O'Hare to Anchorage Princess Air or Not?

We're taking an Alaskan Cruise Tour May 25th, 2017 (Off The Beaten Path) Then on the Island May 31st southbound. This is our first big cruise, have only taken a short Caribbean one before. I'm torn on weather to use Princess Air or just book on our own. We will be arriving a day early (the 24th) for the land tour part. We have flown quite a lot with in the US so I'm comfortable booking flights. We will be flying out of O'Hare to Anchorage, would like to fly non-stop first class out since it's a longer flight and my husband and I are bigger people. My options look like United $592 or Alaskan Air $600 there and Vancouver back we could fly Air Canada Economy non-stop for $257 back. Anyone with experience if these are good prices? I understand if I use Princess Air I have to fly First Class the whole trip I can't break it up to different classes. It would be $1156ea :eek: if we did this would be Alaskan Air out and Delta back with a 40 min layover in Salt Lake City. Any help would be greatly appreciated.... Sorry this is so long:)

Agree; least expensive F fare for your outbound flight I see is on UA.

You don't list your return date, so I can't check pricing on that.

Personally, I see no advantage to using cruise air; I'd certainly book this myself.

We fly back from Vancouver on June 7th.

Well shoot, it looks like the Air Canada flight went up to $310 since yesterday :mad:

We're taking an Alaskan Cruise Tour May 25th, 2017 (Off The Beaten Path) Then on the Island May 31st southbound. This is our first big cruise, have only taken a short Caribbean one before. I'm torn on weather to use Princess Air or just book on our own. We will be arriving a day early (the 24th) for the land tour part. We have flown quite a lot with in the US so I'm comfortable booking flights. We will be flying out of O'Hare to Anchorage, would like to fly non-stop first class out since it's a longer flight and my husband and I are bigger people. My options look like United $592 or Alaskan Air $600 there and Vancouver back we could fly Air Canada Economy non-stop for $257 back. Anyone with experience if these are good prices? I understand if I use Princess Air I have to fly First Class the whole trip I can't break it up to different classes. It would be $1156ea :eek: if we did this would be Alaskan Air out and Delta back with a 40 min layover in Salt Lake City. Any help would be greatly appreciated.... Sorry this is so long:)

Well shoot, it looks like the Air Canada flight went up to $310 since yesterday :mad:

Well first, it's still pretty early to be booking flights; a lot can change - including price reductions (or increases) in ten months.

Second, departures from Vancouver are often more expensive than departures out of Seattle - different taxes, different supply/demand characteristics.

For your days, I can see first class (both ways) "open-jaw" trips on Alaska Airlines for $982 provided you fly Chicago-Anchorage // Seattle - Chicago, $1090 on United if you fly out of Vancouver coming home.

With first class on United to ANC for $592 and one way in coach on Air Canada back at $310, you're looking at $902 anyway, and I can assure you that five hours in an AC economy seat is no picnic, not for under a hundred bucks difference. Or less if you're willing to take the bus straight from the Vancouver cruise terminal to the Seattle airport for $55 - $59 per person.

If you DO end up using Princess' air, you can book it in two, separate one-way transactions if you want to travel in different classes (first vs economy) outbound vs. return.

We're taking an Alaskan Cruise Tour May 25th, 2017 (Off The Beaten Path) Then on the Island May 31st southbound. This is our first big cruise, have only taken a short Caribbean one before. I'm torn on weather to use Princess Air or just book on our own. We will be arriving a day early (the 24th) for the land tour part. We have flown quite a lot with in the US so I'm comfortable booking flights. We will be flying out of O'Hare to Anchorage, would like to fly non-stop first class out since it's a longer flight and my husband and I are bigger people. My options look like United $592 or Alaskan Air $600 there and Vancouver back we could fly Air Canada Economy non-stop for $257 back. Anyone with experience if these are good prices? I understand if I use Princess Air I have to fly First Class the whole trip I can't break it up to different classes. It would be $1156ea :eek: if we did this would be Alaskan Air out and Delta back with a 40 min layover in Salt Lake City. Any help would be greatly appreciated.... Sorry this is so long:)

Only a suggestion before you book air. You are at a disadvantage compared to taking a northbound cruise. You are in Denali too early. June 1 gets you in 10 miles further, which is significant.

Nonstop always lowers your risk of lost luggage and delays. As an Alaskan who used to be loyal to United and now flies Alaska Airlines almost exclusively, I personally would recommend Alaska Airlines. United often has delays to/from Anchorage. Alaska Airlines offers so many back-up flights in case of a problem.

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Is the first class nice on united, do they have the tv screens on the back of the seats, etc? I'm trying to decide on united and delta for a first class one way from vancouver to knoxville

Is the first class nice on united, do they have the tv screens on the back of the seats, etc? I'm trying to decide on united and delta for a first class one way from vancouver to knoxville

So if you say "Delta or United", the answer is "depends". On many factors. You need to do your own specific research on your own specific flights, dates and carriers.

Is the first class nice on united, do they have the tv screens on the back of the seats, etc? I'm trying to decide on united and delta for a first class one way from vancouver to knoxville

Completely depends on what equipment is used on the various segments.

 

And to clarify further- to go from Vancouver to Knoxville you'll definitely have 1 connection and possibly 2, so you could end up on 2 or 3 different planes. Might end up with IFE on one segment but not the other(s).