Alaska Airlines from New York to John Wayne Airport, Orange County

Oh, so you've decided to take the sky highway from the New York rush to the Orange County chill, have you? And, hold on, you chose Alaska Airlines too? Well, aren’t you the adventurous one?

Don't hold your breath. Because we're about to embark on a joyous journey, sprinkled with the essence of sarcasm. Buckle up! Because I’m about to provide some general information that you probably didn't know you needed.

Let's start from the beginning; booking your flight. Note to self, the "best time to book" is months in advance for the best airfare deals. But of course, those who thrive on adrenaline might choose to snag last-minute flights. Oh, what fun it is to have your holiday plans hanging by a thread until the last possible moment.

When browsing for flights, you will likely encounter the spectacle of a spectrum, ranging from direct flights to one-way or round-trip tickets. Now, who would have guessed that ‘non-stop’ and ‘direct' are not synonymous in the glamour world of aviation? A non-stop flight from New York to John Wayne Airport, Orange County flies straight with no stopovers. A ‘direct’ flight, on the other hand, could stop en route to refuel or drop off fellow travelers, but there's no need for you to switch planes, isn’t that delightful?

Speaking of delightful, how about the array of flight classes? From assigning your worth in Economy class to popping champagne in First-class, you can choose exactly how much legroom and elevated service you want. That’s right, self-esteem issues are resolved here.

However, if you just cannot decide how to rank your status, Premium Economy is your savior. Positioned somewhere in the realm of 'not Economy but not quite Business or First-class’, it's practically the social climber's travel class of choice; and Alaska Airlines’ Premium Economy even includes extra legroom and priority boarding.

You might also be wondering about the baggage allowance. Alaska Airlines lets you bring a carry-on bag and a personal item for free. So count your lucky stars, you can absolutely bring along that stuffed toy that you, a full-grown adult, just can’t say goodbye to.

Joining the airline's mileage program as a frequent flyer isn’t a bad bet either, for every dollar you spend, the company gives you fluorescent, incandescent points which can be exchanged for flights in the future. Yup, that’s your reward for spending money. Now isn’t that something to write home about?

When the D-day comes and you’re high up in the sky, Alaska Airlines spoils you with their in-flight services. Now, they won’t bring you the Hope Diamond on request, but you get to enjoy their exceptional customer service, free texting, and on some flights, seatback entertainment. Basically, everything but a bed and a butler.

Since you’ve chosen to fly with Alaska, I thought you might like to know a random fact about the state. Turns out, you can technically see Russia from one of the Alaskan islands, Little Diomede. And you thought Sarah Palin was kidding, didn’t you?

Now let's talk about fancy things like flight cancellation policies and rescheduling. At Alaska, they've got you covered there too. You can cancel or reschedule your flight without any hassle within 24 hours of booking. Even if you do it later, the charges are not exorbitant, because yes, they understand that your cozy office meeting might just crop up all of a sudden and ruin your sweet holiday plans.

Wondering about what others think about Alaska Airlines before you make the leap? Well, it’s not like people’s opinions are written in the stars, but based on airline reviews, travelers seem to be satisfied with their services. Bet you didn’t see that one coming!

Safe journey, brave adventurer. Do us a favor; send some warmth back East when you touch down in sunny Orange County. We’ll be freezing here in the Big Apple.