I am Alaska bound this September for a Caribou hunt. I will be flying out of either Bradley of Logan and am not sure which airlines I should look at before booking my flight. Does anyone have a favorite or ones I should avoid?
This will be my first time flying with a gun so if I can avoid a cavity search that would be a plus!

Get to Newark then pick up Alaska airlines. Then, it's Newark to Seatac to Anch. or Fairtown, your choice. Alaska Air now goes into Newark.
BTW, IMHO, Newark sucks big time but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Bear in Fairbanks

I have always flown Delta and haven't had a problem. Ammo in your checked bag. If you have room I put knives, saws etc in rifle case up to the 50# limit. Seems like my checked bags are always too full!! Locks on the rifle case or lockable case, and name and phone number inside case. They will have you sign a card saying the gun is unloaded; they used to physically inspect that. They will still look at the gun and also inspect your ammo in your checked bag. I carry my ammo in factory boxes and there is stipulations on the containers, factory boxes are OK. Your airport may handle things differently. I know Anchorage airport does. Firearms go to a different area to be checked. Good luck and have a fun trip. Hope you get some big bulls

Mark

I have yet to have any issues with Alaska Air. Checking a rifle in at DFW and Seattle is a breeze, but those are the only places I have flown in or out of. If you don't have a really good rifle case, my personal fav is Pelican. If there is a place for a lock, put one there, TSA will be a pain if you dont. I have 4 locks keyed the same that are only used for my rifle case. Don't make any smart@$$ remarks or YOU WILL MISS YOUR FLIGHT!!!! (had it happen to a buddy). Follow instructions, and be nice.

Flight #25 BOS direct to ANC leaves 8am arrives about 2:30pm.

If you leave from BDL you will need to connect in either ORD or MSP.

Montanacreekhunter has the answer. When ever I have to head back east to see family I always fly AK Airlines. AK Airlines has service to Logan, with some flights stoping in Anch and some going directly from Fai to Seattle and then onto Boston.

I fly BOS to SEA, then SEA to JNU. As I don't need to get up to ANC.

If you are coming back with meat/fish you don't want any other flight. Trust me I have over 30 years flying to/from.

In my experience Alaska Airlines is one of the most gun friendly airlines I have used, never had an issue. I like to travel with my rifles in a sports case. When you see a rifle case you think guns,, mine just look like another golfer. I have 2 rifles and two packs plus clothes in these photos. I remove the bolts and pack them in a different bag, I know I'm taking a chance that the other bag might be lost, but I feel there is less chance someone will steal the rifle without the bolt.

I fly back every year and I wouldnt fly anything but AK Air. My folks on the other hand have flown with delta a few times and have been stuck in Minneapolis twice now. At least if your flight gets screwed up when your in Seattle or Portland there is more than 2 flights a day going to ANC. Also, I would stick with Logan unless its cheaper out of Newark. I cant stand NJ.

I find AK Air to be pretty damn gun/meat friendly, and use them whenever available.

Not to change the subject, but how about some details on that Mustang 1st Sarge!?

Jeff

...We at Alaska Air Group strive to please, thank you very much...

I used to - and still do sometimes - travel with the bolt and rifle in separate bags. Probably won't prevent the random quick-theft of a rifle, but does make it useless to the [bleep] until he buys a new bolt and gets it fitted (unlikely).

So you have lost your rifle in either case, but thwarted any profit to the thief without the bolt. Used to carry the bolt with me as carry-on to lessen the chance that it would go astray, but that is no longer permissable.

Read up on the regs - basically you need a hard-side, lockable rifle case that one cannot get a hand into at any point once locked. In Alaska, at least, TSA will swab the case without opening it, unless they come up with a trace. Then they may have you open it. Don't know about elsewhere. You can include ammo (and other stuff)in the case. As noted by another poster, it is advantageous to get an over-size case and load it up to the 50 lb. (or whatever) limit..all airlines now have bag restrictions for numbers and weight, and differing costs for extra bags over the allowed "free" ones (if any). Research this, especially if traveling on more than one airline.

