Alaska Airlines from Portland International Airport to New York

There are times in this life when we must embrace the unknown, weather the discomfort of change, and leap into the great wide open. Who hasn't relished that intoxicating feeling of divine, daring rebellion and punched in the search "Cheap flights from Portland to New York?" Ah, let it be said that there is no grander adventure, no more mythical quest than the cross-country romp from the hipster haven of Portland to the bustling, sleepless city of New York. But as fate would have it, this daring journey must be pursued with thought, rigorous planning, and of course, a dash of whimsy.

Ah, sweet traveler, let us not forget to check the flight schedule! The cosmos may be infinite, but the timetable of Alaska Airlines is not. If for some unfathomable reason you fail to be gripped by the lure of a red-eye flight, direct flights offer the fastest route, reducing your flight duration to the bare minimum and freeing up more time for exploration and inevitable misadventure. Okay, maybe for some, this wouldn't be a misadventure but more of an educational excursion complete with baguettes and Baroque art, or perhaps a friendly Broadway show.

Make no mistake about it: Business class is a siren's call, with its velvet-red plush seats and a baggage allowance that would make a pack mule blush. But consider finding a flight deal for Economy class, the very backbone of our aerial society. There is beauty in simplicity. As you squeeze your rolled-up extra-large outdoor camping bag into the overhead compartment (Yes, we know you got it for that one hiking trip you swear you’ll go on), remember the wisdom of the ancients: "Frugality is the mother of all virtues."

Now consider, beloved passenger-to-be, the options for your journey: the non-stop sprint or the sauntering layover. Do you swoop in like a preying falcon, enduring the cramped conditions and in-flight services (airline food, the last great culinary adventure) or do you break your voyage, stepping foot on cool tarmacs, devouring local flavors and foreign cacophonies of sound, in cities you "never before dreamed of"? But weigh this decision with gravitas; these are connecting flights... that disconnect you from the dreary monotony of the daily grind.

Finally, bear in mind that your dutiful carrier, Alaska Airlines, sailing through the vast, swelling sea of clouds, hails from a state that has the longest coastline in all the U.S., measuring a mind-boggling 33,904 miles – longer than all other states’ coasts combined. Isn’t that something? It seems fitting, does it not, that such an airline should be entrusted with your epic journey.

So as you sit there, about to click on that round-trip or one-way ticket, know this: Whether it is the temptation of last-minute flights or the predictability of booking months in advance, remember the words of that illustrious scholar Saint Augustine, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page". Fear not, dear traveler. If flights were meant to be a convoluted horror story, they would have been engrossed in “airfare” calculators and “frequent flyer” miles. But flights are about crossing frontiers, spectral sunrises, and clandestinely smuggling that extra, 'just-in-case' pair of boots into your suitcase... they are about Life itself.

So venture forth, seize the day, and just remember to check in 24 hours before departure, lest the dreaded middle seat becomes your final destination. I bid thee godspeed!