Alaska
As summer travel trends have shifted, great deals are available in the state for Alaskans
This summer was shaping up to be a banner year for Alaska’s tourism industry. Rates were high and availability was scarce.
But things are different now. Many visitors to Alaska are worried about their jobs and their retirement accounts. The uncertainty from federal job cuts and stock market drops caused many travelers to cancel or defer their trips.
That means there is last-minute space available at many destinations around the state. That includes hotels, resorts, cruises and excursions.
Many operators now are extending special offers to Alaska residents. There are a bunch of deals, but most of them are for the month of June. Other offers are available all season long
Alaskans are well-situated to take advantage of last-minute deals. Here are some of my favorites:
1. Stan Stephens Cruises in Valdez offer cruises each day to Mears Glacier and Columbia Glacier. The regular price ranges from $169-$189 per adult. Alaska residents can take 30% off any cruise between now and June 20. Use the code AK30 or call 866-867-1297.
2. Alyeska Resort offers up to 30% off for Alaska residents. The best deals are between now and the end of May, but rates are subject to change without notice. For a midweek stay next week, it’s $182 per night, down from $259 per night. Add $47 in taxes and fees, for a total of $229 per night.
3. Alaskan Dream Cruises in Sitka is offering Alaska residents a 70% discount off normal cruise rates on its fleet of four small, luxury vessels. The ships ply the waters between Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan including Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm and all sorts of hidden bays along the Inside Passage. The discount is available on select sailings all summer long.
For example, the “North to True Alaska” itinerary on the Chichagof Dream is usually starts at $3,995 per person during July. The ship can carry up to 74 passengers. Alaska residents can sail for as little as $1,199 per person. The price includes all accommodations, meals and activities.
Check the website for itinerary details. But you cannot book the cruise online. You have to call to make reservations: 855-747-8100.
4. The Alaska Collection by Pursuit operates the Seward Windsong Lodge, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge and the Denali Cabins. Alaska residents can take 20% off between now and June 15. Book online or call 800-808-8068.
Pursuit also operates Kenai Fjords Cruises in Seward. Alaska residents can request a 20% discount on any cruise.
5. Alaska Wildland Adventures is offering a 2-for-1 special at the Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, located inside the park near the Aialik Glacier. A three-day/two-night stay at the lodge during June usually costs $2,175 per night. With the half-off deal in June, it comes down to $1,087.50 per adult (double occupancy).
The lodge is one of three that the company operates on the Kenai Peninsula.
The price includes a glacier and wildlife cruise, which ends with a beach landing to access the lodge. All meals, accommodations and activities at the lodge also are included. The lodge is unique, since it’s built inside the park. You can’t see it from the water.
Call 800-334-8730 and tell the reservations agent the code word “LOCAL” to get the discount.
6. Major Marine Tours offers Alaska residents 20% off any of its cruises from Seward all season long.
7. Nova Alaska River Runners now offers 20% off any of its whitewater day trips. I first saw the offer as a deal for Alaska residents, but it’s now available to everyone. This includes trips on the Matanuska River and on Six Mile Creek, which is accessible via the Seward Highway. Use code “RAFT50” for online reservations or call 907-745-5753.
8. Chena Hot Springs, located about 54 miles outside of Fairbanks, offers Alaska residents a $60 per night discount on its rooms all summer. The “Fox” rooms include two double beds, for $209 per night. With the discount applied, the nightly rate drops to $149 per night. The “Moose” rooms include two queen beds, for $299 per night ($239 per night with the discount). There’s an additional $20 per night charge for taxes. Two passes to the swimming pool and hot springs are included with each room. Call 907-451-8104.
9. Princess Alaska Lodges and Holland America Hotels, both owned by Carnival Corp., are offering a season-long special of 50% off the second night. Princess has lodges in Cooper Landing, near Copper Center, in Fairbanks, near Talkeetna and near the entrance to Denali National Park. Holland America has hotels near Denali, in Dawson City and Skagway.