Alaska Airlines has different bag rules if traveling within the state (3 free, to 50 lbs ea), vs traveling interstate (one free, I think).

You will have to put a declaration inside the case before locking it up and letting TSA have it.

Get a good case - I happen to know how baggage handlers move bags... and it is not with kid-gloves. Can't, when handling several thousand pounds of bags twice within the half-hour. Alaska Air has a 20 minute guarantee from door open to baggage well - or you get a $20 certificate for the asking for the next time you fly. It'sn a good 25 feet down the length of those baggage holds on the plane, with one guy at the bag-face, another at the hatch, and a third at the end of the belt loader, with bags coming fast and furious on heavy loads. We are only as gentle as conditions allow. Bags get slid hard, or even thrown down the length of the baggage hold - from our knees - it's a low overhead in there.

Baggage handlers may be employees of the airline (Alaska Air rampers within Alaska), or may be employees of a contract company (Outside). We like to think that those of us working directly for the airline are a cut above, with more pride and care in our work and employing airline...

You will have to claim your rifle at a separate location at larger airports, and show ID- your boarding pass will do. So keep the BP or picture ID handy. At smaller airports like Kotzebue, we do generally pass riflecases out to the customer thru the bagwell on presentation of ID, after the regular baggage is out.

...We at Alaska Air Group strive to please, thank you very much...

I used to - and still do sometimes - travel with the bolt and rifle in separate bags. Probably won't prevent the random quick-theft of a rifle, but does make it useless to the [bleep] until he buys a new bolt and gets it fitted (unlikely).

So you have lost your rifle in either case, but thwarted any profit to the thief without the bolt. Used to carry the bolt with me as carry-on to lessen the chance that it would go astray, but that is no longer permissable.

Read up on the regs - basically you need a hard-side, lockable rifle case that one cannot get a hand into at any point once locked. In Alaska, at least, TSA will swab the case without opening it, unless they come up with a trace. Then they may have you open it. Don't know about elsewhere. You can include ammo (and other stuff)in the case. As noted by another poster, it is advantageous to get an over-size case and load it up to the 50 lb. (or whatever) limit..all airlines now have bag restrictions for numbers and weight, and differing costs for extra bags over the allowed "free" ones (if any). Research this, especially if traveling on more than one airline.

Alaska Airlines has different bag rules if traveling within the state (3 free, to 50 lbs ea), vs traveling interstate (one free, I think).

You will have to put a declaration inside the case before locking it up and letting TSA have it.

Get a good case - I happen to know how baggage handlers move bags... and it is not with kid-gloves. Can't, when handling several thousand pounds of bags twice within the half-hour. Alaska Air has a 20 minute guarantee from door open to baggage well - or you get a $20 certificate for the asking for the next time you fly. It'sn a good 25 feet down the length of those baggage holds on the plane, with one guy at the bag-face, another at the hatch, and a third at the end of the belt loader, with bags coming fast and furious on heavy loads. We are only as gentle as conditions allow. Bags get slid hard, or even thrown down the length of the baggage hold - from our knees - it's a low overhead in there.

Baggage handlers may be employees of the airline (Alaska Air rampers within Alaska), or may be employees of a contract company (Outside). We like to think that those of us working directly for the airline are a cut above, with more pride and care in our work and employing airline...

You will have to claim your rifle at a separate location at larger airports, and show ID- your boarding pass will do. So keep the BP or picture ID handy. At smaller airports like Kotzebue, we do generally pass riflecases out to the customer thru the bagwell on presentation of ID, after the regular baggage is out.

Wife's car,, she lets me hunt and she has her car...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7_iQAttjuY

A fair trade......very nice!

Jeff

Thanks for all of the information everyone!
I will be taking a look at Alaska Air for sure. I live in CT so going to either Boston or Harford to fly is not that big of a deal but I don't think I can handle driving down to Newark to catch a flight even if it was cheaper haha. Hopefully AK air runs to either CT or Mass.

I need to get to Anchorage and my buddy will be picking me up there and bringing me back to Valdez. He travels to Anchorage often and didnt think it was worth the extra cost of me flying all the way to Valdez.

