Alaska
Easiest business class flights to book, United complains about Alaska/Hawaiian and yet another Hyatt acquisition (Saturday Selection)
United complains to the feds about the Alaska/Hawaiian merger, Hyatt buys another boutique brand and the easiest business class flights to actually book. All that and more in this week’s Saturday Selection, our weekly round-up of interesting tidbits from around the interwebs (links to the original articles are embedded in the titles).
United complains to DOT about Alaska/Hawaiian merger
It’s time for this week’s thrilling episode of “As the Merger Turns.” First of all, a quick recap for those folks who haven’t been on pins and needles while following the latest action of the Alaska/Hawaiian merger. Alaska Airlines surprised nearly everyone last year when it announced that it was grossly overpaying for its “off-the-mainland” compatriot, Hawaiian Airlines. While it was a arguably questionable deal for Alaska shareholders, it was very exciting for most of us points and milers. Hawaiian brings a Pacific-Oceania route map and some fresh, widebody 787s that have never before darkened an Alaska hangar, while at the same point providing some potentially exciting ways to load up on roundabout Alaska miles. The DOJ, who hasn’t been a fan of domestic airline mergers over the last few years, spent several months reviewing the transaction, asked for two extensions before finally letting the review period expire without objection. That usually means smooth sailing, so points and miles folks started flocking like Emperor Penguins towards previously ugly ducklings like the Hawaiian credit cards and a transfer bonus from American Express to HawaiianMiles. But, not so fast, my friends. That champion of domestic airline competition and pedigreed consumer advocate, United Airlines, has filed a complaint saying that the merger would violate its own codeshare agreements with Hawaiian, leading to over-consolidation and a negative impact on consumers…an interesting argument from an airline that has an almost 80% market share in Houston International and a 65%+ market share at Newark and Dulles Airports.
So is the merger on or off? Who can say. But, like the Beatles famously sang, “I don’t know why you say aloha when I say aloha.” Or is it the other way around?
The easiest business class flights to book with points
Who doesn’t like international business class? Getting to fly across an ocean or continent in your own bougie little cubby with a seat that doubles as a lie-flat bed is one of the great, obtainable luxuries in modern travel…something that us funny-money hoarders sometimes don’t fully appreciate. That said, it isn’t always easy to find and book space on these pleasure cruises, and seats during school breaks can be like finding cigarettes in prison. Last week, Thrifty Traveler compiled a list of what they consider to be the six easiest business class products to actually seal the deal with when using points and miles (trigger warning – it’s also a bit of an advert for their premium service). Some folks on the East Coast might quibble with the Japan Airlines inclusion, but it’s nonetheless a good rundown on products that tend to have more availability than many others and are worth considering when you’re trying to find a bed in the sky.
Hyatt acquires a small, boutique brand again for the very first time
Hyatt’s been on a bit of an acquisition bender of late. In the last year or so, World of Hyatt has picked-up the boutiqu-y marketing consortium Mr & Mrs Smith (MMS), Germany’s me and all Hotels, and the high-end “glampground” company, Under Canvas. Now, Hyatt is diving even further into the depths of chic, hipster lodging by purchasing the international chain Standard Hotels. Standard is a far-flung company, to say the least. It only has 24 properties, but they’re scattered to the winds, with locations in Australia, Thailand, Singapore, China, The Maldives, Ibiza, London, Mexico and the US. Hyatt describes Standard as being part of an eventual “lifestyle” division that includes other “lifestyle brands” like Andaz, Dream, Thompson, and Hyatt Centric. One wonders how many “lifestyle” brands a company needs to feel well-centered…or even what a “lifestyle brand” is. Regardless, ever since the addition of Mr & Mrs Smith, we hold our breath a little when we see a new Hyatt purchase, waiting to see if these will be a part of the company’s very good-value award chart or the poor-value, dynamically-priced awards that MMS subjects us to (and that’s also shared by Under Canvas). We reached out to Hyatt to see what the pricing would look like on these properties and are still listening to the crickets in the backyard. Hopefully, that’s not an omen of dynamic pricing to come.
Points, miles, FOMO and lifestyle inflation
For points and miles collectors (and spenders), it’s easy for our eyes to be bigger than our stomachs. Ideally, this “hobby” that we’re all involved in is something fun and rewarding, adding rich experience to our families and lives. But, it can be a compulsion as well. The combination of social media and fear of missing out (FOMO) can quickly draw people into spending more time, money and effort than they intend to in pursuit of “maximizing” all those rewards floating around out there. A couple of years ago, I wrote a post about how points and miles should serve our lives and the way we travel, not the other way around. Last week, Leana over at Miles for Family wrote an interesting post in a similar-ish vein about her “…struggle to not let miles and points derail our financial future.” She paints the picture of someone who gets in the “game” looking for points to help take a family vacation to Florida and ends up manufacturing spend in pursuit of vacations to the Maldives and first class flights…that they may never take. It’s a worthwhile weekend read and something to consider for anyone who reads points and miles blogs on the weekend, like me.
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Next year, cities and states across the nation will be honoring the American semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Each of the 50 states will have unique roles in the celebration and Alaska has already established a theme for its participation in America250: baseball.
State historian Katherine J. Ringsmuth and the Alaska Office of History and Archaeology have developed a traveling baseball exhibit, showcasing a uniquely Alaskan stitch in the American tapestry.
“Alaska’s Fields of Dreams: Baseball in America’s Far North” features nine panels — each representing an inning — that explore Alaska’s role in the national pastime.
