Thank you for writing with your questions about the mail plane service and inter-village pricing from Nikolai to McGrath and back on the mail plane.
The current pricing on the mail plane is $125 including tax for a oneway seafare from McGrath to Nikolai or from Nikolai to McGrath.
In 2017 and 2018 our pricing was $75 including tax oneway seatfare for the same tickets, and we held it there for quite a few years, then went to $100 and now at we are at $125, tax inclusive.
I am sure that you probably already know this but when a baby reaches 2-years of age, we have to have a seat for the "toddler" and this is a Federal Aviation rule. So then parents have the unpleasant extra charge because the government says the baby is no longer a lap baby.
There is no such thing as a $300 inter-village seatfare, but there is a $310 tax inclusive oneway seatfare for locals traveling from Nikolai or from Takotna to Anchorage.
AAT will continue its mail plane service to Nikolai and Takotna which is separate from the EAS McGrath Service.
The McGrath EAS service we are offering is to get to and from McGrath and Anchorage (direct flights per the US DOT).
We will try harder to keep up with the freight charges and that is an area of improvement for us. A lot of times people need stuff from McGrath side, the pilots will grab it after the mail and then we make a booking and call to collect money after the fact. We do realize that it can be hard to remember when time has lapsed, so we can definitely empathize. We have all been there. But if you can send in money that same day, and we won't bug you, or just tell us when you can pay us.
We love flying your adorable family, Kathleen. I am sorry for any heartburn and hope that his helps. Please let me know if you have questions.
Best,
Josie & Team AAT
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