Princess also operates private rail cars between Anchorage and Denali, featuring package pricing with the Princess resorts along the way. Princess is offering a 25% discount on the packages. For a three-day/two-night package from Anchorage to the Mt. McKinley Princess near Talkeetna, the price is $599 per person, double occupancy. That includes train fare, transfers from the Talkeetna train station to the lodge, 60 miles, and accommodations at the lodge.
10. Prices on airfare to select destinations in Europe are lower this summer on Condor‘s nonstop flight to Frankfurt. Fly nonstop between Anchorage and Frankfurt between now and July 8 for $670-$700 round-trip, or later in the summer between Aug. 8 and Sept. 17. That’s the basic economy price, so it costs more for checked bags, advance seat assignments and a host of other “extras.” Almost every single traveler will end up paying more.
Similar prices are available for flights on Condor to Rome, Milan, Berlin and Zurich.
Several operators indicated more discounts may be available for travel later in the summer.
Alaska resident discounts are not a universal feature for all operators or hotels. But there are many more of these offers this summer. If you’re planning a trip around the state this year, it’s worthwhile to check to see if a “locals” discount applies!
Alaska
Winter Solstice celebration takes over Cuddy Park
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – On the darkest weekend of the year, Alaskans gathered at Cuddy Park to mark the moments before daylight finally begins its slow return.
To celebrate, the Municipality held its annual winter solstice festival, inviting everyone for an evening of cold-weather fun.
”Some of the highlights, of course, are ice skating at the oval right over there, some holiday music, we have Santa and Mrs. Claus wandering around, we are going to have some reindeer here,” Anchorage Parks and Recs Community Engagement Coordinator, Ellen Devine, said.
In addition to seeing reindeer, folks could take a ride around the park in a horse-drawn carriage or sit down and watch a classic holiday film provided by the Alaska Bookmobile.
Despite the frigid temperature, people made their way down to the park to partake in some festive cheer.
“It is my first time in Anchorage,” attendee Stefan Grigoras said. “It’s beautiful, it is a little bit cold, I’m not going to lie, but I want to take a picture with the reindeer.”
Grigoras, like many, took part in the free hot chocolate and took his photo with St. Nick and Mrs. Claus, who were seen wandering around bringing joy to all.
“[The kids] get so excited and, you know, you have everything from run over and almost knock us down with hugs to not even wanting to come near us, and it’s just a fun combination of all that,” Mrs. Claus said.
Some of those kids were Logan and Keegan, who were out and about with their parents, Samantha and Trevor. The two kids asked for things that every child is sure to want.
“A monster truck,” Logan said.
“Bingo,” Keegan said.
”Like Bluey and Bingo,” Samantha clarified for Keegan.
The young family is originally from Arkansas and is excited to be a part of a thriving community.
“I love Anchorage’s community. There’s so many community events, and especially as a young family, it makes me really excited to get together and get to know people,” Samantha said.
As the festivities continued into the night, a familiar holiday message could be heard.
”Merry Christmas, ho, ho, ho,” the Clauses yelled!
“Merry Christmas,” Logan and Keegan said.
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Alaska
Opinion: You get what you pay for — and Alaska is paying too little
Most Alaskans, perhaps even most Americans, have a knee-jerk reaction to taxes. They affect citizens in a sensitive area — their pocketbook. Perhaps a little analysis and thought could change this normal negative reaction.
It is clear, even to the stingiest among us, that Anchorage and Alaska need more income. Our severely underfunded public schools, decreasing population — called “outmigration” these days — underfunded police force, deteriorating streets and highways, underfunded city and state park budgets, and on and on, are not going to fix themselves. We have to pay for it.
Public schools are the best example. Do you want your first grader in a classroom with 25-plus students or your intermediate composition student in a class with 35-plus students? What if the teacher needs four to five paragraphs per week per student from two such classes? Who suffers? The teacher and 70 students. It’s not rocket science — if you minimize taxes, you minimize services.
I was an English teacher in Anchorage and had students coming into my classroom at lunch for help. Why? They were ambitious. Far more students who wanted and needed help were too shy, too busy or less motivated. With smaller class sizes, those students would have gotten the help in class.
