Alaska COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

We travelled to Fairbanks, Alaska in October 2020. We booked the tickets 3 days in advance (totally out of my comfort zone) only to realize that we had to follow some COVID-19 guidelines before entering Alaska.

In this post I am going to list the Alaska COVID-19 Travel Restrictions that we learnt about/followed, talk about our experience flying and traveling within Alaska during the pandemic.

Things you need to know about Alaska’s Travel Rules:

1. 1. Non residents travelling to Alaska should take a covid test within 72 hours of travel to alaska.
      • Upload the Test result to Alaska Travel Portal or have a printed version of the test report to show it to the screeners at the airport.
      • If test results don’t come in time by the time you reach an airport in Alaska, you will need to quarantine yourself, at your own expense. Once the test results are received it must be uploaded to the portal.
      • If you haven’t taken a test before arrival, then you can take a COVID test for $250 at the airport and must quarantine yourself till you get your results.
   2. Self Declaration Form
      • You will also need to submit a self declaration form on the Alaska Travel portal. This will be verified by the screener at the airport.
   3. Second Covid test
      • Visitors staying in Alaska are required to take a second Covid test after 7 days of stay.
   4. Screening at the Airport
      • Once you land, you will make a beeline towards the baggage collection and then stand in line to be screened at the airport. The screening in Fairbanks airport was straightforward. We had uploaded our test results and self declaration form on the Alaska Travel Portal. Both were verified and we were asked about our travel itinerary. Since our vacation was less than 7 days, the second covid test was optional.
   5. Free test for Alaskan Residents at the airport.
      • Alaskan residents who haven’t got a Covid test prior to their flight to Alaska can take a free test at the airport.
   6. Social distancing and masking
      • Wearing a mask and Social distancing is recommended while travelling in Alaska.

How is it to Fly to Alaska during COVID-19 ?

We flew via Alaska Airlines to Fairbanks and back from Anchorage. Since all travellers had a mandate to get a Covid test before flying we were pretty comfortable with the idea of flying with a full flight. Moreover, the middle seat is kept empty in each row and hence there was good distance between each person/seat. We were the only ones in our row. Personally, it felt safe for us. Masks were mandatory inside the flight and the attendants did a good job of ensuring everyone wore them properly. At the airport everyone followed social distancing (masks mandatory). Winter time naturally had less crowd and with all restrictions, it felt comfortable.