Thread: Nonrev from Alaska

I'm with AC - I wouldn't dream of advising anyone to nonrev on our flights ANC-YVR from May thru Sept as I know they are almost always running at 100% LF. Someone at DL would know more but I'd imagine their (and the other limited ANC service carriers) also run close to 100% LF from ANC most of this season.

I'd imagine your best bet is to nonrev on AS or get one of the APEX or www cheapies on AS down into SEA. At that time of the year they run something like 18-20 flights per day ANC-SEA.
I wouldn't personally try to nonrev on any other carrier at that time of year from ANC down to the lower 48 due to the amount of people travelling and the vey limited frequencies the other carriers run. Once you're in SEA it's much easier to nonrev.

Having spent several years flying to ANC on AS to visit my now late father-in-law I can tell you the flights are always full. Even in the dead of winter. However, we've never been bumped. Very odd indeed! Often we got the last seats on the plane but were never bumped.

Tim had a good idea - spend a few days in Anchorage. You just might like it. A while back I wrote a mini trip report for a short visit in ANC. Click the following link to read it:

<a href="http://nonrev.net/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=93260999&f=35260999&m=7696077262" target="_blank">http://nonrev.net/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=93260...99&m=7696077262</A>

I don't know what your ability is to buy passes on other carriers but I WILL recommend flying ANC/SEA with Alaska. We generally offer 18-20 flights a day in the summer months so, barring weather problems or something, you should have no problem getting on a flight. Once you are in SEA you can take a DL flight. Consider an alternative ANC/ORD on us but, with only one flight a day you would be in the same pickle as you would be with DL. Even though we offer a nonstop ANC/YVR flight in the summer, I would NOT recommend that one. YVR is really difficult to non-rev from in the summer in spite of the number of flights. Smaller plans, you know. I have tried to rebook people on DL/CO/AA out of ANC in the summer (I'm a change agent with AS) and the flights are always packed.

Make sure you go see the fishing in the river before you leave Anchorage. They call it "combat" fishing. Fascinating. People are lined up practically shoulder to shoulder and there are strict rules as to how you can catch something. We spent about 40 minutes watching and talking to the fishermen and it was a riot.

Ok Donna, what exactly is combat fishing; because I'm imagining some sort of fisherman vs. grizzly bear winner take all wrestling match.

Keep'em flying

It's difficult to describe. People are standing shoulder to shoulder in the river casting and trying not to get their lines caught while attempting to catch fish. The fisherman can't keep fish caught say in the fin or the tail, the hook has to be in the mouth and with so many lures it is a combat amongst the fishermen. There were people out there at 11pm still fishing (it was still light), fighting it out with each other. As I said, fascinating.