Allegiant Air is adding 15 new flights to its network, including two new destinations. The low-cost carrier planning on adding Orange County in California and Spokane in Washington to its route map. The airline, which has an all-Airbus fleet, is taking the opportunity to get into some traditionally heavily-controlled airports, like Orange County.
Another low-cost carrier, Frontier Airlines, also announced a 19-route expansion.
The new routes
Out of Orange County, California, at the John Wane Airport (SNA), Allegiant Air is adding the following routes:
- Boise, Idaho (BOI) from February 12th
- Grand Junction, Colorado (GJT) from February 12th
- Medford, Oregon (MFR) from February 12th
- Provo, Utah (PVU) from February 12th
- Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS) from February 18th
- Missoula, Montana (MSO) from February 18th
- Reno, Nevada (RNO) from February 18th
- Spokane, Washington (GEG) from February 18th
From Las Vegas, the airline is adding the following routes:
- Spokane, Washington (GEG) from February 11th
- Asheville, North Carolina (AVL) from March 4th
- Flint, Michigan (FNT) from March 4th
From Grand Rapids, Michigan, at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), Allegiant is adding the following routes:
- Newark, New Jersey (EWR) from March 5th
- Destin, Florida (VPS) from March 5th
From St. Petersburg, Florida (PIE), Allegiant is adding a new route to Fargo, North Dakota (FAR), from February 11th. Out of Houston's Hobby Airport (HOU), the airline is adding flights to Mesa, Arizona (AZA) from the same date.
Getting in at SNA
Orange County is becoming a hot airport for low-cost carriers. Along with Allegiant's eight new routes out of SNA, Spirit Airlines is also a new entrant into the market.
SNA is traditionally a heavily slot-controlled airport. It can be difficult for carriers to enter the market. However, amid the ongoing crisis, many airlines have reduced schedules for flights to and from the airport, opening up opportunities for new airlines like Allegiant and Spirit to enter the market.
Serving Orange County, SNA is much more convenient for passengers looking to get to Anaheim, where Disneyland is located, and the broader Orange County area, compared to other airports like Long Beach and Los Angeles.
Drew Wells, Allegiant's Vice President of Planning and Revenue, offered the following statement in a news release:
"We're excited to offer travelers another gateway into Southern California, as well as into the Pacific Northwest in 2021. We are continuing to expand Allegiant's network to provide customers with even more convenient, nonstop options for any travel occasion."
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Allegiant in 2020
After getting hit hard in the early days of the crisis, the airline has seen much better times more recently. In the third quarter, the carrier's capacity was down only about 7% year-over-year. This led to the airline expressing optimism about its recovery.
In late-August, Allegiant also announced additional California expansions, with flights out of Palm Springs– another hotspot for new flights in Southern California.
Still, there is plenty of room for the airline to grow. The carrier has no presence in Dallas and Portland, among other cities. In addition, with major airlines pulling back on schedules and opportunities for new entrants at major slot-controlled airports, the carrier has a lot of room for expansion. Allegiant only operates point-to-point routes with no connections.
Are you going to fly any of these new Allegiant routes? Let us know in the comments!