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Citing soaring fuel costs, Allegiant Air announced Friday it will suspend non-stop flights from Fort Wayne to Las Vegas.
The last day of service from Fort Wayne International Airport will be March 14.
Las Vegas-based Allegiant has already canceled flights to Vegas from six other cities, including three in Illinois, and suspended flights to Knoxville, Tenn. Spokeswoman Tyri Squyres said the distinction between cancellation and suspension is significant.
“We view this as an opportunity to come back should fuel prices get rational,” she said, declining to name a specific percentage drop. “It would have to go back to the pre-madness fuel costs.”
Allegiant will continue non-stop flights from Fort Wayne to Phoenix and three Florida destinations: Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.
“This is not a sign of weakness of the Fort Wayne market,” Squyres said. “We are very happy with the Fort Wayne market.”
The airline reviewed the costs for “long haul” flights, Squyres said, and found they weren’t profitable after fuel prices increased more than 33 percent this year.
Flights from Fort Wayne to Las Vegas are almost twice as many air miles as those to Orlando, for example. Because Allegiant’s flights are non-stop, planes making the longer trips have to carry more fuel, lowering their fuel efficiency, she said.
But ticket prices for the longer flights don’t reflect that great disparity. A check conducted Friday afternoon on Allegiant’s Web site found one-way fares to Las Vegas, leaving Fort Wayne on Jan. 14, for $69. A one-way ticket to Orlando on the same day sold for $59 on Friday.
The distance from Fort Wayne to Phoenix is almost as far as the flight to Vegas, but Squyres said there are “no immediate” plans to suspend that route. All routes are being evaluated as fuel prices increase, however.
Dave Young, the Fort Wayne airport’s vice president of air service development, sympathizes with Allegiant’s officials as they grapple with the economics. He thinks low-cost carriers can raise their ticket prices only so much before they begin to lose customers.
But a local travel agent said the market would withstand fairly sizable price increases.
Kim Caudill, owner of K&S Travel, thinks there’s a lot more room for Allegiant to increase prices than the airline might believe. Round-trip tickets from Fort Wayne to Las Vegas were about $400 before Allegiant entered the market in March.
In response to its lower prices, Delta, American and Northwest have lowered their prices to about $240 plus tax for a round trip, Caudill said. A limited number of tickets are available on each flight at that sale price, she said.
Caudill expects their prices to bounce back to $400 after Allegiant suspends service to Vegas. Local fliers will also be stuck connecting through hub airports.
“People will pay a fuel surcharge to get that non-stop flight,” she said.
Allegiant chose to cancel or suspend flights to newer markets, Squyres said. The airline has flown from South Bend to Las Vegas longer than the Fort Wayne flight has existed, for example. The South Bend service will continue.
Customers who have booked Allegiant flights to Las Vegas after March 14 can rebook through South Bend or receive a full refund, she said.
Some seats are still available for the airline’s Vegas flights that leave before March 14.
sslater@jg.net
