Just stand at the airport and you'll see travelers of all kinds: workers headed to the North Slope, fishermen flying to the crab boats in Dutch Harbor or police officers escorting prisoners to court hearings. In the next concourse you might see newlyweds going to their honeymoon, kids going to Grandma's house or students going back to school.
What kind of traveler will you be next year? It's a fair question, since the odds are good that we'll all take a trip or two. Or three. It's the Alaska way.
Home for the holidays
Since many of us arrived in Alaska from somewhere else, "home" often means a place in the Lower 48. It's pretty tough for travelers in this category to negotiate a deal, since they're competing with school kids, teachers and their families for limited seats on a few key dates. If you fall in this category, book your tickets as far out as you can (330 days in advance). And while all things are possible, it's improbable that there will be a big sale for southbound seats around Dec. 19, returning around Jan. 1.
Spiritual journey
Many friends have taken the long walk in northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. It's known as the Way of St. James. Travelers take one of several paths starting in Spain or France and walk many miles each day, staying at hostels along the way. Pilgrims have followed these routes for centuries. Some have an interest in culture; others follow the route out of a spiritual conviction.
Muslim travelers hold an annual trek to the holy city of Mecca called the Hajj. It's the largest annual gathering of people in the world. There is a set of rituals for the faithful, including walking seven times around the Ka'aba, a cube-shaped building.
I'm not sure Burning Man qualifies as a spiritual journey, but those who have attended certainly display remarkable enthusiasm. It's set in the desert of northern Nevada. Attendees come from around the world to experience the event, which espouses radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, civic responsibility and gifting. Oh, then there's the Burning Man itself.
On a quest
Chris Guillebeau decided he wanted to visit every country in the world. All 193 of them. So he set out on a quest to do just that. It took several years and a fair amount of money. But he lived to tell the story -- and to encourage others to make their own quests. His latest book, "The Happiness of Pursuit," details how a quest or a mission can transform your life. Sometimes, it's riding a bicycle across a continent. Then there are those travelers who choose to walk across the U.S. Still others want to climb the highest peak on each continent. Not all of the quests feature travel, but many do.
Mileage runner
My friend Bart Parker has racked up more than 1,000,000 miles on Delta Air Lines and travels as a Diamond SkyMiles elite-level flier. According to Parker, he is upgraded domestically "about 99 percent of the time" on Delta. Right now, travelers like Parker are in the cross hairs at the airlines, who want to purge the "cheap elites," who have worked the mileage programs to their benefit. In fact, Delta has changed its plan from a mileage-based one to a revenue-based scheme.
More common in Alaska is the 1,000,000-mile Mileage Plan member with Alaska Airlines. That guarantees MVP Gold status for life. Of course, as more travelers attain that distinction, you'll have to rack MVP Gold 75K status to get the best perks, such as first-class upgrades.
Several websites, including Flyertalk.com and Milepoint.com, feature bulletins and forums for frequent fliers to trade tips and tricks on how to get the best bargain for your traveling dollar.
International traveler
Although Alaska boasts one of the highest proportions of passport holders (more than 60 percent), there still are folks who have not filled out their paperwork. These days, your adult passport is good for 10 years. If you don't have one, stop what you're doing and apply. Pick up an application at the post office (or print it out online and take it to the post office with your passport photos). It's expensive and it takes a while unless you pay extra for expedited delivery. But you have to have a passport even if you want to drive through Canada to Haines.
Spontaneous adventurer
Once you have your passport, you can qualify as this type of traveler. Of course, there are plenty of spontaneous adventures in Alaska! But this summer, with two international airlines flying nonstop over the pole, you need to be ready when prices drop at the last minute (which they often do).
Right now, you can book a nonstop trip to Iceland for $667 round-trip (May 14-24): icelandair.com
On the domestic front, Alaska Airlines is offering a good mix of bargains throughout the winter, including:
- Anchorage-Portland for $359 round-trip (nonstop) between Jan. 7 and Jan. 27.
- Alaska Airlines publishes a new set of deals each week on its Club 49 page: alaskaair.com/club49
Wanderer
I'm still working on this one, but Matt Kepnes is making some real progress. His new book "Travel the World on $50 a Day" is compelling. I've met Matt and have followed his Twitter feed for years (twitter.com/nomadicmatt). Matt likes round-the-world tickets and special bonus-earning credit cards to get extra frequent-flier points. His whole premise is to travel cheaper, longer and smarter. What's not to love?
Road tripper?
Sometimes Alaskans just want to hit the road and drive -- like other good Americans! As gas dips below $2 per gallon in the Lower 48, this option may be more attractive. You can rent a car or an RV (cruiseamerica.com). You can just point the car east from Seattle and drive. Or you can be a bit more structured about it and take advantage of AAA's Trip-Tik travel planner. Check with the local AAA office: 344-4310.
Train lover?
It's easier to be a train lover in Europe than it is in the U.S. Fly Condor from Anchorage or Fairbanks to Frankfurt. Then hop a train from the airport to the downtown station where you can start your train trip around Europe. Check out the options online: eurail.com/eurail-passes.
Sail the world
Cruising is big. Really big. Whether you want to sail Alaska's Inside Passage, the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, you're likely to find a cruise that fits. It's possible to book your own cruise with big operators like Princess, Holland America or Royal Celebrity. Choose small-ship operators like Un-Cruise Adventures (un-cruise.com). There are even specialty cruises like live-aboard dive vessels in the Red Sea (aggressor.com). Consider a travel agent that specializes in cruise packages, such as Cruises Only (cruisesonly.com).
The ability to travel is a wonderful gift. And it's the season to take full advantage of the many opportunities available now for the year ahead!
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.