Last year, a round-trip airplane ticket to Juneau from Haines cost $130.
Now, with the help of a feverish “fare war,” you can get there and back for almost half that amount.

But the man who appears to be a primary factor for the cheaper flights says the current rates are as low as they’ll get. “I expect this (his $70 round-trip fare) to be the lowest,” said Haines Airways owner Reggi Radliff. “Everybody’s losing money.”

Radliff and his one-plane charter service entered the scene a year ago, giving the older airlines, L.A.B. and Wings of Alaska, a run for their money. It’s resulted in a year of competition for passengers and a 45 percent reduction in fares.

“We’ve done Haines a favor,” Radliff said of the fare wars and his airline’s role in it. “Otherwise, it’d be $65 each way to Juneau.”

That was the price one year ago, when Radliff started his company, which has since doubled to include two planes. According to the March 7, 1985 Chilkat Valley News, the veteran air carrier L.A.B., which celebrated 30 years of flying this year, started running a “super saver” special of $99 for a round-trip ticket to Juneau. A nearby Haines Airways advertisement introduced itself with a $90 round-trip “super saver” fare.

Radliff said his original fare of $49 was set to include a four to five percent profit. “We didn’t start this business to get rich; we just wanted to make a decent living,” he said. “But that’s gone now. Everyone’s cutting rates.”

The $90-to-$100 fares to Juneau and back continued through the summer and fall. It was in January, when L.A.B. introduced its 30th anniversary special, that “fare wars” took on a new look and a savings to the consumer.

L.A.B. slashed the prices to $40 for one way.

Haines Airways countered with a savings of a few dollars each way: $39 for one way. Wings of Alaska finally entered the price wars in February, offering a cash-only deal of $36 one way.

L.A.B. so far hasn’t changed its fare, but Radliff responded to Wings’ reduced rates, undercutting them by a dollar each way.

Radliff thinks that’s his rock-bottom fare. “We’ll stay at $35 until the competition comes up… they’re probably waiting for us to do the same,” he said, laughing.

L.A.B.’s special is due to expire in mid-March. But it was extended a month longer last month and no decision on the fares has been made, said Peggy Ormasen, marketing director.

She agrees with Radliff about the fare wars deeply cutting into costs. But “nobody clears any costs in the winter,” Ormasen said. “The traffic just isn’t there.” She stopped and added that the lower fares have brought an increase in flyers.

Asked about last year’s $130 price of a ticket and if it was inflated, in light of today’s prices, Ormasen said it was not an excessive charge. “Not when you carry $1 million-per-seat insurance, plus office costs,” she said.

However, Radliff still sees the price as too high, even when he adds in the higher insurance costs of this year over last. For example, he said last year customers were paying $65 one way. The cost should’ve been about $50 last year, he said, and it should only be about $57 this year.

He said he hopes the “fare wars” can end soon so that he might set his prices at that level. “I hope it ends soon. It’s no fun running a public service instead of a business.”