Gazing into the crystal ball

As 2010 gets started, it's clear there will be some winners and losers on the travel front. Let's take a look at some of the most popular topics and see what we can expect:

A. Within Alaska. There will be fewer travelers this year sailing up the Inside Passage on cruise ships. That means hotels, attractions and activities will have extra space to fill up. Typically, that means great deals for locals. As the summer season approaches, watch for deals on the Alaska Railroad (www.alaskarailroad.com), at Princess Lodges (www.princesslodges.com), and with fishing charters and guided tours of all kinds.

Air fares to select Alaska destinations also will remain at reasonable levels, thanks specifically to the competitive battles between Era Aviation (www.flyera.com) and Alaska Airlines (www.alaskaair.com). Tickets to Fairbanks will remain between $200 and $300, with frequent sale prices at less than $200 roundtrip. Watch for regular bargains to destinations like Kodiak, Cordova and Bethel.

B. Anchorage to Seattle. I keep hoping Continental Airlines (www.continental.com) will give Alaska Air a run for their money on this route. So far, though, that is not the case. Right now, the least-expensive fare is around $530 roundtrip. Occasional sales by Alaska Airlines have dipped the rate to $430 roundtrip -- still nothing to shout about.

C. Denver. If you're leaving from Fairbanks, flights to Denver this summer are cheap: as low as $388 roundtrip. From Anchorage during the summer, it's around $488 roundtrip. Why? Because of Frontier Airlines (www.frontierairlines.com). In May, Frontier will reinstitute its daily Anchorage-to-Denver nonstop. And the airline will inaugurate nonstop service from Fairbanks to Denver four days a week. That means other airlines on the route, particularly Alaska Airlines, should match the fares. So far in Fairbanks, Alaska has matched the fares -- but has not offered any seats to go with the fare. Using the nonstop flight to Denver, Fairbanks travelers can get great deals to other Midwestern destinations, like Salt Lake City, Omaha, Colorado Springs and Albuquerque.

D. Anchorage to Minneapolis. Watch this market during the summer, when Sun Country starts flying (www.suncountry.com), competing with Northwest's (now Delta's) nonstop flights. While the flights are selling now for $309 each way, it's not unusual to see them drop to $129 each way. Just be prepared to buy right away when you see the fare drop.

E. Anchorage to Chicago. American Airlines (www.aa.com) will re-launch daily nonstop service from Anchorage to Chicago this summer. American never has been a price leader in this market, but the airline may decide to offer some deals to compete with Alaska Airlines. Don't count on it. We're more likely to see better sales from Alaska itself. The Chicago flights often are less expensive than Anchorage-to-Seattle flights.

F. Germany. Condor German Airlines (www.condor.com) flies nonstop from both Anchorage and Fairbanks. Rates now are available for less than $800 roundtrip from either city. These are great summertime travel rates -- particularly for nonstop flight. Just try pricing it out through the Lower 48. It will cost more -- and it takes a full day in either direction! Yuck! Flights from Anchorage start in early May.