Alaska Airlines from Fort Myers, FL to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

Great day, travel aficionado! Ready for the next chapter of your journey? Buckle up because we are diving into direct flights, laughing at layovers, and ripping into round-trips in our luxurious sojourn from sunny Fort Myers, Florida to the classic Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the not-quite-Cincinnati, but-probably-close-enough-for-most-people airport.

Our chosen vehicle to traverse the almost 1,000 miles - Alaska Airlines. The irony should not be lost upon you, dear reader. The state of Alaska, after all, is over twice the size of Texas. Many a bear and moose call it home, foraging amongst the wild landscapes, highlighting the stark difference between the urban jungle of Fort Myers and the northern expanse of our carrier's namesake. This comparison is just as deliciously absurd as the idea that your $6 in-flight sandwich might actually resemble food.

Feast on this! Did you know that an Alaskan moose can weigh up to 1,600 pounds and stand 7 feet tall at the shoulder? And there you were thinking the biggest challenge on your journey would be carrying your 30-pound luggage! By the way, remember, Alaska Airlines baggage allowances are not, unfortunately, designed to accommodate moose.

Pardon the diversion, but the airfare connoisseur prides on such vital trivia. It helps, after all, to laugh at the absurdities of life when one is calculating the hours needed to earn the amount to pay for the flight tickets, especially during the best time to book.

Circling back to our journey, one may assume that a direct flight could save you a significant amount of time. Right you are! We also understand that not everyone can handle the beauty of a Fort Myers sunrise combined with the grandeur of an Alaskan sunset in a single day. This is precisely why those aviators at Alaska Airlines offer cheap flights with a convenient layover. They knowingly/nobly sacrifice the short flight duration to offer a brief respite so you can compose yourself between the awe-inspiring spectacles of nature.

Those who know best might suggest the in-flight services of such a flight would be dismal, to say the least. How very wrong they are! When embarking on a one-way journey of such a long distance, you get treated to services that are borderline ceremonious. From leg space that allows at least half your legs to stretch, to the meals which can sometimes beat the ardor of the Monday office cafeteria, everything here is designed to make you feel 'almost' at home. If home for you is a small, mildly comfortable, vibrating seat, that is.

And let's not forget about the mileage program. Alaska Airlines frequent flyers, you know who you are. Salut to you, tireless warriors of the skies, hoarders of the overhead compartments, savers of those minuscule bag of peanuts which you'll never consume but take anyway. Those points you've gathered over time can spring on you a discounted flight or maybe even a first-class treat, if you're lucky.

The return, if you do decide to come back from the hub of chili and cheese, Cincinnati, can prove interesting as well. After being spoiled in your round-trip, you might find yourself looking forward to the next flyer miles accumulated journey just to get a whiff of that unlikely blend of airplane coffee. And isn't it beautiful?

So, here’s my final tip, fellow journeymen and women: don't just look at the flight schedule, look beyond it. Marvel at life’s incongruities and humor as we traverse from sandy beaches to concrete jungles, following the flight path set by a little birdie that has its roots in the last frontier, Alaska. Safe travels!