Not sure where Jetblue is going but this sure will help little Airtran.
Allegiant to leave Stewart
December 01, 2006
Stewart Airport — Allegiant Air is departing from Stewart Airport.
In another sign of the local airfield's maturation, the bargain-rate direct-to-Florida carrier is pulling out, citing "escalating competitive conditions" as big-time discounters AirTran and JetBlue move in.
Allegiant's last day will be AirTran's first day: Jan. 11. Anyone holding tickets for travel after that will be given a seat on a flight for AirTran, which serves the same cities (though different airports). The airline says it will contact ticketholders about the change.
The move is not a total surprise. The impending arrival of bigger-name discount competition led many to think Allegiant would move on. But the airline had been a success here, and the airport will miss them, said Stewart spokeswoman Tanya Vanasse.
"Their bookings hadn't fallen off, but the prices they can get here have gone way down," Vanasse said. "That's what really drove them away. They don't have the desire to be in a market where they're going to lose money because of pricing."
Allegiant came to Stewart in October, 2005 and flies to Orlando. The previously announced start of service to St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport Dec. 13, will still take place even thought the airline is leaving less that a month later.
It was the latest, and most successful, in a string of direct-to-Florida discounters that have passed through Stewart in recent years. Its success, Vanasse said, helped the airport woo bigger, more prestigious carriers.
Tim Logan
Allegiant to leave Stewart
December 01, 2006
Stewart Airport — Allegiant Air is departing from Stewart Airport.
In another sign of the local airfield's maturation, the bargain-rate direct-to-Florida carrier is pulling out, citing "escalating competitive conditions" as big-time discounters AirTran and JetBlue move in.
Allegiant's last day will be AirTran's first day: Jan. 11. Anyone holding tickets for travel after that will be given a seat on a flight for AirTran, which serves the same cities (though different airports). The airline says it will contact ticketholders about the change.
The move is not a total surprise. The impending arrival of bigger-name discount competition led many to think Allegiant would move on. But the airline had been a success here, and the airport will miss them, said Stewart spokeswoman Tanya Vanasse.
"Their bookings hadn't fallen off, but the prices they can get here have gone way down," Vanasse said. "That's what really drove them away. They don't have the desire to be in a market where they're going to lose money because of pricing."
Allegiant came to Stewart in October, 2005 and flies to Orlando. The previously announced start of service to St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport Dec. 13, will still take place even thought the airline is leaving less that a month later.
It was the latest, and most successful, in a string of direct-to-Florida discounters that have passed through Stewart in recent years. Its success, Vanasse said, helped the airport woo bigger, more prestigious carriers.
Tim Logan
