Interesting discussion. I love Alaska and have been there over a dozen times. I might go back in 2-3 weeks if polar bears appear in Barrow
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I too am a budget traveler. But I do take tours. Boat and flight tours are an excellent way to experience Alaska and believe it or not can be extremely inexpensive. Two-for-one coupons abound, as do other discounts.
I have traveled in all four seasons and one of my most memorable trips (except no Northern Lights viewing) was in March.
My average cost per day for travel in Alaska is right about $100. That includes everything (though flights cost only $10 using miles), and is pretty much the same no matter when I go, surprisingly enough. Sometimes I stay in hotels, sometimes in cabins, sometimes camp, occasionally a hostel. I almost always rent a car, but I book the car 8-11 months in advance so always pay about $100/week plus taxes if renting in Anchorage (that offer has been in effect the past 3 summers and is bookable now for next summer).
The problem I see is this - what people pay varies greatly. I am active on the Alaska forum on Trip Advisor. I am blown away with what some people will pay for various things - car rentals, hotels, etc. Even food prices are up for contention. One couple spent $10,000 in 2008 for a two-week trip to Alaska (1 week cruise and 1 week land tour). Yes, $10,000. I was shocked. This person couldn't understand how I eat in Alaska for $10/day. I rarely go out to eat but I buy nice food at the supermarket to prepare myself. Not PB&J for sandwiches, for example. Usually meat most dinners, sometimes pancakes and sausage for breakfast, etc.
Most people want to splurge when they travel so marketing a destination as "budget" then getting complaints because people don't think it is, might not be the best way. Because they have to fly to Alaska, often their mindset is different from a typical driving vacation in the US. Often just because Alaska is promoted as "frontier" and remote, it scares people. People have seriously asked on Trip Advisor about the language and currency used!
Plus, many people like convenience over flexibility or cost savings. If they didn't, most cruisetours would cease to exist. There are extremely few cruisetours that really experience much. The people get shuffled around on trains and buses, often put in remote hotels, and can get the short end of the stick at Denali (often booked on a tour for $50 that can be duplicated on their own for free, and rarely seeing wildlife on that tour).
I agree that one of the best uses of FF miles is a trip to Alaska. And it is not as hard as it might seem to get the 25K mile award even for summer travel. I consistently get such tickets. Just booked two 25K mile tickets last month for travel to SE Alaska next July. And if you have Delta miles, you can really maximize your savings since Delta allows a free stop on domestic award tickets.
Rusty, try going to Alaska in the summer or in the winter. Denali is a gem. Going in mid to late May is totally different than going there in July, August or early September. After having been there this past May, I have now been to Denali every month the shuttle buses operate. Vastly different perspectives, colors, wildlife sightings based on the seasons.
John