Unless something changes, cruise lines might not be able to sail into Alaska this summer during the lucrative tourist season but it's opened up a whole new avenue for airlines.
Carriers are taking advantage of the fact that Canada has closed its waters and ports to ships with more than 100 people onboard through February 2022, making cruises to Alaska's popular Inside Passage negligible.
Now, according to the Anchorage Daily News, more travelers are making plans to visit the state via airline, and airlines are adding the flights to accommodate them.
Delta Air Lines is adding new flights to new destinations and hub cities from both Anchorage and Fairbanks.
From Anchorage, Delta is adding new nonstop flights to Detroit, New York's Kennedy Airport and Los Angeles. These new flights will operate only on Fridays and Saturdays, starting May 28.
Also, Delta is boosting flights from Anchorage to its hub cities: up to seven flights per day between Anchorage and Seattle, three flights per day between Anchorage and Minneapolis and two flights per day between Anchorage and Salt Lake City. Plus, Delta is resuming its Anchorage-Atlanta nonstop on May 5.
From Fairbanks, Delta will operate three daily nonstops to Seattle, two nonstops to Minneapolis and a new nonstop flight to Salt Lake City. Delta's flights to Seattle from Alaska already operate year-round, but the airline has committed to year-round service for the new flights to/from Minneapolis and Salt Lake.
And that's just Delta, which has been in a bit of a war with Alaska Airlines for supremacy in the skies out of Seattle.
Not to be outdone, Alaska Airlines will offer 19 flights each day between Anchorage and Seattle. The schedule shows three flights each day between Anchorage and Portland and two flights daily between Anchorage and Los Angeles.
Starting on June 17, Alaska will resume nonstop service between Anchorage and Denver. The daily flights are scheduled through Aug. 16.
On May 20, Alaska will resume nonstop flights between Anchorage and Las Vegas, and will launch two daily flights from Anchorage to Chicago. On June 17, Alaska will start a nonstop daily flight from Anchorage to San Francisco.
United Airlines on June 3 will begin to operate daily flights from Anchorage to San Francisco, Houston, Newark and Chicago. Plus, United is adding a daily Anchorage-Fairbanks flight starting on June 3.
American Airlines will have a daily flight to Dallas and one to Chicago. From Anchorage, there are nonstops to Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix.
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