Sadly no more Russia on AS.
I got to go back when they had regular service,Magadan is a trip.

I am also planning for a trip in Feb end though. I just started a seperate thread which i will delete after writing this :p.

I want to experience Northern lights and Arctic. I understand the uncertainty of the same. Reading lots of forum I conclude maximum chances are in Feb / March. Else please correct me.

I am planning to fly to Barrow and stay for a night. I will then stay in Fairbanks for few nights to increase my chances for northern lights. I am open to change in plans so please suggest better itinerary. I am looking for recommentations for tours / lodging / activity (at this time of the year).
How can I reach Point Barrow? Will I be able to walk on Arctic Ocean?
Places to see near FAI?


Thanks in advance,
-Deepak

Resurrecting this thread for a question....

We're considering a trip to Fairbanks to watch the aurora during either Thanksgiving or Christmas, with a preference for Christmas.

The plan involves flying to ANC (better award availability than Fairbanks), driving up to Fairbanks, staying for about 2-3 days to maximize our chances, then return to ANC for the flight back to Seattle.

The lunar cycle is mostly dark for both periods...being Plats, we can book reward seats then cancel or postpone the trip without cost if the 28-day cycle shows little-to-no aurora activity during our stay period, so there is some flexibility.

So - question to our Fairbanks experts - which holiday period offers the best combination of clear skies, reasonable prices, and small crowds?

In my own experience I have had the best views of the Northern Lights late Sept to Oct 15 and that from the Chugach Mountains outside of Anchorage. Always when I least expected to see them and then they were OUT.

I have never tried to view them from Fairbanks.

You need to be away from town, have clear weather and good luck.

This is the part of the idea I don't like so much. Not an enjoyable drive in the winter; can frankly be dangerous if you have a mishap. If you're using CO miles on AS, I'm sure they can route you all the way.

As for TG or Christmas, Christmas probably will offer better chances of clear weather, but it's really a crapshoot. December in FAI can be cold.

If you were thinking of Chena Hot Springs, get a move on.

Chena is on the expensive side, but we will consider it - although the package is not available until December and I'm not sure gives us enough time to view the aurora unless we hit a particularly vibrant time of the cycle.

The flights to FAI are not available as standard awards - only ANC is open. If we don't drive, and the train only runs twice a week, what other transportation options are there between the two cities?

Chances of seeing the aurora at Thanksgiving or Christmas are really about equal. The key factor is the weather and solar activity. The best viewing that time of year is when it's bone-chilling cold and clear. Wear lots of layers and good insulated boots. The key to staying warm is toasty feet.

Here's a link to the UAF Aurora Observatory aurora forecast website. You can check out a 28 day solar activity forecast. High activity means lots of multi-colored Northern Lights.
http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/

As to the issue of driving from Anchorage to Fairbanks during the winter, I hate it. Even if you get up to Fairbanks, you may not be able to get back to Anchorage when you want to because of road conditions. But, if you decide to do it, you can check out weather and road conditions on the Alaska Department of Transportation website.

When I visited Anchorage & Fairbanks I booked a package for travel between Anchorage & Fairbanks. It included travel on the Alaskan Winter Train from Anchorage to Fairbanks and a flight on AS back to ANC. The cost was about $200. The scenery was beautiful on the way up and it was very convenient to only spend 1 hour or so getting back to ANC.

It's a 40 minute flight on AS or an hour flight on an Era Aviation Dash 8.

I've done that drive in December/January more times than I care to remember (including on winter solstice), and let's just say I wasn't doing it because I wanted to.

It's not worth your time, effort, or danger to drive it in the winter in some rental car with no snow tires. I've had a few winter Parks Highway trips that took 8 to 9 hours one way due to borderline blizzard conditions, including a couple where it snowed hard for every single of the 360 miles. Between the maniac drivers in Anchorage and Wasilla, the howling winds in Broad Pass and Healy, and the slippery 50 miles of hills between Nenana and Fairbanks, well, you get the idea. Winter in Interior Alaska is not something to toy around with.

Just fly. PFD airfare specials are out now, so it's a good time to buy.

Just another thought... When I was in AK, the only time I saw Denali was from an AS flight from ANC to FAI -- off to the West, it was the only thing piercing the clouds. Huge. 3 days in the park, plus the train ride, and I never saw the mountain again.

On any given clear night, from what I hear, the chance of seeing the lights is about 50% in Fairbanks as opposed to 20% in Anchorage. Plus, the weather tends to be clearer in FAI than ANC. I've heard unanimous agreement that lights-viewing is FAR better in FAI than ANC.

Given the chilly temperatures in FAI in the winter, nothing beats staying warm while looking at them by soaking in a steaming-hot pool. I've never done it, but it's something I've always wanted to do, and it's highly ranked by friends who have done it.

In the winter? None. But see this next quote and response:

I did this a few years ago. Very convenient. Plus, it allows more time in FAI, since otherwise, the train goes north Saturday and south Sunday (and that's it). Taking the train both ways, you'd either have 12 hours in Fairbanks or 7.5 days. It's only a $49 (IIRC) upgrade to the round trip rail fare to fly back.

And if you don't want to do the train (though I highly recommend it--the Aurora Winter Train is one of the best ways to really see and experience Alaska, as it is used by the locals to get to their rural cabins with boxes and boxes of supplies from Costco in Anchorage), round-trip airfares aren't that bad between the cities right now. I've been flying and traveling for four days and this is the first I've had good, solid Internet access, but before I left, AS was running a $79-each-way fare. Era (http://www.era-aviation.com) and Frontier Flying Service (http://www.frontierflying.com) both tend to have similarly low (or lower) fares, but book when you find good ones.

This is usually the case in the rainy summer season, but winter days tend to be clearer. Plus, depending on the time of the flight, it could be dark--remember, in the dead of December, the sun rises at 10 and sets at 2.

Thanks all!

Through some miracle, standard awards (coach up, F down) opened up between SEA and FAI including the nonstop to FAI. I booked two sets of tickets over both Thanksgiving and Christmas since I can cancel one or the other without penalty.

Unfortunately, AS is 24hrs to confirm an award, so I need to wait and make sure both tickets actually get issued.

We'll reserve hotels and cars for both periods, then read the 28day cycle when it's released to check for moderate to high activity during Thanksgiving - if it looks like the 3 nights we'll be there are a bust, we will cancel Thanksgiving and hope for better viewing over Christmas.

Any particular reason why you're picking a holiday time to travel?

Personally I'd go in mid-January to FAI ... yeah, it's cold, but so what? That's part of the experience!! Given the length of sunlight at that time of the year, you could just drive up to Chena Hot Springs and spend some time soaking in the pool (or hot tub), watching the aurora.

It was -40 when I was there in a late January ... warmed up to -25 while I was there but that didn't stop us from going out on my son's traplines, going up to the hot springs, and exploring other things in the area.

Free time off :)

Hi.... And congratulations for making this lovely decision... I must say it was one of my best trip in US...

MUST DO:
Pack warm... I mean really warm... 2-3 layers of thermal... Warm sweater (cashmere type - light and warm)... Avoid multiple jackets as it will make manuavering difficult... Carry some heat pads (disposable's are better) / ear warmers (life savers for us) / monkey caps / good snow boots...

Chena Hot springs is a must... I know it is expensive... Don't take any of their expensive tours... Take your swimming costume... Don't miss this...

Avoid driving ANC to FAI... too risky but if you have been living in cold areas then you will be fine... don't expect a lot from this drive...

Barrow is not worth more than a day... For me the experience of -39 degree was the kicker... :-)...

Thanks,
-Deepak