ANC-ORD Is Back
May 7, 2019, 11:49 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
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ANC-ORD Is Back
Another sign that summer is getting closer... the seasonal ANC-ORD flight begins tonight, with a redeye from ANC to ORD (although today's high in Anchorage is only 28 degrees F 
).
ANC-ORD 1945-0500 (Thu-Sun), 2300-0820 (daily)
ORD-ANC 0055-0435 (Fri-Mon), 0935-1315 (daily)
The route is back for 2019 and appears to be on the schedule through 9/8, with just one daily flight the final week.
Has anyone had experience flying this route with AS? Even up front, 7 hours seems like a long time on a 16F 737. Every year I tell myself I'm going to fly this route, but I usually end up with a connection on better flights (AA is running the 787 DFW-ANC this year, for example).
Anyway, just curious to hear others' thoughts/experiences.
).ANC-ORD 1945-0500 (Thu-Sun), 2300-0820 (daily)
ORD-ANC 0055-0435 (Fri-Mon), 0935-1315 (daily)
The route is back for 2019 and appears to be on the schedule through 9/8, with just one daily flight the final week.
Has anyone had experience flying this route with AS? Even up front, 7 hours seems like a long time on a 16F 737. Every year I tell myself I'm going to fly this route, but I usually end up with a connection on better flights (AA is running the 787 DFW-ANC this year, for example).
Anyway, just curious to hear others' thoughts/experiences.
May 7, 2019, 3:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Anchorage AK
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 99
It's not hot today in Anchorage, but it sure is a lot warmer than 28F 
I have this flight booked for July, didn't have any issues with when I flew it a few years ago, and that was before I got upgraded almost every flight. Just a little long, but I have issues falling asleep when flying anyways, so the longer duration helped on that front.
I have this flight booked for July, didn't have any issues with when I flew it a few years ago, and that was before I got upgraded almost every flight. Just a little long, but I have issues falling asleep when flying anyways, so the longer duration helped on that front.
May 7, 2019, 5:50 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,858
I've done this route quite a few times.... definitely needed a sleeping pill. It was a constant highway from Y into the F cabin and I had an aisle seat... everyone and their mother would grab my seatback and use it for "support" as they walk up the aisle, waking me every 2 or 3 minutes.
May 7, 2019, 6:49 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,989
Another sign that summer is getting closer... the seasonal ANC-ORD flight begins tonight, with a redeye from ANC to ORD (although today's high in Anchorage is only 28 degrees F ).
ANC-ORD 1945-0500 (Thu-Sun), 2300-0820 (daily)
ORD-ANC 0055-0435 (Fri-Mon), 0935-1315 (daily)
The route is back for 2019 and appears to be on the schedule through 9/8, with just one daily flight the final week.
Has anyone had experience flying this route with AS? Even up front, 7 hours seems like a long time on a 16F 737. Every year I tell myself I'm going to fly this route, but I usually end up with a connection on better flights (AA is running the 787 DFW-ANC this year, for example).
Anyway, just curious to hear others' thoughts/experiences.
).ANC-ORD 1945-0500 (Thu-Sun), 2300-0820 (daily)
ORD-ANC 0055-0435 (Fri-Mon), 0935-1315 (daily)
The route is back for 2019 and appears to be on the schedule through 9/8, with just one daily flight the final week.
Has anyone had experience flying this route with AS? Even up front, 7 hours seems like a long time on a 16F 737. Every year I tell myself I'm going to fly this route, but I usually end up with a connection on better flights (AA is running the 787 DFW-ANC this year, for example).
Anyway, just curious to hear others' thoughts/experiences.
Anyway, not really any different from any other AS transcon-length route. It’s not even the longest route in the AS system anymore...that honor goes to ANC-KOA (by a whopping 40 or so miles).
May 7, 2019, 6:50 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: PDX
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Posts: 2,989
May 7, 2019, 10:00 pm
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
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Location: FAI
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Too long even in F on AS 
May 7, 2019, 10:37 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Between SFO and STS
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Posts: 731
May 8, 2019, 6:51 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,989
AA blocks ANC-DFW as 6:11, for what it’s worth.
My real world experience on ANC-ORD is it’s usually around five to five and a half hours going south, and going north has more variance due to the jet stream, but is usually around six hours. Definitely a long time to be on a 737, but beats the heck out of stopping in Seattle. CO/UA have run 737’s in the past on IAH-ANC...now THAT is a long time to be on a 737 (I think that one blocks at 7:20 if I remember right).
Here’s one more quirky fact...ORD-FAI and MSP-FAI are both shorter routes than ORD-ANC and MSP-ANC.
May 8, 2019, 11:16 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
On the SEA-FLL Monday, not looking forward to how long that is. AS says 6:10 for that flight, but it looks pretty dependent on winds. Also F and PC have been full for weeks. So just exit row for me.
May 8, 2019, 12:20 pm
#14
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There are narrowbodies on routes a lot longer than that, and have been for years. ORD-ANC is 2,846 statute miles by Great Circle Mapper. UA ran a 757 on Berlin-Newark for years at 3,980. Delta ran a 757 (after several years with a 763) JFK-Pisa at 4,131.
May 9, 2019, 4:14 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
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Posts: 5,798
At least with that ORD-ANC route they can flight plan around a good chunk of the jet stream since it's not usually that bad once you get farther north. For the routes in the lower 48, especially the ones going to the Pacific NW, there's not a whole lot you can do except watch your over ground speed get slower and slower and slower and slower. What makes the flights long is this insistence by AS to board 45 minutes early. Any taxi delay just adds to the butt in seat time and a six or 6+15 flight easily pushes seven hours of butt in seat time.
Earlier this year I was on MCO-PDX that took 6+30, and boarding 45 minutes before departure, plus a taxi delay at MCO made it take FOREVER. I think I was easily on the plane for an hour before we even took off.
That being said the crew was great so it wasn't that bad. Drink water, stretch a few times and binge watch a bunch of Netflix.
Last edited by tusphotog; May 9, 2019 at 4:23 pm