Jacksonville gets direct flight to New Orleans, plus other new destinations

Jensen Werley, Reporter

Jacksonville Business Journal

Jacksonville residents can get ready to let the good times roll.

The Allegiant Travel Co. is launching three new direct flights to and from Jacksonville International Airport in April — including direct flights to New Orleans.

The new flights, which will also include Richmond, Virginia, and Memphis, Tennessee, are in addition to Allegiant's service to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, which started in February last year.

New Orleans flights will be offered starting April 14, and the two other flights will begin April 15.

To celebrate the new flights, the company is offering a special introductory price on Jan. 12 and 13, where each one-way flight costs $39. Following the introductory deal, the airline's average cost for a one-way ticket is about $79.

Allegiant, an ultra-low-cost airline based in Las Vegas, focuses on providing leisure travel to underserved markets. When the airline started flights to Jacksonville last year, it told the Business Journal it did so because of Jacksonville's opportunity as an affordable vacation spot for people who would have to drive if it weren't for Allegiant's cost-savvy flight options.

With the addition of the new flights, Allegiant is looking to build on that.

“We have an analyst team constantly evaluating travel patterns and new route opportunities,” said Stephanie Pilecki, public relations specialist for Allegiant. “We had demand for those flights to New Orleans, Memphis and Richmond, and we took the opportunity to fill that demand. With the economic climate as good as it is, we decided to launch them starting in spring.”

Flights will be offered year-round, with two flights a day twice weekly. New Orleans flights will take place Thursdays and Sundays, while travelers can fly to Richmond or Memphis on Fridays and Mondays.

With the new service, Pilecki said the company estimates it will be responsible for bringing 50,000 new visitors to the First Coast.

And if the services are successful, she said the company could look at adding more locations accessible from Jacksonville.

“We will definitely focus on our new route announcements to make them as successful as possible,” she said. “And if they are, we will look into expansion. The key to looking at new opportunities is making these new flights super successful.”

Jensen covers logistics, trade manufacturing and defense.