Alaska Airlines from Puerto Vallarta to McGhee Tyson Airport

They say to fly Alaska is to meet both a polar bear and a server error at the same time, in the most charming way possible. Venture on an epic saga from the sunny shores of Puerto Vallarta to the humble hospitability of McGhee Tyson Airport, voyaging across latitudes, longitudes, and ludicrous airfare prices.

As a seasoned traveler with a discerning eye for flight deals, you know that Alaska doesn't necessarily offer the cheapest flights, the shining beacon of affordability that speaks to our college debt ridden selves. But what they lack in the economy class, they make up for with their adorably anthropomorphic Eskimos logo, small reminders of a polar paradise amidst the long economy class queues, premium economy prices, and first-class snobbery.

Perhaps you've been eyeing your ambitious one-way flight to bid adieu to Puerto Vallarta's beaches and say hello to the smokey heights of the Smokey Mountains. Or even a round-trip, testing the fickle forces of fate against the merciless game of changing flight schedules.

Or perhaps you're the daring globetrotter, typically opting for red-eye flights, driven not by masochistic tendencies, but lured by the bewitching allure of Alaskan midnight sun and its inexplicably heightened flight cancellation policy on full-moon nights. Or just maybe you’re a laid-back leisure-type, willing to take direct flights even when they are, more often than not, directly proportional to the width of your ballooning expenses.

Between last-minute flights that can be as dramatic as an Oscar-worthy film climax and the mysterious realm of connecting flights, could lie your eventual flight from sunny Puerto Vallarta to good ol' McGhee Tyson. Tread carefully, fellow traveler! The fields of connecting flights are treacherous- a realm governed not by chronos, but by the whims and fancies of the omnipotent 'Flight Delay Gods'.

Much like the fabled quest for the elusive flying carpet, the optimal airfare prices often remain shrouded in mystery. But what is a fable, if not for a reality mired in the shadow of hearsay? The best time to book, a refrain echoed in hallowed online travel forums, seems to be always at odds with itself. Making peace with flight prices is as civil as coming to a deal with a bear in the wild Alaskan outdoors.

Yet, for the brave of heart, whose motto is not just miles, but a mileage program, Alaska has much to offer. With its frequent flyer program, we hear whispers of chronicles where loyal patrons have been knighted with the coveted first-class upgrade, vanquishing the drudgeries of economy travel.

So, if you're wise enough to embrace the adventure over the convenience of non-stop domestic flights, then get ready to be reacquainted with the beauty of layovers. Those who dwell in the mortal fear of layovers might not comprehend this radical concept, but alas, who wouldn’t be thrilled at the prospect of viewing the world from various airports and their distinctive in-flight services.

Before we drop the landing gear to our Alaskan journey, did you know that in Barrow, the northernmost city in Alaska, the sun doesn't set for nearly three months in the summer? We've heard that even the night owls start yearning for the sanctity of night after a fortnight.

Fear not, dear adventurers, the Alaska journey, like its state motto "North to the Future", promises not just a flight, but a journey - infusing the mundane with a sense of bone-chilling excitement and providing an escape from the dreary realities of flying. So, forget the hollow elegance of business class and take a detour from the banality of flight durations, let's fly together to America's Last Frontier.