I spoke with lots of folks who were able to swoop in and get the great bargains to Chicago, Denver, L.A. and Portland last week. They were s-w-e-e-t. But just like the buzz from your grandmother's best Christmas cookies, they were short-lived. This should be a warning for those who stopped to ponder the great rates -- only to see them disappear before they made the "buy" decision.
There still are some good deals available to select destinations. They are not quite as hot -- and they've been in the system for a week or so. But don't dawdle when it comes to making a decision. Let's review:
Anchorage-Hartford, Connecticut. Why is there such a good deal into Hartford? Honestly, I have no idea. Why ask why? But Alaska Airlines has a deal with American to fly there for $474 roundtrip. Continental offers a $506 roundtrip fare with more available dates. That's cheaper than a ticket to Seattle. By comparison, a ticket to Boston on Alaska is $833.
Anchorage-New York City. There are some great rates to the Big Apple, for as little as $499 roundtrip. In the winter, USAir has good availability, using its daily nonstop flight to Phoenix. In the summertime, fly on American Airlines for $499. The itinerary I picked, between June 9 and June 17, includes Anchorage-Seattle service by Alaska Airlines. Compare that with Alaska Airlines' own service into Newark between June 17 and June 23: $903 roundtrip. That's nine-hundred-three dollars (not a misprint).
Anchorage-Philadelphia. I'm watching this city pair closely, in light of USAir's announcement last week that it would start nonstop service in June. This will be a great flight -- and they're charging major coin for it ($834 roundtrip). Compare that with Delta's summertime service via Atlanta or Salt Lake. The cost? Just $495 roundtrip, including all taxes and fees. Hmmm -- is one stop worth $340. You decide.
Anchorage-Charlotte, NC. I love Charlotte. It's a beautiful city in a beautiful state. We have good friends there. And it's especially attractive at $503 roundtrip on Delta. Compare that to the lowest available fare to Atlanta: $869 roundtrip on Continental.
Anchorage-Washington, DC. United and Continental offer good rates throughout the winter for around $530 roundtrip, including taxes. But in the summertime, American Airlines offers a $489 roundtrip rate. American offers seasonal nonstop service to Anchorage from Dallas. And this year, they're resuming their daily nonstop flight from Chicago. That said, many of the available itineraries include Alaska Airlines segments, particularly between Anchorage and Seattle. Compare American's and Continental's fares with Alaska Airlines' lowest rate of $935 roundtrip. That's almost twice as much as American's rate. Hmmm.
Anchorage-Honolulu. Alaska Airlines offers great nonstop deals to the Land of Aloha this winter: just $459 roundtrip. It's the cheapest ride to the beach you'll find on any given January day! Maui, though, is a different story. The cheapest January seats available tip the scales at $602 roundtrip. Yikes!
Anchorage-Frankfurt, Germany. If the prices to the Lower 48 are scary, consider a flight to Europe next summer. Condor German Airlines starts nonstop service to Frankfurt on May 4, 2010. The price to travel on the first flight, returning on May 29, is $740 roundtrip, including all taxes and fees.
Online resources:
Travelocity. I love their flexible date search. They don't always come up with the dates I want, but the tool is a good "benchmark" indicator of what the prevailing rates are. www.travelocity.com
Alaska Airlines. I find Alaska's site to be the easiest to use and navigate. That said, I use their site more than any other airline. www.alaskaair.com
Continental Airlines. Watch Continental for deals to Seattle. They're the only other airline offering daily service to the Emerald City. They recently dumped Alaska Airlines for United -- so they may be motivated to steal some business. www.continental.com
USAirways. Watch these folks. They just announced a summertime nonstop flight to Philadelphia from Anchorage. Let's hope for some fireworks on the fare front. www.usairways.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.