Prepare to start paying for your baggage, all of it. There is a bit of good news though.
http://www.adn.com/money/story/770009.html

So be it. I'm leaving for Alaska in the middle of May and returning before the end of May. After that, Alaska Airlines
can do whatever it wants. I won't be flying to Alaska again.

It will work itself out over time but until then.

35lb each for two bags checked bag limit with one small carry-on that has to fit under seat or pay the 15 bucks. Except for medical or other politically correct needs. No bags allowed to be carried on shoulders to avoid hitting other passengers while boarding.

More of the 'kill the goose that laid the golden egg' mentality. Neatly packaged so that only those of us who travel from the Lower 48 - not foreigners or intra-AK travelers - pay extra. At some point, we'll reach a Nash equilibrium and all those hunter dollars will start to dry up. IMO we're getting close when all expenses for an AK trip are added up.

Carl, guess we'll have to find a way to make those backpacks lighter! Bummer.

Don't worry. It's not because they offer discounted rates -ever- instate. (And they employ some customer contact people who must have been trained by Atilla.) When money matters to me, I nearly always avoid Alaska Airlines; and it's been that way for years now.

From airline of choice to airline of last resort in a twinkling...

truly..

You guys in Anchortown are lucky. At least you have a CHOICE of more than ONE airline. We're stuck with the one & only. Yup!!! we're surely getting the "service" we pay for.
Bear in Fairbanks

Sucks being the hub.........

Just as easy to fly NWA as AK Air from where I live to ANC. So I guess I'll buy on price.

I've flown Northwest, Delta, United, Continental, KLM and a couple others, along with a lot of flights on Alaska Airlines, over the past years. 2006 was the last time I was on NWA and KLM, I think; I've flown on Delta this year and United within the last couple of years.

All I can say is that, despite the difficulties it is facing, Alaska Airlines will have to drop another 90% to fall to the level of every other airline I've flown in the past 20 years or so. Until I retired two years ago, I flew 60 to 80 flights a year, so I have not been exactly inexperienced in what various airlines offer.

Alaska Airlines may be sliding, and they may have problems, but they are still so far above everyone else that they rate no discussion. I won't consider flying another company if Alaska flies to the same spot, unless the price is significantly higher. And that's not going to happen.

YMMV...

Dennis

I am planning on going to alaska hunting and fishing next June (2010)I have been thinking of what to bring.. I rememebr years ago..you could bring lots and lots.. not anymore

ohhh great Dennis that's just what I needed to hear!


booked my boys on NWA to go see grandparents in lower 48 cause it's the only way to get to the small city that serves their destination without changing carriers.

15 and 11, the 15 year old would be optional but the 11 year old negated the option to not pay for a gate agent to take them to their next gate, only a hundred bucks, so no biggie, but I'm figuring it's a pretty good rate by the minute for the airline. (grin)


am thinking due to your description I'll find the experience much like I do rush hour traffic here in FBKS, it sucks and sucks big time until I go somewhere they really have traffic


still if I didn't have to due to family separation and wanting to share some of the rest of our country with my boys I'd never fly except bush flying.


makes me sad that my boys really don't have much conscious memory of how much more pleasant air travel used to be, but perhaps tis better that they are spared the comparisons I make.

I do long for the days without TSA (I'll take my chances with the unknown terroists rather than the known thank you) and when AK air was really something enjoy and be proud of.

You mean before AK Air had the TSA to try to out-do in securing the homeland? FWIW, I rather think rural-Ak did a pretty good job at preventing hi-jacking and so forth in the pre-TSA days. AK Air aside, I bleeped the metal detectors much more often in rural airports than I ever did in Anchorage or points outside. WiEn was a very safe airline to fly with - at least from a security standpoint.

Thanks for posting this, I'm flying up tomorrow, to Yakutat. Not much choice in carriers there. I guess they're only doing what every other AL is doing, but it helps to at least know these things ahead of time, saves getting pissed at the check-in counter.

Do yourself a favor, get to know someone in Alaska if you don't already and mail some of your gear up ahead of time. Will save the hassle of carrying all your gear and cut down on baggage fees.

The've definately slid far and fast. Got back from a down south trip this weekend on AK air. Suprisingly only one of the legs was late, of course it would be the Anc to Seattle leg where I had only a theoretical 1 hour layver, but by the time you get unloaded, it's a sprint from the end of the D to the end of the C concourse.

And dinging you with more fees, it was $860 r/t to Kalifornia from Anchortown, and all but on the flights was 100% full, so I don't buy it that they ain't making $.

It's almost to the point that the next time we take a trip outside, we'll drive instead of fly.

Absolute agreement on both counts. I think Letting locally-known good citizens fly armed regularly would bring terrorism to a screeching halt a whole lot faster than TSA's savants looking through our baggage. And would save a vast amount of money and time at the same time.

Dennis

If I'm going to the bush, Alaska Airlines is my "I'd rather walk airline. If it's going to the outside, It' my last choice. The Never on time air line has been the worst carrier I have ever dealt with. Lost luggage, over payment for excess weight baggage, ridiculous tagging and then still loose the bags. Lied to, time and again. I've only had trouble with them, every time I flew with them. I think climbing a ladder to get on board and off from a 727 is just a thrill. You would think that they could hire baggage handlers that could not only read, but treat baggage the way the sticker said. I watched the dirty low lives at Seattle ignore the tags and play games with mu luggage. Good thing I was a story above and separate by plate glass.


My answer to Alaska Airlines has come to be, "No thanks, I'd rather walk". I don't think anyone could have picked a topic that engenders harder feeling for me than Alaska Airlines.

I flew with Alaska last week and considered sending stuff ahead. It was cheaper to pay the baggage fees than ship, although shipping ahead guarantees that your stuff will be there when you are. My previous trip, my wife's luggage didn't catch up to us until the last day of the trip and I had already bought her a new wardrobe.

Pretty much the same mileage I get.

After my Delta fiasco16 months ago, I'd pay extra to avoid them. I dislike other airlines far more than AK.

Besides, I like the sound of their name........