Air Fare Deals

Alaska Airlines’ unusual Northern Lights sale

Aurora Borealis near Fairbanks, Alaska. Photo by Andy Witteman via Alaska Airlines

If you want to see the Northern Lights this winter, then the Alaska Airlines science-based sale should be of interest.

The sale runs through January 17 for flights between the Lower 48 and both Fairbanks and Anchorage through February 12. Discounts of up to 35% are being tied to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute’s aurora forecast.

The more intense the Northern Lights forecast; the more flyers will save on flights.

“Everyone loves a lighter fare,” said Natalie Bowman, Alaska Airlines’ managing director, marketing and advertising, “This is just the start of how we’ll use dynamic data in the future to appeal to our flyers’ passions.”

Here’s how it works:

Alaska Airlines harnesses Northern Lights forecast data for bucket list trip

Through January 17, fares will be discounted daily up to 35% depending on the Kp-index forecast during the travel time period.

Scientists use the Kp-index to help predict how visible the Northern Lights might be. Alaska will discount fares based on aurora intensity:

  • 0 to 3 Kp = 15% off
  • 4 to 5 Kp = 20% off
  • 6 to 7 Kp = 25% off
  • 8 to 9 Kp = 35% off

Want to know more about the Northen Lights before you pack up and go? The University of Fairbanks has an informative webpage on the Aurora seasons that include a real-time Aurora Tracker.

Ready to bundle up and book? On Tuesday evening rates were 20% off, based on the Aurora Forecast.

Late-breaking Black Friday travel deals

It can be a bit overwhelming, but if you’ve got places you want to go in the coming months you can save some serious cash by buying plane tickets and hotel stays during Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday.

You’ll find a long list of offers already underway in my CNBC Black Friday/Cyber Monday story from last weekend. But here are some deals that were embargoed until now.

Check back; I’ve got a few more travel deals still under embargo and will update this list as new deals come in.            

Train deal

Amtrak’s fourth annual “Track Friday Sale” runs Friday, Nov. 29 through Monday, Dec. 2, with savings up to 35% on select routes nationwide for travel between Dec. 9 and April 30.

There are additional deals for the Acela, Northeast Regional and many popular routes beginning Jan. 6 through Apr. 30. 

To book see: Amtrak.com/trackfridaysale or the Amtrak app. All fares will be automatically discounted. No discount code is needed.

Airlines

Alaska Airlines is having a big sale on Friday, November 29 ONLY across its network, with some fares as low as $29 one-way for travel between January 7 and March 11, 2020.

Also, throughout Black Friday, Alaska is hosting five giveaways on Twitter using the hashtag #AlaskaHappyHour.  Follow that hashtag for a chance to win one of five pairs of tickets to Alaska Airlines destinations across the country.

If you miss the Friday sale, Alaska will also have deals during its annual three-day Cyber Monday sale starting Dec.2nd.

Cathay Pacific’s Black Friday includes deals that are as high as 75% off to a range of destinations from US cities like LA, New York, San Francisco, and Chicago to destinations the Asia-Pacific Region, including Bali, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. The sale runs through December 3 and applies to flights from January 1, 2020 through May 15, 2020.

Delta Air Lines has Black Friday deals on a long list of routes bookable through December 1. Travel dates vary by route.

Hawaiian Airlines is offering Black Friday and Cyber Monday special fares starting on Friday and Monday, respectively, for select U.S. Mainland, international and Neighbor Island flights. Look for Neighbor Island deals and flight deals to other destinations.

Through December 1, Qatar Airways has a Black Friday offer that includes up to $300 off round-trip Business Class fares from the United States to select destinations. Use the promo code: FLYDAY

More to come…

Discount fares for young people on United Airlines

United is offering flight discounts for young travelers

Discount fares for young travelers used to be quite common. Not anymore.

So let’s hope United Airlines’ new promotion (re)starts that trend.

