We're going to blow the wad and take the best helicopter glacier tour we can find. As of now, my research has narrowed it to two - Temsco's Pilot's Choice or Coastal's Adventure Tour. As near as I can tell, the difference is Temsco has two glacier landings and Coastal has one (and is slightly cheaper). Does anyone have experience/advice re these choices? With one landing, are we likely to go 'further' into the glacier field? See more? They both claim 50 min flight time. FYI - we decided against any dog-sledding, and figured we'd see more with these flights than with one of the tours that includes more hiking/rapelling on the glacier. We'll be in Juneau 28 May08.
Your points of comparison are flight time (both at 50 min), ice time (ie: how long do you get to explore on the one or two landings?), and cost. If everything is truly equal, save a few dollars and pick the less expensive.
I've been on both tours, and really couldn't say one was any better than the other... ALL flights over the area are spectacular beyond words, and there's something very "alien" about the ice-field when viewed from its surface rather than below.
Coastal does give discounts from time to time, so be sure to call each vendor directly and ask. The worst they can say is, "no"... right?
Happy Alaska Travels!
-Case
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The only way to keep everyone happy is to delete my signature completely.
If anyone wants advice from a life-long Alaskan resident, please don't hesitate to ask.
We're booked with Temsco and looking forward to a great heli ride and glacier walk. Thanks for the tips.
But I have to put in a good word for Coastal. I called and asked them to convince me that I should book with them - given that we'd have only one glacier landing at about the same cost (Coastal was only $10 cheaper pp). I thought they might tell me that they went deeper into the glacier, or offer a discount or something. As Can-Can said, it's worth asking. No such luck - but the pilot I spoke with suggested that, all things considered, I should book with Temsco! Imagine . . . It was right out of 'Miracle on 34th Street.' He agreed that Temsco's Pilot's Choice and Coastal's Adventure Tour were both great, and that he would go with the tour that landed twice.
He did mention that Coastal was much more personal and pleasant when it comes to the dog-sledding combos. So if anyone's contemplating one of those, be sure to give Coastal a shout!
Your experience with Coastal is what I would expect from most of "the good guys" up here. I'm always a bit wary of any company that thinks they have the right tour for everyone. All visitors have their own preferences, which is why a review is good, but the "follow the herd" syndrome I see every day is not.
Glad you've had a great service with Coastal, and I know you'll enjoy your tour with Temsco... Welcome to Alaska!
-Case
__________________
The only way to keep everyone happy is to delete my signature completely.
If anyone wants advice from a life-long Alaskan resident, please don't hesitate to ask.
I coincidentally called Temsco and Coastal. Both are very friendly, helpful, and all the other Boy Scout virtues. Since we will be doing a flightseeing tour and glacier landing at Denali (weather permitting), we will have several experiences on the ice. So I booked with Coastal to maximize our airborne sightseeing. It's great to have the choice!
Case is right about the locals. CanCan was full for the time we needed. Instead, I booked with Harv and Marv. Eileen knows Lisa at Coastal; they scheduled our time and "handoff" so it should be one seamless experience.
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Juneau helicopter - coastal or temsco?
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