I am probably buying my gun case this week and was planning on the Pelican 1750. Most reviews I have read say the case is pretty sturdy. Although it may be heavier then other brands.

Any specific locks for the gun case I should go with?

What is the best way to go about packaging meat/fish for the return flight?

Thanks guys!

We fly to the east coast all the time and use Alaska Airlines. AA has service in and out of Boston so getting a flight should be pretty easy. We prefer the 1 stop flights that go either through Detroit or Minneapolis and last year when we flew I brought my bow in a soft case and it arrived without a scratch. We are flying back east again this summer and will be using AA.

For the locks look for TSA approved(should say on pack). If you can, get them all keyed the same, usually a pack of four will be that way. I keep one key on my key ring and one in my wallet, just in case.

Shipping meat: I pack clothes in an ice chest and mail them back or leave them there. I have a set of clothes in Texas, and a buddy has a set of clothes here. All we need is rifle and carry-on bag, which gives you one extra bag for shipping meat. If you use a processor, they can ship all your meat to you, but it is spendy. If you buddy is a "Known Shipper" he can ship it to you. But you will have to pick it up at the airport.

We flew STL to ANC last summer via ALASKA AIR roundtrip. Our travel agent hooked us up for $100 First Class upgrades. Cost me an extra $400 for the wife and I, but the difference in comfort level was worth the price alone. Then you get two free checked bags and one carry-on. I didn't pay extra for the fish boxes so the net cost was around $125 for the upgrade. If I had a choice I'd always choose ALASKA AIR.

First of all, I didn't know that Ak. Air went further east than Newark. Ok, if so, grab it at the closest airport that you can, even if you need to take a hop.
Gun cases? I purchased my rifle case in the mid-90's from Cabela's. It's a 2 rifle model made out of heavy duty aluminum and has always performed. As to a lock, it doesn't have to be TSA approved. I wouldn't trust one of their "approved " locks on one of my gun cases. I use a combination lock that's heavy duty. You'll check in with your luggage & go thru all the necessary paperwork then take the rifle case over to TSA. You'll show the opened case (maybe opened) to them & they will check it out. You will then close the case & lock it & give it to them to put on the plane. At least that's the procedure we went thru here in Fairtown. No problem. I'd just advise using a heavy duty combination lock. Alaska Air has seen it all & is very friendly to sportsmen/women.
Bear in Fairbanks

I am trying not to have more then one stop if I can help it. If it was up to me there would be no stops!!

Bear In Fairbanks: The first search I did of flights didn't even show Alaska Air coming to Bradley or Logan so I thought Newark would be a must. Once I went to Alaska Airs website though I got a better look at available flights.

It looks like the flights out of Hartford on AK Air all have two+ stops. But Logan does 1 stop in seatle. I can live with that!

Alaska has a non stop to Seattle from Reagan out of DC, I will be on that one tomorrow, so that might be an option.

For shipping meat I use soft sided cooler like Polarbear brand and hard freeze my meat and pack it to 50lbs no ice. I stick the entire cooler in the freezer to help get it all cold and pack it full with wadded up newspaper. I have found that even paying over weight fees on Alaska is cheaper than shipping, so I just make sure to keep my bags within size limits and under 100lbs, that is 50 bucks and arrives with me. Another item that is handy is a small luggage scale, I use this one, worth every penny. Pays for it self by keeping bags under the limit and preventing the dreaded repack at the ticket counter. Great also for loading on the air taxis.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052JL9Z4/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We have the same flight only going in the opposite direction. The flights tend to be a little long but it's nice not having long layovers.

Sorry about the above double post. It was good scotch.

As an AkAir ramper, I hate hunting season. I've recorded all your names...

Something else- if you are traveling with a backpack do one of the following:

Buy a backpack sack-cover, or enclose it in a heavy duty plastic bag (available for the asking, at least in Kotzebue), or securely tape every single strap and buckle tightly to the pack - another great use for duct tape! Leave no loose ends to get caught in the baggage conveyors or belt loaders. The first two options are the best, as TSA will likely physically snoop thru everything you have. If they just electronically screen it, the duct-tape thing will work.

