Originally Posted by
jackal
From out of state, I didn't think the actual filed fares for [out-of-state]-FAI city pairs were much more than [out-of-state]-ANC.
Originally Posted by
Gardyloo
I'd be surprised if the total air cost to FAI was that much more than just to ANC, but I'm sure it could be variable depending on specific dates, lower 48 origin points, stopovers if any, etc.
I've wasted far too many hours trying to game this system when trying to get to Fairbanks. The fares to FAI are often higher, and not by trivial amounts (such as that $150 difference). There's so much more competition into Anchorage that fares get driven down. However, Alaska Airlines (and others in the summer) have the pricing finely honed. I have never once found a way to get a combination of tickets (plane, train, car) that gets me to Fairbanks for less than the round trip YYY-FAI-YYY.
That said, I have seen unusually low fares from the east coast to Fairbanks every now and then (e.g., Summer 2008 for sub-$500), so if you're somewhat flexible it might be worth waiting and watching the fares closely.