For now: here’s the deal:

If you’re between the ages of 18 to 22 and looking to book a flight on United, you can get a 10% discount if you’re a MileagePlus member with your birth date in your profile and if you book your trip through the airline’s mobile app by December 31, 2019.

As a bonus, and because young people are said to be all about saving the earth, United will also offset carbon emissions for the first 25,000 customers who travel using this promotion.

Some extra details on United’s discount plan for young people:

*The promotion applies to new flights booked between now and December 31, 2019, including flights departing after the promotion period ends.

*Flights within the United States, Canada, or Mexico, and some international destinations, are eligible for the discount.

Next up? Let’s bring back cheap standby fares.

Travel Tidbits: Hawaii, Amtrak, Comic Book Art

Travel Tidbits from airports and airlines near you

Southwest expands Hawaii flights from California

Southwest Airlines announced new nonstop flights from Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) to both Kona (KOA), on the island of Hawaii, and Lihue, Kauai (LIH) will begin flying in January 2020.

Once these flights begin, you’ll be able to fly to all four main Hawaiian Islands nonstop from SJC.

Southwest will start flights between SJC and Lihue four days per week (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun) starting January 19, 2020. Flights to Kona will be three times a week (Tue/Thu/Sat) beginning January 21.

These new flights will be in addition to Southwest’s existing daily, nonstop flights between SJC and both Honolulu and Kahului (Maui), which began in May.

Take the Train – half off

You can’t take the train to Hawaii, but you can take it lots of other places – for half price.

Amtrak just kicked off its September Sale, offering 50% off tickets nationwide. The sale runs Friday, August 16 through Saturday, August 17, 2019 and covers travel anywhere between September 1 and September 30, 2019. Even better: no blackout dates.

Comic art at John Wayne Airport

Like comic books? Then you’ll love this comic book art.

Mixed Media Collage artist Fernando Del Rosario brings his “Real Heroes” collection of inspiring quotes and original composed art – made from comic books – to John Wayne Airport (JWA).

“My Real Heroes collection is meant to grab you, lose yourself within each piece and come out inspired, motivated, and creatively recharged,” said Del Rosario. “Every one of these comic book pages is from my collection as a kid. And this is my way of sharing my story and my inspiration with the public.”

Del Rosario’s artwork is on display in the JWA Community Focus Space from August 15 – September 17, 2019.

Travel Tidbits: Long security lines + airfare deals

Long(er) checkpoint lines – and checkpoint closures

Due to staffing issues associated with the partial shutdown of the federal government, passengers are finding longer lines tha usual at many airport security checkpoints.

On Monday, Harstfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had checkpoint wait times exceeding an hour. And George Bush International Airport (IAH) said its security checkpoint and ticketing counter in Terminal B would remain closed through Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.

Fiji Airways airfare deal

Fiji Airways has a two-for-one airfare deal right now. “The Great Companion Getaway” is available to purchase January 12 to 19 for travel from January 21 through March 31, 2019 and includes flights to Fiji from Honolulu, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Buy one all-inclusive ticket and pay just for the taxes on a companion ticket. Details here.

$49 flights to Europe on WOW Air – with lots of caveats

WOW Air, the budget Icelandic airline that expanded quickly but is now cutting many routes, has announced $49 sale fares to some European cities from the U.S., all with stops (or free stopvers) in Iceland’s KEF airport.

Fares are on sale now through January 18 (or until seats sell out) for a limited number of dates and flights between January 21 and March 11, 2019.

Keep in mind that WOW Air charges for just about everything – including carry-on bags that go in the overhead bin, reserved seats and in-flight meals, so that $49 fare may be significantly higher once you add in the “extras.”

Stellar credit card offer from Southwest

There are lots of airline credit card offers out there (and blogs devoted to getting you to apply for them) but Southwest Airlines currently has a generous promotion that some say takes things to a new level.

The deal, available through February 11, promises 30,000 Southwest rewards points – plus a compantion pass for the rest of the year – to those who sign up for the airline’s credit card and charge $4,000 to the card in first three months.