Residents and travelers to the 49th and 50th states are dealing with some good news and bad news. Alaska Airlines just announced it plans to offer year-round direct flights between Hawaii and Anchorage—-that’s the good news. The bad news is that some Alaskans are worried that the lack of competition for the route could lead to higher fares in the long run.
For years Hawaiian Vacations Inc. was the only company offering direct flights between Anchorage and Honolulu. When Alaska Airlines bought out Hawaiian Vacations Inc. it promised to offer roughly the same amount of flights per week that Hawaiian Vacations offered on its chartered flights. But some fear that the Seattle-based carrier will change its mind and provide winter-only flights.
Company officials will only say that they are sticking with their current plan, which is to offer daily Anchorage to Honolulu flights between December 9, 2007 and April 26, 2008 and twice weekly, on Fridays and Saturdays, between April 27, 2008 and October 25, 2008.
As for the fear that Alaska Airlines plans to raise ticket prices to Hawaii, taking a look at the carrier’s website, the cheapest flights to Honolulu in December and January are listed at between $600 to $700 round trip. Alaska Airlines is also offering a Permanent Fund dividend sale. Round-trip fares from Anchorage to Honolulu using that discount are about $500, not including taxes, between February and September 2008.
And there’s bad news for those of you who had hoped to snag a good deal to paradise from your neck of the woods. Several major airlines serving Hawaii, including United and American recently raised round-trip ticket prices $20 to $25.
According to FareCompare.com, United Airlines initiated the rate hike and other carriers quickly followed. Among those airlines matching United are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, with Continental Airlines partially matching.
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