Getting caught in moving parts is a bad thing for a pack, often resulting in bent/broken frames, ripped stitching, broken (or cut) straps, etc. The airline will likely buy you a new one, which is OK if you are leaving the field. Not so much going out...

I'd reco Singapore Airlines or British Airways, now that's flying the way it was supposed to be.

word of caution: neither are very good at gettin you in good bear areas

Avoid United! I've been forced several times to use them and never had a good flight. My 5' tall wife complained about the leg room. I couldn't breathe deep enough to complain. Alaska Airlines is least bad and Delta is just below them, none are 'good'.

I'm heading to alaska in a week and a half, sounds like I might be bringing back some of my brother-in-law's guns, or maybe one of the ones he is building me so I will try to remember to post back here how it went if we do indeed bring back firearms.

i believe we are going United, I have heard great things about jet blue which you can pick up on the east coast catch it to Seattle or California then transferred to an alaska air for the last leg. Would have actually been about the same cost but a lot longer travel time due to lay overs from the east coast

Thanks for the tip! I have a Base Camp duffle made by the North Face that I have been planning on using for my checked luggage. Now that I read your comments about the loose staps and stuff on packs I'm going to have to double check it and make sure I can remove the straps off of it before handing it over.

don't have to remove them, (well shoulder straps should come off) just carry a role of duct tape in your carry on.

couple of wraps around the bag to cinch down loose straps with the tape and floppy straps go away


that Red Green, he knows his chit

I truly hope your United flight is great. Personally never had a good flight with them and I've had too many flights with them. The worst was over 12 hours in flight time and the attendants seemed to go out of their way to annoy everyone. I'd taken my own snacks and drinks so they were only tangential to my experiences. I did have bruises for a week after the comfort of their seats and leg room. Did I mention I don't like United?

Out of Hartford? As in Connecticut? Never heard of Ak. Air going to Hartford either.
I honestly think your best bet is to get a hop to Newark. Then, it's gonna be one stop on your way to either Anch. or Fairbanks. That stopover will be SeaTac.
It's pointless to go further west or southwest to another airport (such as D.C.) then take Screw-U airlines into Alaska.
Whenever we travel outside the state, we play the Ak. Airlines "game". We go to Newark, Tucson, Eugene, Ore. (Horizon), Miami, etc. all on Ak.Air. They even fly to Hawaii out of Anch. Then again, we use a hotshot travel agent too & she really knows the ropes. I refuse to try & book airline flights any more.
Good luck with what ever you decide.
Bear in Fairbanks

Odd, I fly United often and the bad legs are most always the regional carrier's fault. Checking guns in Boise, Idaho, Rapid City, SD, Wichta, KS, has never been an issue other than the airline personal wanting to know about the hunting trip. They see LOTS of guns, flying with one shouldn't be an issue if you follow the rules. All my international gun totting trips have also been without firearm issues - there was the one time I didn't have a permit to import my ammo but that was easily resolved.

I always fly nothing but US Air , but not sure if they service the area you are flying to .

So far I found an AK Air flight out of Boston with 1 stop in seatle on the way to AK and a nonstop on the return flight.

I need to mess around with my departure daye some more and see if I can get a nonstop from Boston to Ak. I am trying to plan my trip from sept 5th-19th. I do have some wiggle room either coming or going but not too much since it is being planned around my buddy getting vacation time from the coast guard.

Outa Boston? Take it & don't look back. Hard for me to believe there's a non-stop Ak. Air. flight, Boston to Ak. Maybe. They've expanded their routes quite a bit over the years.
Out of Fairbanks, it's usually (not always) the "red eye" @ 1:30A.M. This is so you can catch connections out of SeaTac.
Bear in Fairbanks

IMHO, you should forget Untied (not a typo). They were recently rated as worst US air carrier in customer service. Their employees carry an entitlement attitude around, and their prices are far from cheap. I like Alaska Airlines for the trip you mentioned. If traveling internationally, its Lufthansa, no question. Take it from someone who spent the last 4 years racking up over 300,000 air miles.

