Since the pandemic started, many started exploring less crowded destinations. Many prefer outdoor destinations over cities where they can maintain social distancing. Because of this, United Airlines is restoring Alaska routes by summer 2022.
Alaska Routes for Summer 2022
United said in a statement that “These routes represent our ongoing commitment to Alaska and belief it will continue to be an appealing destination for tourists next year”. It added that “During the pandemic, we’ve seen more customers gravitate towards leisure destinations where they can socially distance—and Alaska offers a lot of great opportunities for outdoor exploration”.
The majority of Alaska’s tourists are cruise passengers. And during the pandemic, Alaska’s tourism was greatly affected by the CDC’s no sail order.
But as the vaccination rate improved, and travelers feel more confident to travel again, tourism improved for 2021. For Explore Fairbanks CEO Scott McCrea, one contributing factor for the spike in tourism for 2021 was the cheaper airfare. McCrea thinks that low ticket prices led to more people booking last-minute travel to Alaska.
McCrea said that “Normally we’re a destination people plan months in advance”. He added that “Our visitor information staff spent a lot more time than they usually do working one-on-one with visitors because they were showing up with no plans at all”.
Optimism Despite Omicron Variant
Even if the new COVID19 omicron variant is a threat to the travel industry’s recovery, Alaskan tour companies are still optimistic for 2022.
United added four Alaska routes coming from the carrier’s major hubs. Even if the Alaska routes are not exactly new, these routes are not usually part of United’s summer schedule. United is also adding flights between Chicago and Anchorage from just once to twice a day.
Aside from Alaska, United also resumed routes to other outdoor-friendly destinations. This includes routes from Denver to Bozeman, Montana; Sarasota, Florida; Burlington; and Vermont.
