Airlines Announce Large Increase In Flights To Alaska In Summer 2010

Car rental section of airport.
The car rental wing of the Ted Stevens International Airport 

In response to an intense new interest in Alaska as a destination, Continental, United, and U.S. Airways -- along with Alaska Airlines -- are falling all over each other as they scramble to bring independent tourists to Alaska.

At Least 1,000 New Seats A Day To Arrive In Fairbanks And Anchorage

By February 5th, the airlines had announced that at least 930 seats a day would be added on flights into Anchorage. And Fairbanks will get four or five days of nonstop flights from Denver and Salt Lake City every week. United Airlines, which pulled out of the Alaska market last summer, is bringing even bigger planes to Alaska from a wide variety of destinations. U.S. Airways is adding a nonstop flight from Philadelphia.

Cheaper Flights This Summer As Fare Wars Are Expected To Break Out

Another benefit of the enormous increase in plane seats is that it will keep air fares low, according to Anchorage travel agencies. This will make travel to Alaska even more attractive for independent tourists. 

People Are Telling The Airlines They Want To Come To Alaska

The surge in reality TV shows about Alaska is probably a key component in the flights -- along with the cruise industry's decision to drop up to 120,000 cruise passengers next year, opening the floodgates to at least 90,000 new independent travelers arriving in Anchorage by air. This places them squarely onto Alaska's road system -- and in the hands of roadside tourist businesses targeting independent travelers.

The airplane industry is quoted in the Anchorage Daily News as sending out "glowing" press releases about the new planes, with references to Alaska's "breathtaking destinations." The Anchorage Daily News story also quotes United Airlines, saying they're seeing "an interest among our customers to go to Anchorage in the summer season, more so than we've previously seen -- we've seen a significant uptick this summer."