I have only lived in Alaska for a month, but I already have a new appreciation for air travel.

(This might read like a sponsored post or advertisement, but I’m honestly just impressed with Alaska Air so far)

I live in Juneau, which is not on the road system (you cannot drive to Juneau from anywhere else). To get anywhere I have to fly or sail. Because of its remoteness (in terms of transportation), it’s also difficult to get certain goods. As I explained to someone yesterday, I have to buy my clothes at the grocery store.

Alaska air

Alaska air knows this, and they’re super accommodating! For a company that basically has a monopoly on commercial air travel, they really seem to look out for their customers, especially Alaska residents.

They have a deal where if you’re an Alaska resident, you can sign up for “Club 49” (as in, the 49th state) which entitles you to 3 free checked bags every time you fly, and really cheap cargo rates if you want to ship something on Alaska Air (whether you’re flying or not).

This sounds great, but it’s even greater when you consider that this means you can go shopping when you’re in a bigger city (Seattle, Anchorage, etc.) and bring back 2 whole bags full of stuff for free! I took advantage of this already this week in Anchorage where I bought some work boots and a few clothing items. You will inevitably see boxes, roughneck totes, coolers, and other non-luggage items coming out in the baggage claim conveyor.

The other consequence of this is that lots of people just check their carryon-sized roller bags, so there’s no overhead bin anxiety.

Alaska air lounge

I’m also delighted that Anchorage has an Alaska Air lounge, and my Priority Pass (a separate lounge pass app) gets me and 2 guests in for free! They have handmade espresso drinks, snacks, and a pancakes machine! This is great news considering that many of my work trips are going to start with a flight to Anchorage.

I was initially a little concerned about some of the inconvenience of living somewhere remote, and I still am. This helps. Especially the pancakes.