- Image by cliff1066â„¢ via Flickr
Allegiant Air announced today that it will move service from ten U.S. cities from Orlando-Sanford Airport(SFB) to Orlando International Airport(MCO), effective February 1st. By March 5th, they will base 5 MD-80s at MCO, which will be their eighth base. The cities, which are roughly a third of the total they serve to Orlando, are:
- Knoxville, Tenn. — flights begin Feb. 1 with fares as low as $49.99* each way
- Lexington, Ky. — flights begin Feb. 1 with fares as low as $57.99* each way
- Allentown, Penn. — flights begin Feb. 8 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
- Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. — flights begin Feb. 8 with fares as low as $45.99* each way
- Grand Rapids, Mich. — flights begin Feb. 12 with fares as low as $79.99* each way
- Springfield, Mo. — flights begin Feb. 15 with fares as low as $79.99* each way
- Tri-Cities, Tenn. — flights begin Feb. 15 with fares as low as $47.99* each way
- Huntington, W.V. — flights begin Feb. 16 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
- Youngstown, Ohio — flights begin March 4 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
- Des Moines, Iowa — flights begin March 5 with fares as low as $79.99* each way
Allegiant attributes the move to customer preference. As a leisure carrier, they have to be responsive to the fact that most passengers want to be as close to the Orlando attractions as possible. It will facilitate their sales of all-inclusive vacation packages.
Orlando Sanford Airport has not attracted many carriers with its reduced landing fees. Airlines like FlyGlobespan and Icelandair offer schedule service to Europe. Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, and Thomson Airways offer European charter service. It is also twice as far away from Disney World and doesn’t offer the shuttle service Orlando International does.
Allegiant has said that the move will make it more competitive, but its model has always been to serve cities no one else serves to leisure destinations like Orlando, although it has expanded that focus a bit. It has pulled out of cities when other carriers have come into town. But coming into Orlando instead of Orlando-Sanford will make their offering more compelling.
