Travel

Check out this year's PFD deals on airfare

It's exciting to see what Alaska Airlines offers to travelers for its PFD sale each year. For travelers in Anchorage and Fairbanks, the PFD sale is one of many airfare sales throughout the year. But for travelers in far-flung communities at the end of Alaska Air's route system, the PFD sale typically is the best deal of the year.

For example, from Kodiak or Nome to Seattle, the PFD sale fare is $199 each way. Even though that's a bit expensive by Anchorage standards, those are great fares.

Travelers must purchase Alaska's fares by Oct. 10 for travel through May 24, 2017. There are blackouts around Thanksgiving (Nov. 16-29), Christmas (Dec. 14-Jan. 3, 2017) and spring break (Feb. 16-March 26).

What's really interesting is to see "round two" of the PFD airfares. Delta and United both are offering some great fares. Delta actually refers to some of their deals as a "PFD Sale" while United just drops the prices as a reaction to both Alaska and Delta.

In the mix, all the airlines are dropping their fares to undercut the competition. For travelers, that's a signal to plan your vacation — while the airlines still are mad at one another.

Take Seattle: Both Alaska and Delta now are offering $99 one-way flights. But if you want a great deal next spring, fly on JetBlue for $66 one way ($77 on the return) for a few select dates in late May and early June.

Tickets to Portland are crazy, too. Alaska's PFD fare from Anchorage is $139 each way. Delta is selling tickets for $98.50 each way through Dec. 13. Then, in late May, JetBlue returns to the market with $66 one-way tickets.

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If you want to go to Southern California, step up for a bargain. Alaska's PFD fares to Los Angeles from Anchorage start at $149 each way. But Delta started selling tickets for $246 round trip, so Alaska now matched the price, undercutting its own special fare.

Delta went one step further, offering a special $200 round-trip fare from Anchorage to Long Beach, California, via Seattle and Salt Lake. The fares are not available every day, but you can find them, especially for travel in November before Thanksgiving.

Farther down the coast, PFD fares to San Diego started at $159 each way on Alaska. But Delta undercut it by $10, so now both carriers are selling them for $149 each way.

If you want to fly to Phoenix, the PFD fare is $179 each way, but that didn't last long. First Delta dropped the rate to $149 each way and now both Alaska and Delta are offering tickets all winter long for $298 round trip.

Fares to Denver from Anchorage stayed high all summer long. Not anymore. Alaska announced a PFD fare of $159 each way. That's a great deal, but United now offers $303 round trip starting in November on its nonstop flight.

Another expensive flight is Delta's nonstop to Minneapolis from Anchorage. But starting on Oct. 22, the fare drops to $383 round trip. Compare that with Alaska's PFD fare of $398 round trip.

My favorite nonstop flight on Alaska Airlines is the six-hour flight from Anchorage to Chicago. Now they have it on sale for $377 round trip. That rate even beats its own PFD fare of $199 each way!

Alaska Airlines didn't put every destination on special for the PFD sale. Most of the wintertime Hawaii flights are blacked out and East Coast destinations weren't included. That doesn't mean there are not great deals available. It's just that the fares are so competitive — they change all the time!

For example, flights to Boston weren't included in the PFD sale. But when United and Delta started with some great prices, Alaska Air jumped right in, with Anchorage-Boston flights as low as $370 round trip. If you need extra miles, a trip to Boston will net you 7,862 "elite qualifying miles."

If you're headed to Florida, United has a great fare from Anchorage to Orlando for $438 round trip. The connections are sweet, too. Fly nonstop to Denver, then nonstop to Orlando. Delta offers a $442 round-trip fare. And Alaska Air offers a $446 round-trip fare, but you have to go through San Diego to catch the new San Deigo-Orlando nonstop.

Speaking of new nonstop flights out of Southern California, Alaska Airlines has quite a few — and they're priced right.

From Anchorage to Baltimore, Alaska offers a $442 round-trip fare. Here's the catch: You have to fly to Los Angeles to catch the nonstop LAX-Baltimore flight.

Oh — and did you hear that Alaska Air is offering nonstop service from LA to Havana, Cuba? The flights, which still are subject to Cuban government approval, are supposed to start on Jan. 5.

Before you run out and buy your tickets to Cuba, check out some important information (and restrictions) on travel to Cuba that Alaska posted on its website (alaskaair.com/content/cities/flights-to/cuba.aspx).

Airlines were anxious to offer special deals to entice PFD travel purchases. Now they get to jostle among themselves to see who can offer the best price to travelers.

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.

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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