So, I have an interesting dilemma on which I would appreciate advice from other Flyertalkers. Last year, I volunteered to be bumped from an Alaska Airlines flight. Presumably because I had already boarded, and in volunteering was actually deplaning, the gate agent didn't just give me a coach domestic voucher, he endorsed it for first class anywhere Alaska flies (including Canada & Mexico) except Russia. Well, darn, I've always wanted to visit Siberia! Guess I'll just have to get there on my own some day....

The voucher expires June 21, and is non-transferable. Because of deadlines at work and various other travel which I've already scheduled (to places where Alaska unfortunately does not fly, or I would have used up this voucher for this other travel), if I want to use the voucher before it expires, I can really only take a weekend and go somewhere. Since I'm not ready to pick and go this upcoming weekend June 2-4, that leaves June 9-11 and June 16-18.

So, where should I go? I figured Alaska would seem the most fitting, but then the question becomes, where in Alaska? I would be traveling on my own, and the thought of making it somewhat like a "backpacking trip through Europe" is appealing. I.e., pack light, walk the streets to see what sights can be seen, stay at a hostel, etc. Anchorage seems the most obvious, but perhaps one of the other cities has its charms and would in fact be more seeable in a weekend.

Also, I'd be interested in hearing if anybody has had experience with these vouchers from Alaska and whether I should expect capacity controls to severely limit which flights I would be able to get on. For example, I've had one agent suggest that I'm likely to find it hard to get a first class seat on a flight from Seattle to an Alaska city, but more likely to get a first class seat on a flight from SFO to an Alaska city, simply because there are too many MVP Gold's transferring through Seattle.

Thoughts?