Airline Prices - way too expensive - Alaska

I'm from the Tennessee and we're going to alaska next may, the airline prices are 800 to 1000.00 is that normal? How much does is usually cost from East coast?

I'm in TN as well, traveling to Alaska next May. EZAir got me tickets for $650, into Vancouver and out of Fairbanks. Have you checked through there?

Have you priced Princess EZ Air?

Flights/cruises from Seattle are typically less costly. But for most of us, reality is that Alaska is a once or twice in a lifetime cruise. Excursions are costly, but I'd encourage you to do the ones you want and are physically able to handle. You can argue that you'll see more of Alaska from other departure ports than you will from Seattle.

I'd suggest that you choose the cruise you want and then get the best airfare you can...but basically accept that it's going to be more than you'd like to pay. It is just part of doing this cruise.

Consider getting an airline credit card. Many come with enough miles to get you one free trip after spending $xxx the first month or three months. Shop around. I usually use airline miles when I fly to Vancouver.

I heartily recommend EZAir! We use them all the time and about 75% of time they beat all airline prices. For our Mexican Riviera cruise we got RT tickets to LAX from DFW for $164 PP at Christmas time! Get the flexible ones booked now and watch fares on Google flights for cheaper fare! I agree Alaska cannot be skimped on!

I'm from Tennessee as well and we are looking into going to Alaska next August. I've been watching airfare for this August to kind of get an idea and we ended up getting Delta cards when the bonus offer was 50,000 miles to sign up. This is more than enough miles to get us to Alaska. You may want to look into it!

Another vote here for checking Princess EZAir. I have gotten some really great fares using it.

One suggestion, if you do choose this route ..... once booked, do check the fares frequently if you use the flexible fare option, as airfare prices change frequently, sometimes in your favor.

Yesterday I got an email from a friend who will also be on a cruise I have booked for December, telling me the air fares went down, and she had saved over $100 . I checked mine and was able to cancel and rebook the exact same flights I had booked several months ago for almost $100 less than what I originally booked them.

I second the getting airline credit card. We churned a United card and an Alaska Airlines card for our trip in June and we got our airfare all on points.

I'm from the Tennessee and we're going to alaska next may, the airline prices are 800 to 1000.00 is that normal? How much does is usually cost from East coast?

I agree, flights from to/from Denver to either Anchorage/Vancouver are always through the roof.

Luckily Seattle is a 3 hour drive from Vancouver so we try and use Vancouver whenever possible.

Can you elaborate on bus between Seattle and Vancouver? I tried researching it and buses I found did not allow luggage. Train was an option but times inconvenient as morning train too early for disembarkation and afternoon (late) train put you in Seattle late night. Our cruise ends in Vancouver and we are considering a few days in Seattle post cruise.

Chris

Can you elaborate on bus between Seattle and Vancouver? I tried researching it and buses I found did not allow luggage. Train was an option but times inconvenient as morning train too early for disembarkation and afternoon (late) train put you in Seattle late night. Our cruise ends in Vancouver and we are considering a few days in Seattle post cruise.

Chris

There is a service called Quick Shuttle. It provides shuttle service between the Seattle area to Vancouver & vice versa for cruise passengers. We have used them in the past several times.

http://www.quickcoach.com/schedule.htm

-Rose

I'm from the Tennessee and we're going to alaska next may, the airline prices are 800 to 1000.00 is that normal? How much does is usually cost from East coast?

You are looking way to early to find decent flight prices. We are doing cruise from Vancouver this Aug 2016 and booked our flights in April 2016. Now we did get lucky and we had points but you still have to check those as the amount of points you need fluctuates too.

If you need a hotel in either place, I would book that now as those prices rise too. Just dont take the pay now, no refund ones. So if you do find a better deal you can cancel.

What we found harder than the price, was the times. Either have to arrive at airport at 4am or arrive at Vancouver at midnight. No in-between choices for us. We are in central florida.

Check Princess EZ air flexible. Book something now and watch for independent air. If you find something less expensive you can cancel and get the flights on your own. You might want to consider checking prices from another airport in your area to see if the prices would make enough of a difference to make a drive.

QUOTE=hollon;50550518]I'm from the Tennessee and we're going to alaska next may, the airline prices are 800 to 1000.00 is that normal? How much does is usually cost from East coast?

We are from Kentucky, cruising to Alaska in June 2017. I have also started to look at airfare, and just enrolled in a credit card program with United. I hope to build additional points by the end of the year, and use them to get tickets to Vancouver.

I have just this week gotten hotel reservations in Vancouver, using a travel website's free cancellation policy. We plan to drive to Seattle from Vancouver, and stay a couple of nights there prior to the cruise. I reserved a hotel there using the same site.

(I really hadn't thought about using mileage points until I saw this thread - so thank you for starting it. Hope you have a wonderful cruise!)

I've made getting mileage flights an art over the past few years. Yes we both got Alaska airline cards and immediately booked our flights to Vancouver and out of anchorage with miles. We go to Europe every year on miles from our united cards and our chase sapphire cards. Miles collecting has become my post retirement job. Lol

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm from the Tennessee and we're going to alaska next may, the airline prices are 800 to 1000.00 is that normal? How much does is usually cost from East coast?

I am an Alaskan and a frequent traveler. If you are trying to get to/from Anchorage, prices will be better than in and or/out of Fairbanks, as Anchorage is a major hub.

What airport are you trying to fly from in Tennessee? It may be less expensive to fly from a different airport than you are looking at.

For instance: I live in Fairbanks and my adult sons live in Hampton, VA. The airport closest to them is Norfolk, VA. However, I get much better fares by flying to Washington D.C. instead. So I fly to D.C. and rent a car.

