EWR to FAI-Alaska Airlines or Continental

[doublemm16]

I have a dilemma. I need to book flights from EWR to FAI and Vancouver to EWR. The Vancouver part is easy. There is a direct flight on Air Canada / United. The FAI part...not so easy. My mom and I will be flying to Fairbanks on June 11, 2011. I am looking at both Alaska Airlines (connection in Seattle) and Continental /Alaska Airlines (1 hour stop in Seattle, followed by almost 7 hour layover in Anchorage).

 

I am just not that familiar with Alaska Airlines...anyone have any thoughts, since this is going to be a very long trip? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Mindi:D

[scottbee]

I have a dilemma. I need to book flights from EWR to FAI and Vancouver to EWR. The Vancouver part is easy. There is a direct flight on Air Canada / United. The FAI part...not so easy. My mom and I will be flying to Fairbanks on June 11, 2011. I am looking at both Alaska Airlines (connection in Seattle) and Continental /Alaska Airlines (1 hour stop in Seattle, followed by almost 7 hour layover in Anchorage).

 

I am just not that familiar with Alaska Airlines...anyone have any thoughts, since this is going to be a very long trip? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Mindi:D

 

AS/Alaska have been great to me. I would consider them the very best, especially here on the west coast.

 

As for YVR-EWR there are actually two flights, one on AC/Air Canada (code shared w/ UA), and one on CO/Continental.

[ab0si]

Keep in mind that it will not be CO (a good airline) next summer, but United (an, er, um, airline).

 

Who knows how quickly and smoothly the merger of operations will go? Who knows how much of CO's good points will be lost?

[klfrodo]

I have a dilemma. I need to book flights from EWR to FAI and Vancouver to EWR. The Vancouver part is easy. There is a direct flight on Air Canada / United. The FAI part...not so easy. My mom and I will be flying to Fairbanks on June 11, 2011. I am looking at both Alaska Airlines (connection in Seattle) and Continental /Alaska Airlines (1 hour stop in Seattle, followed by almost 7 hour layover in Anchorage).

 

I am just not that familiar with Alaska Airlines...anyone have any thoughts, since this is going to be a very long trip? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Mindi:D

 

Myself? I love Alaska Airlines and fly them all over the country whenever possible. They began in Alaska to Seattle only. (Back before FF days, AS handed out little nuggets of gold) Then expanded to up and down the west coast. They now have flights across the country

 

May I recommend a possible reroute for you without the 7 hour layover in ANC.

 

6/11 Flight AS11 departs EWR at 7:40AM and arrives SEA at 10:55AM

6/11 Flight AS123 departs SEA at 1:35PM and arrives FAI at 4:24 PM

 

Long travel day of 12 hrs 44 min

Arrival time in Fairbanmks would be 8:24 PM east coast time

Would only have to check bags once at EWR then pick them back up in FAI

[doublemm16]

Myself? I love Alaska Airlines and fly them all over the country whenever possible. They began in Alaska to Seattle only. (Back before FF days, AS handed out little nuggets of gold) Then expanded to up and down the west coast. They now have flights across the country

 

May I recommend a possible reroute for you without the 7 hour layover in ANC.

 

6/11 Flight AS11 departs EWR at 7:40AM and arrives SEA at 10:55AM

6/11 Flight AS123 departs SEA at 1:35PM and arrives FAI at 4:24 PM

 

Long travel day of 12 hrs 44 min

Arrival time in Fairbanmks would be 8:24 PM east coast time

Would only have to check bags once at EWR then pick them back up in FAI

 

Thanks everyone for your input...and confidence in Alaska Airlines. You are making me feel much better. I have decided to book the above-referenced flight to FAI and the Air Canada flight to EWR. I agree....12 hrs 44 min is definitely a long enough day. That is why we are flying in a day early (our land tour officially starts on the 12th).

[kenish]

Good you're going with AS instead of CO.

