Alaska Airlines from Albuquerque to St. Cloud Regional Airport

Allow me to be your most trusted air travel advisor, your enlightened and rather sarcastic Sherpa of the stratosphere. Don your humour-tinted glasses as we traverse the delightful realm of flying Alaska from Albuquerque to St. Cloud Regional. Forget the rigmarole of hiring an overly serious, suit-clad and rather serious travel planner. You, my friend, are in the hands of real insider knowledge. Simply lean back, brush the cookie crumbs off your chest and anticipate the airborne journey of a lifetime.

First off, who's up for the lottery of 'airfare'? Very often, booking a flight bears a striking resemblance to a game of poker. One moment you see a jolly good deal tempting you with its glamour, and the next moment it disappears - replaced by outrageous charges that would make a millionaire squirm. But fear not, dear reader. Our beloved Alaska Airlines offers a variety of cheap flights which you can snap up without resorting to selling your beloved grandmother's diamond brooch.

A fascinating random fact about our destination, Alaska, its landmass is so vast that if you were to cut the state in half, each part would still be bigger than the grand state of Texas. Now whether this is due to the 'bigger is better' philosophy or to accommodate the multitude of moose, we can only speculate.

No one, after all, fancies enduring the purgatory of a layover. The ceaseless cycle of glancing at the clock, sipping overpriced coffee, and staring at seemingly extinct janitors mopping the ever-clean floors. Rest easy friend, Alaska does offer direct flights. However, if you are of the audacious category who fancy the thrill of the 'layover', fear not. Alaska has got you covered with a connecting flight as well.

Now onto those mileage programs, or frequent flyer points. They are the airline's equivalent of your cereal box's "collect them all" figurines. You do your bit, day in and day out, busting your hump on unending flights, and in return, you're told to expect gratification in the form of a teeny, tiny discount on your next airline sandwich. Can anything in life be more satisfying?

Another striking aspect of our beloved Alaska Airlines is in-flight services. Imagine laid-back hospitality at 35,000 feet, and you’d have made the (right) wrong decision. It's like your mother hosting a dinner - only instead of Mom's unending servings of mashed potatoes, you get quarter-sized pieces of pretzels that challenge your capacity to enjoy food with restraint.

To finish off, let's have a little chinwag about the 'baggage allowance'. Sitting at home, you decide two carry-on bags and one checked luggage will suffice for your trip. You stuff your best shirts, lucky drawstrings and countless pairs of socks, only to be told at the check-in counter that you miscalculated. The pang of regret when your suitcase, filled with dreams, is flung onto the conveyor belt by a burly man wearing a look of sheer indifference. But hey, who doesn't appreciate a little extra challenge during travel?

So there you have it, a no-frills, non-stop (pun intended) off-the-beaten-track guide to flying Alaska from Albuquerque to St. Cloud Regional. Safe travels, adventurer, and don't forget to tip your flight attendant. They've seen more unique in-flight requests than you'd care to imagine, and they do deserve a nomadic nod of gratitude from us grateful travelers.