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Flying to Alaska
Anchorage is
the main gateway in and out of Alaska.
The city’s airport
is served by numerous large carriers
that offer flights throughout the
United States. Anchorage is the hub
for flying throughout the state; many
smaller airlines serve the various
regions of this last frontier.
Most travelers choose to fly into
Anchorage because it has lots to offer
in the way of recreation and lodging;
it’s also easy to jump to other
parts of the state from here. If you’re
planning to fly into Fairbanks or
Juneau, keep in mind that Alaska
Airlines does
fly non-stop to those cities from
Seattle.
Most domestic carriers offer daily
connections to Alaska year-round, as
well as summer non-stops from their
major hub cities around the U.S. Seasonal
schedules are released around the beginning
of April; they usually begin in early
June and end in late August.
Non-stops flights are popular, so
it may be harder to get cheaper fares
or redeem frequent-flier miles for them, but certain
markets - like Denver, Chicago, and San Francisco
(see
chart below) - are competitive
right now, offering more choices and
better fares.
Alaska Airlines offers the most availability of
flights throughout the entire year and also has partnerships
with smaller carriers to help make connections between
Anchorage and smaller communities of Alaska.
For the larger carriers (mostly American,
Continental and US Air), some of the
flights are operated as “codeshare,” so
although you booked a seat through one
of these airlines, you’ll often
be traveling on an Alaska Airlines plane.
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