Anchorage Daily News

The Permanent Fund dividend travel sale has become Alaska Airlines' biggest statewide sale of the year. There are better individual fares from time to time, but each fall, Alaska Airlines comes up with discounts to almost every destination. This year is no exception.

Some deals are better than others. I like the nonstop flight to Chicago. Alaska is offering it for $249 each way. With taxes, the total is $516.90 round trip.

There is a 14-day advance-purchase requirement. You have to purchase your tickets by Oct. 13, and travel must be completed by Aug. 9, 2009. There are no blackouts around Christmas, but travel is prohibited between March 5 and March 16. That precludes using any PFD specials for spring break travel.

Also, there are seasonal restrictions. For example, Alaska's new service between Seattle and Minneapolis doesn't start until Oct. 26. The new Seattle-Kona service doesn't start until Nov. 17.

From Anchorage, the other stand-out bargain is the Anchorage-Honolulu nonstop for $249 each way. That's not as cheap as when Hawaiian Vacations was in the market, but the cost of everything, including fuel, has increased dramatically since then.

One of the other unique features of the PFD sale is that Alaska offers good discounts to all of those little college towns in Montana, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. Typically, the cost from Anchorage can exceed $800 round trip, but the price to any Alaska/Horizon destination in Oregon, Washington or Idaho is $229 each way. To Montana, it's $249 each way. Those are great prices in today's hopped-up air fare environment.

Travel between Anchorage and California is a little more convoluted this year. To Northern California, the cost is $249 each way, including destinations such as Reno, Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Fresno. Travel to Southern California, including San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, costs $20 more each way.

Long-haul flights to Newark, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Florida are $309 each way. Honestly, you can find fares in the system now more than $100 cheaper to Washington, D.C., on Delta or Northwest. And there have been cheaper tickets to New York from time to time. But trips to Florida are pretty expensive, no matter who you fly.

There are PFD bargains from other Alaska Airlines destinations in the state. The cost from Fairbanks to Mexico destinations is $399 each way. Bethel to Los Angeles is $339 each way. Kodiak to Chicago is $359 each way.

In-state fares also are on sale. Between Anchorage and Fairbanks, the cost is $97 each way. Both Alaska Airlines and Era Aviation offer the fare. Era also is offering coupon books: $799 for eight one-way coupons. Unlike the PFD specials, the coupons are transferable and there is no advance purchase (although seats are limited).

Frontier Flying Service also is offering a round-trip special between Anchorage and Fairbanks for $175.

Alaska Airlines and Era Aviation are offering comparable fares to all their in-state destinations, including Anchorage-Kodiak for $135 each way, Anchorage-Cordova for $125 each way and Anchorage-Bethel for $152 each way.

Alaska Airlines also is offering vacation packages and hotel bargains as part of this year's PFD special. I like the Circus Circus Hotel deal in Reno for as little as $113 per person, double occupancy for four nights. Go to the site and use this special code to pull up the discounts: ASVPFDSALE.

If you already have tickets on Alaska, do what I did: Call back and have them reissued to save some money. I got $90 back for a ticket to Oakland.

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant. Contact him via his travel blog, www.alaskatravelgram.com.

Scott's tips

ALASKA AIRLINES: Check the site for deals and discounts.

alaskaair.com

ERA AVIATION: I love the "commuter coupon" books because you can transfer the tickets.

flyera.com

YAPTA: These folks track your itinerary and alert you to possible savings.

yapta.com

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