Delta Air Lines made a move to drop airfare prices between Alaska and the Lower 48, and other airlines have followed suit.
Updated: 1 hour agoEarlier this week, it appears Delta Air Lines made a move to drop airfare prices between Alaska and the Lower 48. Lower fares now are available on Delta’s flights to select destinations from Anchorage, from Fairbanks and even from Juneau.
As is often the case, other airlines said “Me, too!” Now there’s a nice window for cheaper tickets between Sept. 5 and Oct. 31. Not all cheap fares are created equal, though. While searching for tickets, the base price —basic economy — tickets may appear the same. But many travelers will choose Main Cabin tickets to get pre-reserved seats and frequent flyer points. Each airline has its own strategy and pricing scheme regarding the upcharge to Main Cabin.From Anchorage to the Pacific Northwest, the best deals are to Redmond, Washington; Eugene, Oregon; Medford, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; and Bozeman, Montana. Basic economy prices start at $236 round-trip, for travel between Sept. 5 and Oct. 31. When the fare sale started earlier this week, Delta was the only carrier offering the good rates. Alaska Airlines matched those rates within a couple of days.For most destinations, Delta’s upcharge from Basic to Main is $60 round-trip. Alaska Airlines charges more: up to $80 round-trip. Headed to Seattle or Portland? Prepare to pay a little more. Anchorage to Seattle is $298 round-trip . Travel between Sept. 5 and Oct. 3. Travel to Portland for $278 round-trip , between Oct. 4 and Nov. 19. Is California on your mind? Tickets to San Jose are the cheapest: $256 round-trip on Delta between Sept. 5 and Oct. 31. Other airports like Oakland and San Francisco International are priced higher. To the Los Angeles area, tickets to Ontario are cheapest: $258 round-trip on either Alaska Airlines or Delta. Tickets to other airports in the area — LAX, Burbank, Long Beach, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, San Diego — cost more. To Arizona, tickets to both Phoenix and Tucson are priced as low as $256 round-trip on Delta or Alaska Air. Tickets to Las Vegas cost a little more — $278-$298 — and tickets to Salt Lake start at $276 round-trip on Delta or Alaska.Flights to Denver now are a little less: $347-$356 round-trip on United’s nonstop from Anchorage. Remember, though: United will not let you take aboard a carry-on suitcase without spending more, about $80 round-trip. Checked baggage is additional. The real surprise in Colorado is the fare from Anchorage to Colorado Springs between Sept. 5 and Oct. 30: around $276 round-trip on United, via Denver. Flying to several cities in Texas is pretty cheap right now. My go-to flight is Anchorage-Dallas nonstop on American Airlines. The base price is a little more: from $321 round-trip between Sept. 25 and Nov. 24. But that’s a Main Cabin fare, including advance seat assignments and full mileage credit. That means the all-in price for a Main Cabin fare is cheaper than Alaska Airlines, Delta or United. Basic economy tickets on Delta or United are available for travel to Midland, Austin and San Antonio for $284-$296 round-trip.Travelers to Minneapolis have a few options, but the cheapest is on United Air, for $296 round-trip. Delta’s nonstops cost a little more: $326 round-trip. Chicago has been a pretty good deal all summer, but it’s a great deal now: $318 round-trip nonstop on United Airlines between Sept. 5 and Nov. 29. Grand Rapids, Michigan, is not on my list. But travelers who go there will agree $276 round-trip is a great deal on Delta, between Sept. 5 and Oct. 31. Tickets to Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis all are priced about the same: $276-$296 round-trip.Anchorage-Boston was the first city to grab my attention when this fare sale dropped: $316 round-trip on United or Delta. Anchorage-New York looks nice at $340 round-trip. But only a handful of dates are available on United between Sept. 7-Oct. 4. Anchorage-Raleigh, North Carolina, is priced at $316 round-trip on Delta and United for Sept. 5-Oct. 31.Anchorage-Atlanta is available on Alaska Airlines for just $316 round-trip. This fare is a great deal because Alaska Airlines is mad at Delta for dropping its prices, so they target Delta’s hub. Remember: When airlines are mad at each other, the traveler wins. Anchorage-Fort Lauderdale is just $316 round-trip on Alaska, Delta or United. The same price applies for travel to Fort Myers, just $316 round-trip. Tickets to Tampa and Orlando are a little more, starting at $356 round-trip on Delta. Many of the best deals also are available to or from Fairbanks, from $237 round-trip. From Juneau, three key destinations stand out on Delta: Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, all priced $312-$317 round-trip. Just because your city is not listed does not mean it’s not on sale. It’s worthwhile to search online to see if prices came down. All fares are subject to change without notice. Several prices went up — and down — since I checked yesterday.the easiest tool to scan for airline prices. Then, I double check availability on the airline’s own website.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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