Travel

Are Star Alliance carriers bidding for AK travelers?

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The Star Alliance is one of three worldwide airline alliances that includes United Airlines, Lufthansa, USAirways, Continental and Air Canada, among others. Competing alliances include SkyTeam (Delta, Air France, Korean Air) and OneWorld (America, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Australia's Qantas).

Alaska Airlines has its own alliances, which used to include Continental, but still includes Delta (including Northwest), American and Qantas.

And Alaska is by far the dominant carrier when it comes to the destinations served and the number of travelers. That won't change in the near future. But big chunks of summertime traffic are up for grabs now that several airlines have announced plans to serve Anchorage this summer.

Within the last month, several Star Alliance airlines have announced plans to boost service, including:

A. United Airlines. After withdrawing last year from Anchorage, United plans to inaugurate daily flights to Denver, Chicago and San Francisco. The Chicago flights start on May 22 with Saturday-only service. On June 2, the daily flights begin.

B. USAirways. USAir flies nonstop each day between Anchorage and Phoenix. Starting June 1, the airline will fly nonstop between Anchorage and Philadelphia.

C. Continental Airlines. Continental used to be hooked up with Alaska Airlines. That changed when Continental joined the Star Alliance with United and USAir. Under this agreement, the member airlines share flights, frequent flier plans and passenger information.

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Continental just announced plans to offer nonstop service between Anchorage and Portland, beginning June 2. That's in addition to its daily year-round service to Seattle and its summertime nonstops to Houston from Anchorage.

D. Air Canada. This Star Alliance partner will resume its nonstop flights from Anchorage to Vancouver on May 13.

Why are the Star Alliance flights important to Alaska's travelers? Well, when airlines are fighting over passengers, the traveler wins with lower fares and better service. I think that about sums it up.

None of the Star Alliance carriers have made a push locally to get travelers. As is so often the case, the summer-only carriers regard Alaska solely as an "inbound" destination for cruise passengers and others on package tours. The carriers typically do not spend any time trying to rustle up local business, aside from occasional phone calls or visits to local travel agents.

No reduced fares are available now, so there's no need to rush out and buy tickets. For example, Air Canada's price for a ticket to Vancouver, BC from Anchorage is more than $900 roundtrip. As summer approaches, we may see a firestorm of activity, though. Be prepared to act.

Of course, Star Alliance carriers are not the only ones announcing new airline service. We've discussed the "Frontier Effect" because of Frontier's new Fairbanks-to-Denver service. Other new service is in the works from Condor German Airlines, American Airlines, Sun Country Airlines and Frontier Airlines.

But pay special attention to these Star Alliance carriers. In addition to the flights themselves, their respective mileage plans, including United's Mileage Plus program, represent an incredible opportunity to develop loyal travelers. Alaska Airlines knows this -- which is why they've bolstered their marketing efforts for their co-branded credit card. Some sources estimate there are at least 400,000 credit cards in the state -- each of them earning Alaska Airlines mileage. That's a big beach-head for the Star Alliance to attack in their quest to capture Alaska's frequent fliers.

That said, the fares to and from Alaska are relatively high. That means there is opportunity for Star Alliance airlines -- and others -- to offer Alaska travelers more options, including lower fares.

Online resources:

Star Alliance. Plenty of familiar airlines, including United, USAir and Continental. www.staralliance.com

OneWorld. A competing alliance, featuring American Airlines, British and Cathay Pacific. www.oneworld.com

Skyteam. This alliance is in the news, since it's poised to recruit Japan Airlines, in addition to Delta, Korean Air, Air France and KLM. www.skyteam.com

Alaska Airlines. Watch for more mileage plan promotions and strategic fare sales to ward off competition! That's a good thing. Lower fares! www.alaskaair.com

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.

Scott McMurren

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. Subscribe to his e-newsletter at alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.

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