From the Knock Down and Skin ‘Em club of St. Paul Island to the game’s expansion north to Nome and the formation of the Alaska Baseball League, the exhibit covers more than 150 years of baseball in Alaska.
Late last year, Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed Administrative Order 357, designating the Alaska Historical Commission as the state agency to coordinate with the national America250 organization and plan and coordinate events.
That put Ringsmuth and the commission, which is headed by Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, into action to develop Alaska’s involvement.
And while some states will highlight their roles during early eras of America, Alaska has a relatively short history as part of the U.S. as the 49th state admitted. But as Alaska developed as an American territory even before statehood, baseball was a connection to the U.S.
“What we’re seeing by the 1910s, 1920s with the establishment of places like Anchorage, you see these places turning into real American towns,” Ringsmuth said. “And baseball is part of that agent that’s carrying those values.”
Alaska’s history with baseball is diverse both geographically and in the makeup of its participants.
The exhibit documents the history of Alaska Native baseball and details games in Goodnews Bay in Western Alaska and in Nome, where miners used burlap bags as bases to play on the tundra. It also covers Alaska women who play the game, the arrival of Negro League’s great Satchel Paige in Alaska in 1965, and Midnight Sun games.
The theme for Alaska’s involvement in the America250 is “History for Tomorrow,” and Ringsmuth said that look to the future is a nod at younger populations.
“I thought, let’s do something that makes our young people filled with optimism and (shows) that they can dream for tomorrow, and this can be the promise of tomorrow,” she said. “And I thought sports was a fantastic way to do that.”
The exhibit was shown at a number of places throughout the state over the summer. On Wednesday, the display will be at the Bear Tooth Theatrepub as part of the AK Sports Shorts storytelling event.
One of the seven speakers is Olga Zacharof of St. Paul, who will talk about the Knock Down and Skin ‘Em club, considered Alaska’s first baseball team.
Ringsmuth and Lorraine Henry with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources will also be on hand to talk to attendees about America250-Alaska during the intermission.
The event starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are $20. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Healthy Futures Game Changer program, which “provides small grants to youth from low income families to remove barriers to participation in sports and recreation such as equipment, fees, and transportation costs,” according to its website.
Ringsmuth said the exhibit is a device to get people to learn about the history of baseball in Alaska and an entry into other America250-Alaska events and activities.
The state has big plans for the Week of Dreams — a weeklong tribute to the nation’s pastime culminating on July 4, 2026.
Plans for the week include youth games, legacy softball and Indigenous baseball games and celebrating the addition of Growden Memorial Ballpark in Fairbanks to the National Register of Historic Places.
It will also highlight the Knock Down and Skin ‘Em club, which was founded in 1868.
With the help of Anchorage coach and former pro player Jamar Hill, Ringsmuth connected with the Major League Baseball commissioner’s office, and the event will bring up former MLB players who are also ABL alumni for the Week of Dreams events.
Even active MLB players like Aaron Judge, who was a former star for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, could be involved via remote methods.
“Our office is talking about doing a story map we can (post) online,” Ringsmuth said. “You know, call us and we’ll record you. What’s your story of playing in Alaska? What’s your favorite memory?”
“We can still engage the players who are going to be a bit busy next summer.”
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – As the playoffs inch closer, each successive week of high school action carries more seeding implications and general importance – and one could tell as much from watching the slate of games this weekend.
Every team in the state was active this week except Seward in 9-man, giving plenty of opportunities for statement performances at every level.
Bartlett 12 – Service 6 (3OT)
Service played host to Bartlett looking to extend its record to 5-0, but couldn’t survive a chaotic, back-and-forth game that featured 12 combined turnovers and defensive dominance on both sides.
Golden Bears standout Deuce Alailefaleula notched a first-quarter interception and fell on an errant Service snap to tie the game at 6 late in regulation. After two overtime frames with no scoring, Bartlett back Colt Jardine plunged in for the walk-off touchdown on the first play of triple-OT.
Dimond 25 – Colony 22
The Dimond Lynx invaded a wet and wild Pride Field to take on Colony, and weathered the storm by scoring 19 unanswered points to eke out their first win of the season.
Colony fans huddled underneath tents and umbrellas watched in horror as Dimond surged ahead on a late touchdown strike, before the Knights’ last-gasp drive ended in a sack.
Eagle River 14 – Palmer 31
Though it was a much tighter contest most of the way than the final score would indicate, Palmer’s high-powered offense continued to produce in a similarly rainy matchup with Eagle River.
Twenty-four unanswered Moose points helped Palmer extend its winning streak to four, and secured its first 4-1 start since 2013.
WEEK 5 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The Anchorage Police Department said an outage continues to impact the Anchorage 911 system.
It continues to encourage people in Anchorage who need to use the service to dial 3-1-1 and select option one, or call (907) 786-8900 to connect with police.
ORIGINAL: Anchorage is experiencing a 911 and voice service outage, Alaska Communications told Alaska’s News Source Friday evening.
Alaska Communications spokesperson Heather Cavanaugh said disruption involves home and business landline service as well as 911 calls in Anchorage.
Technicians are working to restore service, but there is no estimated time for when it will be back online, Cavanaugh said. The cause has not been identified, though crews are investigating the source.
“Technicians are still on site working to restore service as quickly as possible,” Cavanaugh said at about 9:40 p.m. Friday night.
Police urged residents to use alternative numbers to reach emergency dispatchers while the outage continues. Anchorage residents can dial 3-1-1 and select option one, or call (907) 786-8900 to connect with police.
Anchorage police first reported a statewide outage late Friday afternoon. Alaska Communications confirmed this evening that the issue is limited to the greater Anchorage area.
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Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
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