car rental question

[inkmahm]

I won free airline tickets for two on American Airlines in a raffle and we're considering using them for another trip to Alaska in 2009. Not a cruise this time, but just time on land.

 

Does anyone have suggestions for where to rent a car in Fairbanks that could be dropped off in Anchorage without a huge dropoff charge? We're considering either flying to Fairbanks and home out of Anchorage or just flying to/From Anchorage.

[inkmahm]

From Hertz, for example, it seems to be an extra $300 to $400 for a 10 day rental picking it up in Fairbanks and dropping off in Anchorage. Yikes!

[compulady]

I was pricing rental cars too and found either $250 or more drop off charges or rental prices $149 per day OW vs. $59 per day RT on average. I have decided to round trip to Anchorage. The other factor was more flight options direct but I don't understand why within a state there are such drop off charges, I'm sure there are people traveling both ways.

[Pssunshinegal]

I won free airline tickets for two on American Airlines in a raffle and we're considering using them for another trip to Alaska in 2009. Not a cruise this time, but just time on land.

 

Does anyone have suggestions for where to rent a car in Fairbanks that could be dropped off in Anchorage without a huge dropoff charge? We're considering either flying to Fairbanks and home out of Anchorage or just flying to/From Anchorage.

 

Well I have never paid more than $150 drop off (including just last year with Avis). I always pay the drop off charge because my time is worth more than that. I usually fly into Fairbanks and out of Anc, although last year, I did the reverse. It is at least 5 hours from Anchorage to Denali. Do you want to repeat the same route when there are so many wonderful things to see. You are already money ahead because of the free airplane tickets, consider the drop off fee your airline ticket and it may be easier to take.

 

Janice

[greatam]

I won free airline tickets for two on American Airlines in a raffle and we're considering using them for another trip to Alaska in 2009. Not a cruise this time, but just time on land.

 

Does anyone have suggestions for where to rent a car in Fairbanks that could be dropped off in Anchorage without a huge dropoff charge? We're considering either flying to Fairbanks and home out of Anchorage or just flying to/From Anchorage.

 

Better check that those AA tickets can be used all the way to Fairbanks. There are no AA codeshare flights to FAI and you MAY only be able to use the tickets to ANC.

 

Just an FYI.

[plenox]

Well I have never paid more than $150 drop off (including just last year with Avis). I always pay the drop off charge because my time is worth more than that. I usually fly into Fairbanks and out of Anc, although last year, I did the reverse. It is at least 5 hours from Anchorage to Denali. Do you want to repeat the same route when there are so many wonderful things to see. You are already money ahead because of the free airplane tickets, consider the drop off fee your airline ticket and it may be easier to take.

 

Janice

 

Agree. With gas price so high these days, the drop off fee might not be too painful considering the cost of backtrack the way to Anchorage and the hours spent on it.

[inkmahm]

Better check that those AA tickets can be used all the way to Fairbanks. There are no AA codeshare flights to FAI and you MAY only be able to use the tickets to ANC.

 

Just an FYI.

Even worse! :( The rafflle ticket referred to the "continental United States" but the actual award letter that came in the mail today says "US48" plus Mexico and Caribbean. Does AA not know that Alaska IS part of the Continent of North America? :rolleyes:

 

In any case, we're still considering it. Maybe the free airfare to the west coast (Seattle? Portland?) and back but we'd have to pay from the west coast to Anchorage and back. Or to Fairbanks and back from Anchorage. I'm going to have to play with it to see what I can come up with. We already have a couple vacations booked for next year so the only one of any distance that we really would want to add after winning the tickets is to go back to Alaska! Of course, the tickets have to be used by August 31, 2009, too. Perfect if we go back to Alaska in late August.

 

I don't think I'd necessarily mind the drive back from Fairbanks, and maybe we'd not even drive that far if we started in Anchorage. Maybe we'd only go as far as Denali Park and come back. I guess I have to research more. But if we do it, it is looking more like in and out of Anchorage.

