Alaska Airlines from Spokane to Greenville Spartanburg International Airport

Dearest fellow travelers of the sky, let me lead you on an incredible journey that starts in Spokane, ends in Greenville Spartanburg International Airport – and has an interesting midway point you may never have considered…Alaska-land! Don’t let your heart be swayed by tales of Siberian weather and packs of roving moose; even our oft-maligned layovers in Alaska are likely to be less of an expedition into the wilderness and more a jaunt into a pristine winter wonderland.

The wonderment of Alaska is further heighted by this little known, yet quite enchanting fact: they say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But when life gives Alaska darkness for 67 days every year (Barrow, the northernmost city in the USA doesn’t see the sun from late November to late January), they make ice art – an entire festival of it. Now, if that doesn't personify resilience and creativity, I don't know what does.

The terms 'cheap flights' and 'comfort' are seldom bedfellows but trade a coin or two for Alaska Airlines and you shall find the phrase 'business class' doesn’t merely mean a comfier chair and bonus mileage program points. It's a rejuvenating day spa 30,000 feet in midair, a lap of luxury cruising through some of the finest skies this side of the Rockies. Why settle for ordinary when you could be sipping a mimosa high above the clouds, lavished in comfort on business class, while perched on leather seats woven by Zeus himself? And don't even get me started on the in-flight salmon. Yes, dear readers, the salmon.

Hopping onto a round-trip flight from Spokane to Greenville Spartanburg via Alaska isn’t about reaching your destination faster with non-stop flights or about snagging last-minute flights for a quick weekend getaway. No - it’s more profound, more existential, more...enshrouded in life-affirming combinations of premium economy seating and brilliant landscapes scooting past your window at stunning speeds. I dare say, the journey becomes the destination, with complexions of excitement and mundanity uniquely braided into the tapestry of travel.

In the spirit of maintaining our empathetic tone, here’s a word to the wise - oh, fellow flying comrades - do consider another aspect that Strings the Bow of Satisfaction to your Alaska journey – the blessed baggage allowance. Gander not longingly at those souvenirs, for Alaska Airlines' baggage policy is as generous as its heavenly landscapes. Bring back memories, gifts, and if possible - bottle some fresh Alaska air. Moments do matter, and so does the weight of your luggage!

Gaze not with dismay upon the prospect of layovers. Embrace them as an extension of your adventure. What’s more, how about an opportunity to wear out those frequent flyer miles you've been sitting on? While others moan about the inconvenience, you – wise voyager that you are - can convert this into yet another opportunity to find delight in the fortuitous path of serendipity.

Allow me one last word. The next time you're thinking of a journey, close your eyes. Envision, my airborne associates, the perfect blend of convenience, leisure, and economy. Do you see it? A direct flight from Spokane to Greenville Spartanburg? Or perhaps, if I may dare suggest, a slightly more roundabout, but infinitely more magical journey... via Alaska. The choice, dear reader, is as clear as the Alaskan skies in the brisk dawn of a bright midwinter morn.