Alaska Air
kenmore Air
Temsco Helicopters

I think you are right. Gotta go thru Seattle, Boston to AK, me thinks. Not gonna research it tho.

Today we were informed we (Alaska Airlines) just received our 6th consecutive JD Powell award for best main-stream airline. We are still third behind Jet Blue and (someone else) in the low-cost airline category however, but we came up 39 points from last year.... Management aims to clear the table....

All 12,000+ AS employees are receiving 4 PST (positive space travel) - each PST good for a free one-way trip anywhere AS goes, if available - there are limits to times/flights and quantity - first listed, first served. For me that means the wife and I are going RT ANC to MCO (Orlando) in October for the kid's wedding in Jamaica free/confirmed, rather than standby space available. AS treats it's employees pretty well!

Jet Blue is gonna cost us a bundle into Montego Bay, tho.

I gotta talk to Brad Tildon (CEO) about this...

The "bad news" is that the SEA-MCO flight arrives 5 minutes before the Jet Blue flight leaves for Montego.. I'm gonna hate that 24 hours in Orlando, considering the weather in mid-October in Kotzebue...

I'm taking suggestions on what to do for a morning/early afternoon in Orlando.

Besides sleep in. We leave Kotz about 7:30 pm, arrive Orlando about 5:30 pm with 5 time-zone changes. And no, I'm not going to Disneyland. I'm guessing an Everglades swamp tour is out of the question, and that's about the only thing in Florida that interests me.

Not all of Alaska's flights to Boston go directly to Seattle, we've gone to Minneapolis a few times then on to Beantown. I think it all depends on what time your flying. Flights coming back from Beantown don't always go through Seattle either, we've had flights stop in Detroit, then Minneapolis then on to Anchorage. Our flight this summer will go through Seattle but it's just a stop and we don't change planes.

I have never seen a direct flight on Alaska Airlines to the east coast or vice versa.

Yes you guys were correct! my mistake. The flights going from Boston to AK that I thought were direct actually stop in Seatle with the passengers staying on the same plane. The way the itineraries were showing up on kayak and other sights did not list the seatle stop unitl I clicked into the complete flight details.

Sorry about that.

Now I'm thinking about forking over the extra money to fly first class with AKAir so I don't have to bring a shoehorn to pry myself out of the coach seats haha

I have seen them and been on them, but it's been a while.

Almost can't get out of AK without a Starbucks stop in SeaTac.

In my opinion 3584ELK, you're being too kind in your comments about United. I'd grow feathers, chit from a limb, and fly myself before I'd ever book with them again. No problems ever with AA.

Told you guys i'd give a report when I got back:

We flew United from syracuse to Newark then to Seattle to Anchorage.

last thursday got delayed right off the bat leaving syracuse. first time they delayed they said due to too much air traffic going into newark, THEN the thunder storms started going through the area so we started about 8hours late and obviously missed all of our flights.

In syracuse the people for United said that once we got to Newark make sure we had specific seats reserved and then get a hotel voucher.

Hit Newark wait in a line for 1.5hours to get to the customer service to be told "you are on the plane but no guaranteed seats since you didn't pay for that specific flight and we can't give you a voucher it was weather not our problem"

all hotels filled so we slept in the airport.


hit anchorage 15hours after we were originally supposed to and find out that only 6 of our 7 bags made it.

told it is in Newark would be there later that night or the next morning.....

return flights went well, that bag is still missing and now we are being told to find the receipts for all of the items in the bag....can you imagine if it was a bag filled with clothes????

as it is we are supposed to contact the retailers and get them to backdate a receipt for the items: 2 sleeping bags & 3 pairs of boots

the planes wern't bad on United or at least not for me being young and average build but the service was terrible so next time we will pay a bit more and fly with someone else

TimB
Wow that sounds like a massive pita! Hopefully you had a good time in Ak and it made up for the bad travel experience.

had a great time, saw a LOT of wildlife, great scenery, saw the bits & pieces of the 2 guns being built for me, ate some fresh halibut (smart enough to fed-ex home what I caught so I didn't have fish sitting in an airport or lost!)

Aaaah yes...United. At least there are some constants in this world.