 

One thing that was not mentioned, AS has very frequent service out of SEA to ANC (almost hourly during the main part of the day). Fewer flights SEA-FAI but a lot of connecting flights through ANC. CO and many other airlines have only 1-2 daily flights into ANC. If something goes amok you have a lot more options on AS (though I'd expect CO to book you onto AS if there was space on a flight).

 

You mentioned YVR-EWR was a "direct" flight. It's actually a nonstop flight; a direct flight simply means the flight number does not change, but there is 1 or more stops and sometimes even an aircraft change.

[Fattony]

Alaska is a good, nationwide, airline. I've taken them between Washington, DC and L.A., and from Fairbanks to L.A. via Anchorage. If earning miles is a factor, they are code share partners with both Delta and American. They, like other airlines, use smaller planes (actually Horizon Airlines) on some flights, but that's clearly marked. Not a lot to see in Fairbanks, other than the pioneer village, but I assume you're going from there southward to your cruise, perhaps by train (with a stop in Denali?). Have a great trip.

[doublemm16]

Alaska is a good, nationwide, airline. I've taken them between Washington, DC and L.A., and from Fairbanks to L.A. via Anchorage. If earning miles is a factor, they are code share partners with both Delta and American. They, like other airlines, use smaller planes (actually Horizon Airlines) on some flights, but that's clearly marked. Not a lot to see in Fairbanks, other than the pioneer village, but I assume you're going from there southward to your cruise, perhaps by train (with a stop in Denali?). Have a great trip.

 

Thanks! We are actually doing a 7 day land tour starting in Fairbanks and going to Denali, Talkeetna (Mount McKinley) and Anchorage followed by the the 7 night Southbound cruise. I cannot wait to go...and am feeling better about my choice of using Alaska Air. From the desciption of the flights, it looks like both are 737s.

[scottbee]

Alaska is a good, nationwide, airline. I've taken them between Washington, DC and L.A., and from Fairbanks to L.A. via Anchorage. If earning miles is a factor, they are code share partners with both Delta and American. They, like other airlines, use smaller planes (actually Horizon Airlines) on some flights, but that's clearly marked. Not a lot to see in Fairbanks, other than the pioneer village, but I assume you're going from there southward to your cruise, perhaps by train (with a stop in Denali?). Have a great trip.

 

Actually the smallest aircraft in the Alaska Air/Horizon Air fleet are the 70 seat Canadair CRJ700; not really that small

[ladikara]

I'm another fan of Alaska Airlines! Great airline and a super friendly staff. :D

[frugaltravel]

Not a lot to see in Fairbanks, other than the pioneer village,

 

Some of us tend to disagree with you.

[luvcruisn']

Re: Alaska Airlines. Do any of the Alaska airlines planes have free movies aboard if you have your own headphones? On my last Alaska flight, Atlanta to Seattle, all they had were rental DVD players for $12US. I was quite disappointed, as I felt $12.00 was a lot to pay for one movie.

[scottbee]

Re: Alaska Airlines. Do any of the Alaska airlines planes have free movies aboard if you have your own headphones? On my last Alaska flight' date=' Atlanta to Seattle, all they had were rental DVD players for $12US. I was quite disappointed, as I felt $12.00 was a lot to pay for one movie.[/quote']

 

They actually have Digi-players; which has a dozen or so movies; a bunch of TV shows etc etc

http://www.alaskaair.com/as/www2/Flights/digEplayer.asp

[frugaltravel]

Re: Alaska Airlines. Do any of the Alaska airlines planes have free movies aboard if you have your own headphones? On my last Alaska flight' date=' Atlanta to Seattle, all they had were rental DVD players for $12US. I was quite disappointed, as I felt $12.00 was a lot to pay for one movie.[/quote']

 

I bring my own entertainment. That way it is free :)

 

Most airlines will charge at least for headsets. It just depends on the airline. Some offer free entertainment at each seat, especially if the flight is long enough and it is on a plane that is so equipped.