In late August, parts of the United States will witness one of our planet’s rarest occurrences, a coast-to-coast total solar eclipse. During the eclipse, the moon will completely block the sun, creating a twilight effect with the sun’s corona shimmering in the dark sky. West Coast residents and visitors will have the best views of this phenomenon, and flights to the Pacific Northwest are selling like crazy for the week of the total solar eclipse; Alaska Airlines has decided to raise the stakes….by about 35,000 feet!

On Monday, August 21, Alaska Airlines will offer a private charter from Portland, OR, allowing passengers to see the first eclipse of this magnitude since 1918. This flight will be above any sort of weather that could impact visibility, guaranteeing those onboard will have unobstructed views.

Best of all, two lucky passengers (one winner and a guest) will be able to win seats on this invitation-only flight through a contest on Alaska Airlines’ social media channels. The contest began July 21 – one full month prior to take off.