How To Book the Alaska Airlines Milk Run [2024]

The world-famous Alaska Airlines “Milk Run” is a must-do adventure for an aviation geek. It’s definitely something to add to your bucket list if you’re a plane enthusiast, though it can be a bit tricky to book if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

In this guide, we’ll show you all you need to know about booking the Milk Run, so you can be sure you’re booking the right flights!

What Is the Milk Run?

Many small towns in Alaska have no roads in or out, so the only means of transportation are planes or boats. Even Alaska’s capital city, Juneau, has no roads leading out to the outside world! Because Alaskans rely so heavily on air transportation, the Alaska Airlines Milk Run was born.

Alaska Airlines operates daily services to these places to provide residents with necessary supplies (including milk). This mirrors the earlier use of the term elsewhere to describe the multiple-stop routes trains or truck drivers had to make to dairy farms and processing factories, and thus the name.

In past years, these short hops were served by special planes whose capacity was filled half with cargo and half with passengers. Thanks to advancements in airplane technology, all routes are now served by modern Boeing 737 aircraft with an all-passenger configuration with normal cargo below.

Milk Run Routes

There are 3 Milk Run routes, both running north and south, starting in Seattle (SEA) and ending in Anchorage (ANC). Certainly, there are other small cities that Alaska serves, though these are the only ones where Alaska flies in and then continues on to another small town afterward, rather than heading to a big city.

Northbound From Seattle, Washington

• Alaska Flight 61: Seattle (SEA) to Juneau (JNU) to Yakutat (YAK) to Cordova (CKU) to Anchorage (ANC)
• Alaska Flight 65: Seattle (SEA) to Ketchikan (KTN) to Wrangell (WRG) to Petersburg (PSG) to Juneau (JNU) to Anchorage (ANC)
• Alaska Flight 67: Seattle (SEA) to Ketchikan (KTN) to Sitka (SIT) to Juneau (JNU) to Anchorage (ANC)

Southbound From Anchorage, Alaska

• Alaska Flight 62: Anchorage (ANC) to Juneau (JNU) to Sitka (SIT) to Ketchikan (KTN) to Seattle (SEA)
• Alaska Flight 64: Anchorage (ANC) to Juneau (JNU) to Petersburg (PSG) to Wrangell (WRG) to Ketchikan (KTN) to Seattle (SEA)
• Alaska Flight 66: Anchorage (ANC) to Cordova (CKU) to Yakutat (YAK) to Juneau (JNU) to Seattle (SEA)

Booking a Milk Run Flight

When you go to the Alaska Airlines website, the key to finding a Milk Run flight is to look for flights that have several stops between the city pairs. Alaska does not specifically call out which flights are Milk Runs, so you can either look for the specific flight numbers noted above or look for flights that have multiple stops.

Take this Juneau-to-Seattle flight, for example:

There several nonstop flights a day, but this particular flight is a Milk Run. It’s flight number 62, and it stops in multiple cities. Between Juneau and Seattle, it stops in Sitka and Ketchikan.

Fares on Milk Run flights tend to be around the same price as shorter flights, though these flights are substantially longer.

Flying a Milk Run Flight

You’re probably wondering what it’s like to fly a Milk Run flight. In short, it’s just like any other flight!

• Because these flights are so short, you may not have an opportunity to use the restroom in the air, and there may be no inflight service or Wi-Fi.
• Most airports (like Wrangell or Sitka, for example) have no terminal services, so you’re asked to stay on the plane after it lands in these smaller towns. These airport terminals are essentially sheds, and there’s limited staff. The person who checks you in is the same person who boards you and loads your baggage. During these stops, you can use the bathroom on board, stand up, stretch, and chat with fellow passengers. Flight crews usually won’t let you outside for security reasons.
• At longer or larger stops, such as Juneau or Ketchikan, you may have the opportunity to go into the terminal and grab a quick bite. “Quick” is the operative word here: You’re typically given a limited amount of time to do so. Usually, you can either deplane for a few minutes or remain on board.
• Between stops, if you’re traveling the whole way through, an Alaska gate agent will come on board to check who’s in each seat so you don’t have to rescan your boarding pass.
• Expect to see many people deplaning and boarding at each stop. Depending on how much cargo has to be loaded or unloaded, that could mean delays.

As you fly between each city, you’ll probably see breathtaking scenery. We highly recommend you get a window seat!

Final Thoughts

If you’re able to head up to Alaska to do a famous Alaska Airlines Milk Run, it will be well worth your while. You’ll get to see how remote villages in Alaska receive essential supplies, talk with locals getting on and off these critical flights, and see absolutely stunning scenery as you weave in and out of mountain ranges in America’s largest state. Though it’s a long day of air travel, it’s worth it, especially if you can find a decent fare!