Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - ANC-SEA fares

I am trying to arrange a weekend trip somewhere warm for mr. meej's birthday next month, and I am hitting a wall with fares just about everywhere I look. I've come across a great example of what a little competition can do:

ANC-SEA 4/26 - 4/29 (or any day within a 5 day window around these dates)
$493 R/T

SEA-LAS 4/26 - 4/29
$160 R/T

Yes, yes, I know that ANC-SEA is about 600 miles longer but this route is our main link to anywhere else on AS the high fares are getting old. As an added bonus, 10K saver awards are only available on two departing flights to SEA on 4/26 (really early and really late) whilst the listed fares for pretty much all the flights on that same day are identical. Ugh. ANC - PDX is the same price (which it should be) but I am used to that route costing $$$.

Dont usually rant but I am a frustrated ANC flyer at the moment. I can usually find SOMEWHERE to head to for a quick trip, but it's pretty difficult right now.

Wishing and hoping for a spring fare sale (from ANC)....

I am trying to arrange a weekend trip somewhere warm for mr. meej's birthday next month, and I am hitting a wall with fares just about everywhere I look. I've come across a great example of what a little competition can do:

ANC-SEA 4/26 - 4/29 (or any day within a 5 day window around these dates)
$493 R/T

SEA-LAS 4/26 - 4/29
$160 R/T

Yes, yes, I know that ANC-SEA is about 600 miles longer but this route is our main link to anywhere else on AS the high fares are getting old. As an added bonus, 10K saver awards are only available on two departing flights to SEA on 4/26 (really early and really late) whilst the listed fares for pretty much all the flights on that same day are identical. Ugh. ANC - PDX is the same price (which it should be) but I am used to that route costing $$$.

Dont usually rant but I am a frustrated ANC flyer at the moment. I can usually find SOMEWHERE to head to for a quick trip, but it's pretty difficult right now.

Wishing and hoping for a spring fare sale (from ANC)....

Do you have a BofA Alaska Visa with the $50 companion fare? I know it doesn't solve your frustrations about high prices but if you really need to go on the trip then that can cut the cost down. I don't really blame Alaska for trying to get as much money on those routes as they can with the tourists heading up to Alaska whether it's part of a cruise or whatever. I'm sure a lot of the flights are already full so they don't have a problem charging more money for them. Don't a lot of the resorts starting flying in temporary workers in late April or early May for the summer season? Either way, Alaska probably should get it's money from tourists and alike this summer because I don't think there will be much tourism next summer if our economy doesn't get better and fuel prices come down....

Do you have a BofA Alaska Visa with the $50 companion fare? I know it doesn't solve your frustrations about high prices but if you really need to go on the trip then that can cut the cost down.

Have two each year, but save them for high priced/high priority trips like xmas ($1000 w/BoA last year) and Hawaii (very high priority :cool:). This isn't a trip we HAVE to take.

Yes, I understand why they're so high...just ranting. Not used to seeing flights to SEA cost the same as flights to PDX months out. Taxing the tourists doesn't really help when we are traveling the same routes, just the opposite way.

Have two each year, but save them for high priced/high priority trips like xmas ($1000 w/BoA last year) and Hawaii (very high priority :cool:). This isn't a trip we HAVE to take.

Yes, I understand why they're so high...just ranting. Not used to seeing flights to SEA cost the same as flights to PDX months out. Taxing the tourists doesn't really help when we are traveling the same routes, just the opposite way.
I'm a proponent of more reasonable (for us) fares to SEA, but as for your last point I just quoted...well, the tourists may come, but the tourists must go, too, or else they become permanent Alaskans! (And I know several isolationist Fairbanksans who would prefer that not happen...) I think just about an equal number of people fly up as fly down, since probably just as many people take a cruise up and fly back as fly up and take a cruise back, or of course fly a round trip.

As for holding out hope for a spring fare sale...well, AS matched CO's $2xx price to SEA a few weeks ago, but so far, they haven't repeated it. I would guess that, with the upcoming increasing tourist season traffic, we're not likely to see it.

However, if your trip does not have to be on AS metal, check the Travelocity Dream Map (http://dps1.travelocity.com/dreamMap.ctl?dep_arp_name=ANC) for ANC and the FareCompare destinations map (http://www.farecompare.com/maps/myAirportCategoryMap.html?departure=ANC&category=Domestic) for some potential deals. With some creative dates, you might be able to get to somewhere like Colorado Springs for $382 or all the way to New York for $450, both a much better bang for at least my buck than $490 to Seattle. (I didn't actually look at the published dates for these fares or availability, so they may not exist or may not work in the next month or two, which is what it appears you're looking for.)

Best of luck!

I agree and sympathize with you meej.
I recently was looking into ANC-SEA and ANC-HNL fares and came to the realization of how bad prices are now.
This year they are worse then ever.
examples ANC-PDX web special $600 All the few web specials we've had this year have been just as bad.
only one good special to SEA$233
after the introductory fares ended ANC-HNL are sky high.
I'd be going even crazier if I didn't read FT and subscribe to Fare compare ie.ANC-DEN $350 Anc-LAX $450 . And the total joke the Permanent Fund fares have become.Thank god for the mileage plan.

Just to add more wood to the fire...

AS has a "web special" ANC-SEA for...

$249 OW +taxes...

ugh...

Just to add more wood to the fire...

AS has a "web special" ANC-SEA for...

$249 OW +taxes...

ugh...

AS web specials have been dead to me since they "revamped" them a year or two ago.

Just to add more wood to the fire...

AS has a "web special" ANC-SEA for...

$249 OW +taxes...

ugh...LOL AS and their "OW" specials! :rolleyes:
CO has RT trips lower than that as specials!

LOL AS and their "OW" specials! :rolleyes:
CO has RT trips lower than that as specials!

Whats even more funny is AS has prices lower too!!!

I'm a proponent of more reasonable (for us) fares to SEA, but as for your last point I just quoted...well, the tourists may come, but the tourists must go, too, or else they become permanent Alaskans!

It could still be done...if they wanted it. For instance...what about something like the constituent fare - a code for all MP members with residence in AK that could be used only on a r/t fare that started and ended in AK. This wouldn't be a unique precedent (for instance, NW upgrades for HI flights ONLY for elites living in HI - a benefit that their best customers in the islands can enjoy, but no one else because generally the tourist traffic is apparently willing to pay F for the seats).

Anyway...it could be done, but what is the motivation? Ever been on an empty flight to AK in the summer? Me neither (well, once in May). Sadly...we'll only see better fares with more competition (remember when UA flew ANC-SEA??)

The truth that AS knows is that most of us are fiercely loyal to them anyway...and we'll choose them over the competition even at a higher fare for the status and the upgrades in the off season when there is no competition. For example...both of my upcoming spring/summer trips AS is BY FAR the most expensive option...(to the tune of $200 each trip).

They're not competing for our business...because they don't have to! On the other hand...in some ways they are because as is being pointed out in the MP thread...their mileage program and some of the other benefits are so much better!