 |
 |
Most are aware that Seattle based, Alaska Airlines started service to Honolulu and Kauai last year. Service has been a big hit from the get go. Well, now they are adding service to Maui beginning July 17, 2008. Jet fuel is expensive these days so airfares to Maui starts at $498 round trip before taxes.
“When we announced the start of our long-awaited service to Honolulu and Kauai last year, our customers were delighted, and they immediately began asking when Alaska Airlines would offer flights to Maui and other destinations in Hawaii,” said Gregg Saretsky, Alaska Airlines’ executive vice president of flight and marketing. “The time has come for us to expand the leisure travel options we can offer our customers and Mileage Plan members.”
From Alaskaair.comWhat does this mean to you?
Well if you move really quickly you can possibly book one of those limited “Saver Awards” for just 35,000 Alaska Airlines Frequent Flyer miles. After the Saver Awards sell out the “Peak Awards” (for just coach class) go up to an astronomical 70,000 points and hardly worth that expense.
Now realize, as comparison, you can book on an award ticket for Alaska Airline on any continental domestic or Canadian flight online, EXCEPT for Hawaii and Mexico, for only 20,000 points (25,000 over the phone); that’s if you can find a “Saver Award”. So awards to Hawaii are normally offered at a 10,000 to 15,000 point premium over your average continental U.S. award ticket.
Now Alaska Airlines allows one-way tickets so you can book into or out of Maui along with either Honolulu or Kauai. (but don’t expect to find any “Saver Award” tickets to Honolulu or Kauai) But you do have the flexibility of doing half points (17,500) and half airfare ($249) in order to pair up two of the three different Hawaiian cities that they fly to and just buy your own ticket in between the islands.
Flights from Seattle will depart daily at 8:20 a.m. Pacific time and arrive at 11:35 a.m. Hawaii time. Return flights will depart at 1:05 p.m. Hawaii time and arrive at 9:45 p.m. Pacific time.
If you book online be sure to use their Gay Travel page: http://www.alaskaair.com/gaytravel
Good Luck! Happy shopping and hurry because the Alaska Airlines Mileage system shuts down on Monday April 14 for up to two weeks in order to get an overhaul. During that time no award travel can be booked.
