel (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break). Here are my favorite PFD air fares from Anchorage:
Tickets must be purchased no later than Oct. 29.
There are more deals for fall travel, though. If you want to go to North Carolina, you're in luck. Fly from Anchorage to Charlotte for as little as $380 roundtrip on Delta. There are seats available in November, December and into 2014, too.
If you're looking to top off your Alaska Airlines mileage account to reach the MVP or MVP Gold level, consider a trip to Philadelphia or Boston, for as little as $480 roundtrip. That'll rack you up almost 8,000 miles, after all.
Speaking of Alaska Airlines, you can count on bargain rates from Anchorage to both Las Vegas and Phoenix, as the airline launches wintertime nonstop flights to those destinations in mid-December. Unlike many other flights, these nonstop departures leave during the day. I call them "non red-eye" departures. Prices start to come down after the Christmas rush -- around Jan. 6. Fly for as little as $371 roundtrip between Anchorage and Las Vegas. Nonstop flights between Anchorage and Phoenix start at $400 roundtrip.
Airlines already are rolling out their spring 2014 deals. Here are some of my favorites:
With airlines like Frontier, JetBlue, Icelandair and Condor serving the market, Anchorage travelers can look forward to another season of great air fares.
Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant who has lived in Alaska for three decades, spending much of that time traveling the far-flung corners of the state. Visit his website at www.alaskatravelgram.com or follow him on Twitter for breaking travel news.