You can expect to pay more for plane tickets this summer, as airline capacity struggles to keep up with demand.
20.03.2024 - 19:59 / thepointsguy.com / John F.Kennedy / Henry Harteveldt / Airlines
Alaska Airlines just launched an unusual new subscription service that is going to require a $5-per-month payment to get early access to Alaska fare sales and a bit more. The Seattle-based airline is calling it "Alaska Access" and is saying it gives advanced alerts to some of its biggest sales of the year.
Alaska said subscribers will be notified the night before a sale is announced via in-app notifications, giving them the ability to book those deals before they are shared publicly.
"You get a personalized link with our best live flight deals sent straight to your inbox, available whenever you're ready for takeoff," according to the carrier.
The subscription will also get you a $5 monthly voucher to use for onboard Wi-Fi. Alaska inflight Wi-Fi usually starts at $8 per flight.
Additionally, subscribers will be able to personalize a fare page to view some of the lowest fares to the more than 500 destinations the carrier serves by money and by Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles.
"Alaska's new subscription product seems like a well-conceived idea, but the devil is in the details," Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research, told TPG. "The $5-per-month fee is reasonable, and the immediate payback — discounted Wi-Fi — is good. But the real value will be in receiving priority access to fare sale alerts and being able to share and track airfares to preferred destinations."
Related: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan award chart changes are now live
I signed up for the new service and already found some interesting deals via the personalized fare page.
For example, Alaska is showing flights for as low as $134 each way from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), my home airport, to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). It's also showing flights from JFK to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) starting at $159 and from JFK to Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) starting at $139. I've seen those prices from Alaska before but not in one easy place like I can now with Alaska Access.
The real test will be getting advance notice of deeply discounted fares.
One detail to keep in mind is that Alaska Access is powered by Recurly, a subscription management and billing platform, instead of being directly handled by Alaska. This means you may not get bonus miles for travel-related charges for the service, depending on which credit card you use.
Harteveldt said he likes that it isn't a credit card-based subscription.
"By offering the subscription outside the boundaries of its loyalty program and credit card, Alaska's new subscription product may appeal to a wider audience," he said. "I've no doubt that Alaska will then target customers with offers to sign
You can expect to pay more for plane tickets this summer, as airline capacity struggles to keep up with demand.
Travelers dreaming of aspirational destinations like Bali and the Maldives can now get there more easily with airline miles.
The Riviera Maya in Mexico has long been an unquestionable destination favorite, lined with dozens of beachfront resorts and a lively nightlife scene. But travelers yearning for a more laidback, bohemian vibe can now fly further south into Tulum’s brand-new Felipe Carrilo Puerto International Airport (TQO), which welcomed its first-ever international flights just last week.
As the largest carrier at Sonoma County Airport since 2007, Alaska Airlines now offering service to seven nonstop destinations.
JetBlue increased baggage fees for the second time in a couple months, introducing a new peak and off-peak pricing structure.
The airline network planners closed out the first quarter of 2024 with a bang.
American Airlines is the latest carrier to ensure inflight Wi-Fi is available from takeoff to touchdown.
A passenger flew back to Raleigh-Durham International Airport to help search for her dog that escaped after Alaska Airlines failed to put him on a flight to Seattle with her.
There's an interesting development, and potentially a negative one, to report from Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Alaska appears to be banning the use of other programs' loyalty numbers on award tickets when booked with Alaska Mileage Plan.
In February last year, a new Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max plane was on one of its first flights when an automated stabilizing system appeared to malfunction, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing soon after they took off.
Spirit Airlines is bringing more affordable domestic flights to popular destinations this summer.
On this episode about Boeing's woes and air safety, clockwise from top left: Aviation reporters Robert Silk of Travel Weekly and David Slotnick of The Points Guy, and Folo host Rebecca Tobin.