[inkmahm]

Agree. With gas price so high these days, the drop off fee might not be too painful considering the cost of backtrack the way to Anchorage and the hours spent on it.

Good point. I wasnt thinking of the high price of gas, especially not the EXTRA high price in Alaska. I guess I have a lot to figure out between car rental cost, gas and what it might cost to fly to Anchorage from Seattle (or somewhere on the West coast.)

 

Maybe that's what I need to do... look for the cheapest airfare to Anchorage from the west coast and then try to book the AA tickets to that city!

[kenish]

Maybe that's what I need to do... look for the cheapest airfare to Anchorage from the west coast and then try to book the AA tickets to that city!

 

You may find out that airfare from WA/OR/CA to Alaska is not much cheaper than from the Midwest. If that's the case you should use the free tickets for a situation where you will really save money!

 

Another idea....if the terms were set by the raffle organizer or donors (church, travel agency, etc) then try to find an airfare to Alaska that is cheaper than a fare to Mexico, the Caribbean, etc. Let them know what you want to do and show them they will save money compared to other places you were "considering". Of course if the prize is vouchers issued by AA then you're back to Plan A.

 

Let us know what you find out!

[inkmahm]

You may find out that airfare from WA/OR/CA to Alaska is not much cheaper than from the Midwest. If that's the case you should use the free tickets for a situation where you will really save money!

 

Another idea....if the terms were set by the raffle organizer or donors (church, travel agency, etc) then try to find an airfare to Alaska that is cheaper than a fare to Mexico, the Caribbean, etc. Let them know what you want to do and show them they will save money compared to other places you were "considering". Of course if the prize is vouchers issued by AA then you're back to Plan A.

 

Let us know what you find out!

That's exactly what I'm discovering. The prize is vouchers issued by AA so I'm stuck with the locations they offer. And it isn't ssving much to fly from WA/OR/CA to ANC than to fly there from home in WI! Darn it. I thought I had a way to get back to Alaska for "cheap!"

 

Now I'm looking at California for vacation next August, maybe San Diego or LA for flights. We're big Disney World fans but it's been 20 years since I've been to Disneyland and my husband has never been there. Not the Alaska I'd hoped for although I can't complain too much with free airfare. It's harder than I thought to actually pick a place to fly to when the whole country is an option!

[Gardyloo]

Why not use the AA tickets to Seattle, fly one way on Alaska Airlines to Juneau or Sitka, and then take the state ferry back down? Inexpensive, very restful, and a different way to experience SE Alaska and the inside passage.

 

One thing I will say about flying to Alaska on AA. AA only serves ANC from Dallas, and at 3,042 miles (6 1/2 hrs northbound, 6 hrs southbound, difference due to winds) it's the longest flight in a narrow-body aircraft (a 757, referred to by frequent AA flyers as "the slave ship") in AA's entire network. I just rode it twice last week (in first class, praise be) and it's really, really long up front, too.

[inkmahm]

Why not use the AA tickets to Seattle, fly one way on Alaska Airlines to Juneau or Sitka, and then take the state ferry back down? Inexpensive, very restful, and a different way to experience SE Alaska and the inside passage.

 

One thing I will say about flying to Alaska on AA. AA only serves ANC from Dallas, and at 3,042 miles (6 1/2 hrs northbound, 6 hrs southbound, difference due to winds) it's the longest flight in a narrow-body aircraft (a 757, referred to by frequent AA flyers as "the slave ship") in AA's entire network. I just rode it twice last week (in first class, praise be) and it's really, really long up front, too.

Wow, that would be a long, uncomfortable flight!

 

Thanks for the idea but our plan was to spend no time at all on the inside passage for this trip as we just did that again last month on our cruise. I wanted to spend all the time between Anchorage and Seward and then between Anchorage and Fairbanks, on land. The most time I could get away for this trip is a week, including travel time to get to Alaska. That didn't quite work out.