Both Delta and Alaska came out with impressive PFD airfare sales last month. But something wonderful is happening: More cities now are on sale and the fares keep dropping.
It's not unusual for fares to change every day. But the competitive pressure is causing fares to sink further for travel through May 2016. For example, Alaska Airlines initially offered fares to Seattle for $99 each way. But when Delta came out with $79 fares from Anchorage to Seattle, Alaska responded with a limited number of cheaper seats at $79, but only on northbound flights starting in November.
From Anchorage to Los Angeles, Alaska first announced nonstop flights for $149 each way. When Delta started offering LA tickets for $118 each way, Alaska dropped to $139.
Several readers contacted me regarding fares to Minneapolis. Initially, the Twin Cities were not even included in the sale. But now, Delta is offering tickets for as little as $402 round-trip, connecting through Seattle. The nonstop flights still cost more: $577 round-trip. Alaska is charging $462 round-trip.
Last year, the PFD fares to the East Coast were much higher. This year, they're worth writing home about. If you can get a ticket to the East Coast from Anchorage for $500 or less -- that's always a great deal. But this year, tickets start at $370 round-trip to Boston (on Delta) and go up modestly from there:
Anchorage-New York, $422 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Washington, D.C., $440 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Philadelphia, $440 round-trip on Delta
Fairbanks/Juneau-Philadelphia, $474 round-trip on Delta
Juneau-Washington, D.C., $464 round-trip on Delta
Fairbanks-New York, $456 round-trip
I cannot remember when major cities in the southeastern U.S. were available for a PFD sale. But since Alaska Airlines now offers flights to Orlando, Tampa, Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans and Charleston, South Carolina, all of those cities now are on sale.
Anchorage-Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, $420 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Charleston, South Carolina, $443 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Nashville, Tennessee, $434 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-New Orleans, $420 round-trip on Delta
Juneau-New Orleans, $454 round-trip on Delta
Juneau-Orlando, $449 round-trip on Delta
Fairbanks-Tampa, $493 round-trip on Delta
Both Delta and Alaska serve several destinations in Texas. Alaska offers flights to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. Delta flies to more -- the airline used to have a hub in Dallas. The PFD offers are very good:
Anchorage-Austin, $403 round-trip on Delta, United and Alaska Airlines (down from $458 when they first announced the PFD sale)
Anchorage-Oklahoma City, $384 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Dallas, $410 round-trip on Delta
Fairbanks-Houston, $444 round-trip on Delta
Juneau-San Antonio, $436 on Alaska Airlines
Alaska has expanded into the Midwest in a big way, with flights to Albuquerque, Denver, Kansas City and St. Louis. Delta is undercutting Alaska's PFD fares in most markets.
Anchorage-Albuquerque, $360 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Denver, $352 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Kansas City, $400 round-trip on Delta
Fairbanks-St. Louis, $423 round-trip on Alaska Airlines
Fairbanks-Denver, $386 round-trip on Alaska Airlines or Delta
Juneau-Colorado Springs, $395 round-trip on Delta ($396 with Alaska Air)
Southwestern U.S. cities including San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas are a major front in this year's PFD fare war.
Anchorage-San Francisco, $300 round-trip on Alaska Airlines
Anchorage-Sacramento, $280 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-San Diego, $298 round-trip on Delta
Fairbanks-San Jose, $318 round-trip on Alaska Airlines
Juneau-Salt Lake City, $327 round-trip on Alaska Airlines
Fairbanks-Las Vegas, $281 round-trip on Delta
This year's PFD fare war is set against the backdrop of the "Battle for Seattle" between Alaska Airlines and Delta. In addition to great fares to Seattle, other cities in the Northwest are benefiting from the lower fares:
Anchorage-Bozeman, Montana, $262 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Missoula, Montana, $364 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Portland, $224 round-trip on Delta
Anchorage-Boise, $303 round-trip on Delta
Fairbanks-Boise, $333 round-trip on Delta or Alaska
Fairbanks-Spokane, $281 round-trip on Delta
Juneau-Vancouver, B.C., $270 round-trip on Delta
Bound for the tropics? Both Alaska and Delta have some run-to-the-sun deals.
Anchorage-Honolulu, $437 round-trip on Alaska Airlines
Anchorage-San Jose, Costa Rica, $609 round-trip on Alaska Airlines
Fairbanks-Guadalajara, $543 round-trip on Delta
Even during a major sale, prices change all the time. Don't wait until the last minute to purchase your tickets. If you see a good deal, buy it. Of course, these are just a few of the destinations on sale. I picked the cities that interest me. But if you're really curious about how Alaska and Delta stack up on flights to Edmonton, Alberta, you'll have to do your own research. The good news is it's really worth it to do that research, since you could save some big money.
Speaking of research, I checked these PFD fares on Delta.com and Alaskaair.com, as well as on Google's ITA Software site.
Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@alaskatravelGRM) and alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.