Some Alaskans resent paying taxes that help other people’s children. They often say, “But I don’t have any kids in school!” The same attitude is heard when folks say, “The streets in our neighborhood are fine.” Taxes are not designed to help specific taxpayers; they are, or should be, designed to help the entire community. And we are a community.
As well, lots of people get real excited by sales taxes, especially those who have enough income to buy lots of stuff. They argue that, on balance, sales taxes are unfair — they are regressive. That means that individuals with less income pay a higher percent of their income than individuals with a higher income, and this is true. It is minimized by exempting some expenses — medical care, groceries and the like.
A recent opinion piece published in the Anchorage Daily News explained the disadvantages of a regressive tax. In doing so, the author made an excellent argument for using a different kind of tax.
The solution is to use an income tax. With an income tax, the regulations of the tax can prevent it from being regressive by requiring higher tax rates as individual incomes increase. Alaska is one of only eight or nine states with no state income tax. For those folks all worked up about regressive sales taxes, this is the solution.
Any tax that most folks will accept depends on people seeing themselves as part of the same community. That’s not always obvious these days — but it doesn’t change the bottom line: We still have to pay our way.
Tom Nelson has lived in Anchorage more than 50 years. He is a retired school teacher, cross country ski coach, track coach, commercial fisherman and wilderness guide.
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Alaska
Maintenance delays Alaska Air Cargo operations, Christmas packages – KNOM Radio Mission
Christmas presents may be arriving later than expected for many rural communities in Alaska. That’s after Alaska Air Cargo, Alaska Airlines’ cargo-specific carrier, placed an embargo on freight shipments to and from several hubs across the state. According to Alaska Airlines, the embargo began on Dec. 16 and will end on Dec. 21.
The embargo excludes Alaska Air Cargo’s GoldStreak shipping service, designed for smaller packages and parcels, as well as live animals.
Alaska Airlines spokesperson, Tim Thompson, cited “unexpected freighter maintenance and severe weather impacting operations” as causes for the embargo.
“This embargo enables us to prioritize moving existing freight already at Alaska Air Cargo facilities to these communities,” Thompson said in an email to KNOM. “Restrictions will be lifted once the current backlog has been cleared.”
Other carriers like Northern Air Cargo have rushed to fill the gap with the Christmas holiday just a week away. The Anchorage-based company’s Vice President of Cargo Operations, Gideon Garcia, said he’s noticed an uptick in package volume.
“It’s our peak season and we’re all very busy in the air cargo industry,” Garcia said. “We are serving our customers with daily flights to our scheduled locations across the state and trying to ensure the best possible holiday season for all of our customers.”
An Alaska Air Cargo freighter arrives in Nome, Dec. 18, 2025. It was the daily-scheduled flight’s first arrival in Nome in a week after maintenance issues plagued the Alaska Air Cargo fleet. Ben Townsend photo.
Garcia said the holiday season is a tough time for all cargo carriers, but especially those flying in Alaska.
“We operate in places that many air carriers in other parts of the country just sort of shake their head at in disbelief. But to us, it’s our everyday activity,” Garcia said. “The challenges we face with windstorms, with cold weather, make it operationally challenging.”
Mike Jones is an economist at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He said a recent raft of poor weather across the state only compounded problems for Alaska Air Cargo.
“I think we’ve seen significantly worse weather at this time of year, that is at one of the most poorly timed points in the season,” Jones said.
Jones said Alaska Air Cargo is likely prioritizing goods shipped through the U.S. Postal Service’s Alaska-specific Bypass Mail program during the embargo period. That includes palletized goods destined for grocery store shelves, but not holiday gifts purchased online at vendors like Amazon.
“When a major carrier puts an embargo like this it clearly signals that they’re having an extraordinarily difficult time clearing what is already there, and they’re trying to prioritize moving that before they take on anything new,” Jones said.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Alaska Airlines was responsible for 38% of freight shipped to Nome in December 2024.
Alaska Air Cargo’s daily scheduled flight, AS7011, between Anchorage and Nome has only been flown four times in the month of December, according to flight data from FlightRadar24. An Alaska Air Cargo 737-800 freighter landed in Nome Thursday at 11:53 a.m., its first arrival in one week. Friday’s scheduled flight has been cancelled.
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