And yes, flying from the East Coast to anywhere in Alaska is generally in the price range you quoted. Several years ago, though, due to the high cost of fuel, I was regularly spending $750 - $850 on round trip tickets from Fairbanks to Seattle. Flying to the East Coast became too much (in the $1200 - $1450 range) and I avoided it completely. It's great to see the prices coming down!

Have fun and I truly hope you enjoy your trip to this amazing state!

I am an Alaskan and a frequent traveler. If you are trying to get to/from Anchorage, prices will be better than in and or/out of Fairbanks, as Anchorage is a major hub.

 

What airport are you trying to fly from in Tennessee? It may be less expensive to fly from a different airport than you are looking at.

 

For instance: I live in Fairbanks and my adult sons live in Hampton, VA. The airport closest to them is Norfolk, VA. However, I get much better fares by flying to Washington D.C. instead. So I fly to D.C. and rent a car.

 

And yes, flying from the East Coast to anywhere in Alaska is generally in the price range you quoted. Several years ago, though, due to the high cost of fuel, I was regularly spending $750 - $850 on round trip tickets from Fairbanks to Seattle. Flying to the East Coast became too much (in the $1200 - $1450 range) and I avoided it completely. It's great to see the prices coming down!

 

Have fun and I truly hope you enjoy your trip to this amazing state!

Hi Taters! Good post, I was mulling how to say 'welcome to our world of airfares', lol. Have you noticed the much cheaper Seattle options lately? I feel like a kid in a candy store hopping down to Seattle in a couple weeks for a baseball weekend. :)

Hi Taters! Good post, I was mulling how to say 'welcome to our world of airfares', lol. Have you noticed the much cheaper Seattle options lately? I feel like a kid in a candy store hopping down to Seattle in a couple weeks for a baseball weekend. :)

Hi Timbles:

Yes! The fares from FAI-SEA are wonderful right now! I am headed there in 3 weeks and got my latest tickets for this trip - $135 for FAI-SEA and $187 for the return.

I'm about to purchase my tickets for a trip next May. Current prices for my dates are $147 each way! Hellooooooo cheap tickets!

Can you elaborate on bus between Seattle and Vancouver? I tried researching it and buses I found did not allow luggage. Train was an option but times inconvenient as morning train too early for disembarkation and afternoon (late) train put you in Seattle late night. Our cruise ends in Vancouver and we are considering a few days in Seattle post cruise.

Chris

I'm honestly flummoxed as to where you got the info, as literally every single bus company doing Vancouver-Seattle allows luggage. They're big coaches with plenty of space underneath for bags - most do enforce a limit, but unless you have 3+ too big to fit under seat/on roof shelf Greyhound, Bolt, Quickshuttle and Amtrak buses will all happily take your stuff...

If the train timing doesn't work for you, I'd do Bolt as first option (both cheapest AND best, newest fleet with WiFi on all and more legroom than others) then Greyhound (with Companion fares can be just as cheap as Bolt, plus they allow booking years in advance). Amtrak buses cost more than the train (no Saver fares, so it's two or three times more than other bus services for a worse experience), are crappy and old, and offer zero convenience over Bolt who come and go to the same places as Amtrak. Quickshuttle charges enough extra for the convenience of a pier and airport terminus that it is literally cheaper to take taxis on both ends and use Bolt as long as there are two or more of you...

The best advice I can offer though is not to go to Seattle - not that Seattle sucks, it's just nowhere near as good as Vancouver;-) Plus your stronger dollar means you can live like a King up here for the foreseeable future...

I'm from the Tennessee and we're going to alaska next may, the airline prices are 800 to 1000.00 is that normal? How much does is usually cost from East coast?

We used EZair and paid $1100 for 2 of us Dallas to Fairbanks /Vancouver Dallas. total.

Can you elaborate on bus between Seattle and Vancouver? I tried researching it and buses I found did not allow luggage. Train was an option but times inconvenient as morning train too early for disembarkation and afternoon (late) train put you in Seattle late night. Our cruise ends in Vancouver and we are considering a few days in Seattle post cruise.

Chris

Check out the Bolt Bus (http://www.boltbus.com). The go from Seattle to Vancouver. We use them all the time for cruises. BUT they don't pick up or drop off at Seatac airport. You'd have to take a shuttle, cab or uber from the airport to the Bolt Bus's pickup/drop off point in Seattle.

They're inexpensive and good quality clean buses and you can bring luggage for no charge. Free wifi too on the bus if that matters.

Can you elaborate on bus between Seattle and Vancouver? I tried researching it and buses I found did not allow luggage. Train was an option but times inconvenient as morning train too early for disembarkation and afternoon (late) train put you in Seattle late night. Our cruise ends in Vancouver and we are considering a few days in Seattle post cruise.

Chris

We have used the Princess transfer between Seattle-Vancouver many times in both directions.

Here is another reliable option...

http://www.quickcoach.com/

I'm from the Tennessee and we're going to alaska next may, the airline prices are 800 to 1000.00 is that normal? How much does is usually cost from East coast?

Along with many other amenities, airfare is included in the cost of an Oceania cruise (or you can take a credit and do your own air). Do the bottom line math and you may be pleasantly surprised at Oceania's value (as we'll as the significantly better food and service).

Along with many other amenities, airfare is included in the cost of an Oceania cruise (or you can take a credit and do your own air). Do the bottom line math and you may be pleasantly surprised at Oceania's value (as we'll as the significantly better food and service).

We have cruised Oceania many times.

Believe me you pay for the air one way or the other. :rolleyes:

But thats a discussion for another day/board.