Nearly every day, I find myself doing quick price checking
on Alaska Airlines to see if I can afford to get out of town. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I confirm discover to my surprise that I can’t afford the flight and I close the search engine. But that doesn’t stop Alaska Airlines from
sending me an e-mail telling me they are ready to go to XXXXXX! (insert placed
I just price checked).
The e-mail is chipper and condescending. That’s great Alaska Airlines that you’re
ready to go to Seattle for a mere $800 round trip from Juneau when just two
months ago I paid $142 round trip to fly the exact same route on your award-winning airline.
As a lifelong Southeast Alaskan, I have been held hostage by
Alaska Airlines for as long as I can remember.
I won’t deny the fact that they offer great customer service, some of
the best pilots in the world, and a good mileage awards system. This is why even when Delta moved in to Southeast
Alaska and a price war ensued, I still chose Alaska. It is a choice I regret now that Delta has pulled
their winter service and prices have once again skyrocketed to exorbitant costs.
Let’s do some price checking. Please note that I searched all of these
tickets one-way for July 3 and chose the lowest option available, no matter the number
of stops. Let’s face it, when you’re looking to fly cheap, you don’t really
care how many stops you have to make.
Seattle to Dallas:
THREE HOURS AND FORTY-FIVE minutes of enjoyable Wi-Fi and
USB power at your seat for only $207!
Not to mention the cheese and fruit plate for purchase. A screaming deal!
Seattle to New York:
A 5-hour direct flight for $301.
Seattle to San Francisco:
$120. Please note
that two hours plus a few minutes is the same flight time as Seattle to Juneau.
And finally, Seattle to Juneau:
Complete with a five-hour
layover in Sitka for a grand total of $402.
I understand there are a lot of factors that play into
pricing aside from flying time and jet fuel.
But I still call B.S.
For once, I’d like to be able to rely on the fact that I
will get a fair priced ticket for my two-hour flight south. I’m not asking for $142 round-trip tickets,
but I am asking for fair. There has to
be a happy medium. You are our choice
Alaska Airlines, even when you are our only choice, we still choose you. Please, treat Alaskan’s with respect. After all, you’re named after us.
