Climb aboard a combi for a comfy Alaska Airlines ride
SCOTT MCMURREN
TRAVEL
Published: February 4, 2007
Last Modified: February 4, 2007 at 03:53 AM
I love February. It's great for bargain hunters. The glow of the Christmas season is over, and folks in the travel business need to get people fired up about travel.
There are some early-bird specials now available for summertime travel here in Alaska. We'll get to those. I'm more interested in what's happening over at Alaska Airlines.
Locally, the folks at Alaska Airlines are making a big deal about their retrofitted 737-400 combis. These planes are picking up where the venerable 737-200Cs are leaving off.
Anyone who flies Alaska Airlines to rural Alaska knows these planes. They've got a big cargo door on the side, and the passengers sit in back behind the cargo.
The old 737-200s have a movable partition. That way, the airline can custom design a load with more cargo or more seats, depending on the load. The new 737-400s have a fixed partition. That means there will be more than 70 seats on each flight. The new planes also will have leather seats and bigger overhead storage bins.
Frankly, the old 200-series aircraft were pretty old. The new planes are more fuel-efficient, and the net result is that there will be more passenger seats available to rural communities.
Does that mean there will be more "saver" frequent-flier tickets available? I could not get a straight answer.
Travelers in rural Alaska collect frequent-flier points like little gold nuggets. They use their award tickets to come to Anchorage to shop or go to the doctor. They use them to go on vacation, too. This new influx of seats should be good news for award travel.
For its part, Alaska Airlines had to go through a rigorous and expensive certification process for what essentially is a brand-new airplane. The 400-series aircraft are being retrofitted by Pemco World Services in Dothan, Ala. The new 400-series aircraft will be used exclusively on routes in Alaska.
If you want a good deal to go to Mexico, take advantage of Alaska Airlines' sale to select cities. The fare from Anchorage is $200 one-way or $400 roundtrip to Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Manzanillo or Cabo San Lucas.
Purchase your ticket between now and Feb. 12. Travel between now and May 23. These prices do not include taxes and fees, but they're a pretty good deal.
Competition between Alaska and Mexico is heating up. Delta Air Lines recently boosted services from its hub in Los Angeles to many destinations in Mexico. USAirways also serves many Mexico destinations from Anchorage via its hub in Phoenix. Watch for these carriers, in addition to United and Continental, to offer similar fares.
On the home front, May is the real value season if you want to visit some of Alaska's national parks.
For example, Denali Park Resorts is offering two nights for the price of one at their four hotels near the park entrance at Denali. Between May 13 and June 6, you can stay one night for $199 and get the second night free.
The same folks who operate Denali Park Resorts, Aramark Harrison Lodging, also operate the Glacier Bay Lodge. They also are offering the second night free at Glacier Bay between May 25 and June 17.
Princess Alaska Lodges is offering a $99 special at three of its Alaska lodges: Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, Copper River Princess and the Kenai Princess. The lodges open May 17, and the $99 special is valid on select dates through the end of the month.
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Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant. Contact him via his Web site, www.toursaver.com. |
