Alaska Airlines from Piedmont Triad International Airport to Wrangell Airport

Oh, the glorious catastrophe known as air travel. Few slices of life offer as vast a microcosm of human behavior, tension, and sheer triumph of the human spirit displayed through small victories, like getting a neck pillow to actually be comfortable. Or even greater achievements, such as scoring a round-trip ticket for a cost less exorbitant than your monthly mortgage payment. And if we were on a mission to discover the very soul of the aircraft industry, a spiritual journey from Piedmont Triad International Airport to Wrangell Airport, Alaska, would be the holy grail.

Just mentioning the words 'Direct flights' stirs something romantic in the pit of your belly. It whispers tales of harrowing bravery, of the daring leap from the mundane neighborhood of domestic flights into the hallowed halls of - dare I say it - non-stop airfare. Bless us, oh captain, for we are about to sin, wrapped in our Economy class blankets (once we've woven three together to cover the full width of our frames).

In the realm of the skies, these are your weapons of choice: the last-minute flights forged in the fires of spontaneous adventure, the flight deals summoned through ancient incantations, which you'd be wise to promptly forget considering their dubious existence. Brush the dust off the fabled scrolls of 'Airline reviews' for the runes of wisdom. Ignore the lullaby of the 'cheap flights' siren, lest you fall into a red-eye flight, doomed to restlessly wander in the nether realm of semi-consciousness. However, remember the golden rule of aviation: The Baggage allowance falls only once and you'd better cater to its whims or face the divine wrath of the airline gods.

Let us speak now of your destined destination: Alaska. Famed as the coldest yet warmest, the loneliest yet friendliest place on earth. This frigid paradise you seek is but a common tongue's misinterpretation. Did you know 'Alaska' actually means "That's enough cold for now, thank you"? A fun tidbit, yes, and, ironically, also a survival phrase for you brave, adventure-lusting souls heading there.

One-way, or round-trip – once in air, both roads lead to Alaska. Home to more than 70 potentially active volcanoes, concessions are made on the 'potentially active' part once you're warmed up by Alaskan hospitality. An interesting fact: flight schedules almost account for the local moose crossing the runways. And if the locals love 'em, you'd better too because moose outnumber Alaskans almost 3 to 1. That's the equivalent of living in a country where pigeons are in power – the legislature, the judicial system, you name it.

The fluctuation of your fortune, captured in the ebb and flow of the 'best time to book' tide, makes navigating the snaking shallows of the 'flight duration' river quite the task. Add to it their beguiling in-flight services, choreographed in the dance of the seven veils, revealing but not offering, promising but not delivering. Ah! The untold tales of the economy class traveler. The frequent flyer or, as I fondly call them, 'Influencers of the Clouds,' carry tales of conquest and loss, of ‘Premium economy’ verses and ‘First-class’ sonnets, recited to the audio track of the perennial hum of the aircraft engines.

So fly high, dear nomads, crammed in your flying tin can, cutting through the cyan and the sapphire. To reach the far-off land of frost and flame, where day and night are but seasons, go forth, from Piedmont Triad International Airport to Wrangell Airport, where your arctic saga awaits to be scribed.