Plenty of possible advice for everyone who's posted.

I'm about to take off (SFO WX delay, grr), but I did want to point out to everyone that itinerary planning questions may be better served in the Alaska destination forum: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alaska-449/

There are folks who monitor that forum who are very good at helping people maximize their time in Alaska.

That said (and I'll quickly end this and post if they close the boarding door), a few observations:

Note that by that time of the year, many attractions have closed for the season or are just getting ready to shutter their doors until next May. There is still plenty to see and do, but just be aware that you may be a bit more limited.

Highlights of a one-day itinerary often include the Anchorage museum and the Alaska Native Heritage Center, both of which are excellent (and can be bought as a combo ticket for a small savings). Check the hours, especially of the ANHC, though. If it's still warm enough, consider a hike, perhaps up Flattop, which features an excellent view of the city. You could also just take a road trip--going south along Turnagain Arm is always spectacular or you could drive north to see if you can catch a glimpse of Denali.

OK, that's all I have time for now!

The GoldStar Service is well worth the small premium IMHO. Did it last year at the views were spectacular. Also, you have the run of the train, so you are not confined there. They gave us a small metal badge to wear which granted entrance to GSS.

I leave at 5:15PM. What time do you arrive?

Naturally, I arrive at 5:07PM . Miss you by "that" much! Unless it is possible to get on an earlier FAI-ANC when booked with an AA codeshare but I doubt that?

Should be able to change for $25 with the same-day confirmed change... I'll be arriving into JNB & CPT on the 20th so will miss you this time...

Are you planning on renting a car? There's a glutton of hotels now in Anchorage, some close to the airport with a complimentary shuttle, and others further away but closer to the core of Downtown Anchorage with our limited nightlife, and great restaurants. This also may be better addressed in the Alaska (state) forum. Have fun ^

My flight has an AA flight number (operated by AS). I'd much prefer to get out of FAI early (figure the BR at ANC is better than airside at FAI) so I'd be willing to pay the $25, if possible. Thanks for letting me know!

To continue with a few remaining snippets of advice:

CDKing's right. No reason to stick around the airport...although rumor has it Silver Gulch at the airport has some good beer (not to mention the free stuff in the AS Board Room is Alaskan Amber). But six hours is plenty of time to get downtown, walk around, and grab a drink or two. Downtown is nice, especially in the summer when it's light out late and there's lots of activity.

Check the day cruise schedules to make sure it'll work for you. Stuff really starts shutting down right around the middle of September (9/15). Assuming all options are still available to you while you're in Alaska, I'll point out that you can do day cruises out of both Whittier and Seward. Whittier is a little bit closer to ANC (~1h vs 2.5h, although you can wait up to a half an hour to get through the one-lane tunnel to Whittier). Whittier cruises tend to see more glaciers and also traverse the protected (i.e. not choppy) waters of Prince William Sound, whereas Seward's cruises see a good bit more wildlife but fewer glaciers (although they usually include a trip to at least one large, spectacular glacier). Rates might be lower as you're off of peak, so that's a potential plus.

I made up a list of ANC hotel options and posted it in post #5 here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20388098-post5.html. That post does touch a bit on safety, but basically, most major properties are in perfectly safe areas. As a single female traveler, you probably don't want to be walking alone at night in Mountain View or Fairview, but you won't be anywhere near those if you're at any hotel in town. Parts of Spenard can be a bit dicey ,but the part with the major hotels is fine (it's further up Spenard away from the airport where the illicit activity occurs). Downtown, especially anything on the west end of downtown (i.e. the Hilton and everything west), is perfectly safe to walk around at any time.

One thing I do miss about moving out of ANC was getting to play host to the hordes of FlyerTalkers who used to come up on mileage run fares. Travel safe, everyone!

Well you can play host to me in the airport on Oct 12

Ah, forgot I will indeed be there, then!

I think someone needs to SDC to spend a bit more time at PANC

I'll be there the 9th through the 16th, IIRC.

I'd consider using SDC to extend my trip, but it depends on what upgrades clear beforehand. The upgrade rate to/from ANC on UA is pretty good, so I expect I'll not want to give up my cushy seat that easily.

I'll be in Alaska Aug. 30-Sept. 4.

Please add me to the list- Kajaz. Thanks

I'm doing a quick 4 hour turn in ANC on September 14th. If anyone is around, it would be nice to grab a couple of drinks with a few FTers.