In addition to their great offer for premium tickets to Hawaii, Oneworld members American Airlines and British Airways have an attractive price tag for business class rides to Anchorage, Alaska, too. You can find this fare for departures from Paris up to November 2021. All itineraries at this price include two stops, one in London and one in the United States.
Since our intial post, prices have dropped by €100.
Worldwide travel restrictions are in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. We strongly recommend gathering detailed information about the travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to your desired origin and destination.
A good start is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. It provides current updates on a country’s immigration policies. Even better, the Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map is one of the most useful tools you can find.
British Airways takes you from Paris to London and onwards to Seattle. American Airlines or Alaska Airlines takes care of the final part of the the journey.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, this offer remains valid until December 21, 2020, although the airline might withdraw it at any time. You can find availabilities between March and November 2021 for trips with at least one night from Saturday to Sunday spent in Alaska.
You can use Google Flights to find suiting flight dates. While online travel agencies might offer cheaper tickets (you can find them via our flight search), we recommend booking directly with an Oneworld carrier like British Airways or Iberia.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
British Airways issues tickets in booking class I, the Alaska Airlines trip from Seattle up north and back is booking class F. Since Alaska Airline will join Oneworld alliance in March 2021, you can earn some decent mileage:
- 27,430 Award Miles + 16,858 Elite Qualifying Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 16,858 Avios + 1,150 Elite Points on Iberia Plus
- 16,842 Avios + 122 Qpoints on Qatar Privilege Club
- 16,842 AsiaMiles + 200 Club Points on Asia Miles
- 16,842 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
- 16,842 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 15,438 Avios + 360 Tier Points on British Airways Executive Club
- 15,438 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 15,438 Points on Finnair Plus
- 15,438 Avios on Aer Lingus AerClub
- 15,396 Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 14,448 Points + 32 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 12,506 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 12,506 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
Information & Tips for USA
The USA offers many sights, natural wonders and cultural significance. Thanks to numerous airlines offering flights across the Atlantic, it is always pretty inexpensive to get there. Alternatively, you can also cross the Atlantic by boat.
Immigration, ESTA & Visa Requirements
The USA has one of the strictest entry regulations in the world. Most EU citizens, among others, are lucky to be able to participate in the so-called Visa Waiver Program. If you get an electronic entry permit (ESTA) for approximately €20, you don’t need a visa for entry.
The Best Time to Visit
Due to its sheer size, the perfect time to visit the USA varies greatly from region to region. In winter, Florida is very popular due to the mild temperatures. In the summer the West and East Coasts are flooded by tourists which drives up the prices for hotels and flights and during the Indian Summer in late autumn New England is a very popular destination. The hurricane season between July and September can be dangerous in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida and the southern states are regularly struck by these tropical storms. Blizzards occur from the East Coast to the Midwest during the winter months and regularly put air traffic and public life on hold.
Currency
The US dollar is widely used throughout the world and accepted as a currency in most tourist hotspots worldwide. That being said, carrying cash isn’t necessary in the US, all you need is a credit card! These are very common in the USA and are accepted pretty much everywhere without any issues. If you already have a credit card in your wallet, you should make sure that it does not charge a foreign currency fee if possible. Carrying a few dollars in cash doesn’t hurt though. You might need cash e.g. for the bus ticket if you want to buy it directly from the driver. Most of the time you even have to give exact change.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Knowroaming and Ubigi. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for the USA 🇺🇸 Compared
→ All Dealz for USA
Cover Picture: ©Rocky Grimes - stock.adobe.com