Seasonality of DFW-ANC-DFW
 

I'm trying to do some long range planning for another OWE during summer 2005, but keep hitting a brick wall with the DFW-ANC-DFW part of the trip.

From reading the forum's archive the season runs jun-sep (this seems to vary), yet I don't see any scheduled flights during summer 05 (I have tried aa.com, OW timetable and Amadeus).

It's strange that right now aa.com should show plenty of flights to ANC in jun-jul 2005, but none direct. ¿Are these seasonal flight schedules loaded later in the system, and if so roughly when, from past experience?

Bad News, possibly
 

Hi,

I strongly suspect that the operation of the DFW-ANC is going to be replaced by a DFW to ORD standard AA hubjumper flight with the ORD to ANC being operated by Alaskan.

If it is operated by Alaskan then you have to check your programme as to the acceptability of the AA codeshare for miles and status.

ANC really is a stunning place to visit for a day, if you are on a MR or SR. Don't just out and back on the same airframe.

Let's all hope that ANC is back in favour, personally I would take the September flight early in the month as the main visitor rush is over so the roads are quiet and the temperature has dropped so the mosquitoes have gone to bed.

My beer in Pipers at the airport if the flight are still on.

Spotwelder

I was planning a relaxed tourist visit with Viajera, not a MR, and Alaskan is not good on an OWE, so if what you suspect is true then that would be a major spanner in the works. :(

Let's hope someone comes in and confirms that in previous years the seasonal schedule was loaded later. someone? pretty please? :)

Please, please...
 

I hope so too. Where is our Juneau based Jerry A Laska when we need him?

Let's hope it all works out. It used to be so easy with LHR to ANC directs. Now it is Seattle and change for most people. UA do a run up there from SEA, or at least used to.

Alaskan have a habit of codesharing with everyone they can get their hands on for the northern run and then competing in the lower 48.

I think that I will be passing through SCL before Christmas if you are around.

Spotwelder

I will be in and out of SCL between sep 13 and oct 24, and again for two weeks in mid jan 05. If you or anybody from the OW forum wants to meet for some chicha, vino, pisco, empanadas, or a little chancho en piedra, it's on me.

The last DFW-ANC-DFW for the year is 7 September 2004.

As noted, the last DFW-ANC service forever may be 7 Sept 04. ITN.net certainly doesn't show any AA flights for next July, if that's any further indication.

I wouldn't attach too much significance to that. AA has not announced that it is dropping either route DFW-ANC or ORD-ANC and last year part of the schedule wasn't loaded until 6 months before. I suppose it does prevent OWE tickets to be issued with that routing until the schedule is loaded.

I too would be surprised. Too much cruise-related traffic, given the increase of one-way cruising between Vancouver and Seward (for Anchorage). Don't know the numbers, but I'd wager there's a huge number of open-jaws on DFW/ORD-ANC and YVR/SEA-ORD/DFW routes or v.v. that they don't want to abandon. DL's summer connections to ANC from the southeast are terrible, so with the growh of the cruise industry it frankly wouldn't surprise me to see someone with a decent Texas/midwest/south feeder route actually increasing capacity to ANC in the summer.

I think so too, but since ANC is in the middle of the trip, waiting for the ANC schedule to be loaded would mean cutting it too close for the early part of the trip.

I was thinking of putting in two second choice segments, sort of a plan B, as place holder (DFW-XXX-DFW). If and when ANC comes on line I have the ticket reissued with ANC in place of plan B, if not, well, I stay with plan B. The downside is the reissue fee. Any suggestions for a better strategy?

I really don't have any special insight to add here. I frankly don't see AA ending either of these routes and especially not because AS flies them. For example, when AS started flying to BOS, AA immediately reinstated their service to BOS. I cannot think of a route that AA has willingly given up to their semi-partner AS. That said if AA was going to get rid of one of these flights to ANC, I would guess it would be the ORD service.

I really can't remember when these flights are loaded since I seldom fly through ANC to get south. But the December - January time period seems to strike a chord with me. Of course, I could be imagining it. I guess if it was me I would just throw in any two segments to and from DFW and then reissue when the flights are loaded.