Allegiant Air, the low-cost carrier known for connecting secondary cities to leisure destinations, plans to diverge from its business model and offer nonstop service between Los Angeles and Honolulu starting Oct. 30.
The Las Vegas-based airline said Tuesday it will introduce the twice-a-week service with one-way fares starting at $99. Tickets must be purchased by Sunday for travel completed by Feb. 13. Allegiant will be competing on the route with Hawaiian, American, Delta and United Airlines.
"For just over a year we have been offering travelers convenient, low-cost service to Hawaii, as well as great deals on hotel, car and show reservations," said Andrew Levy, Allegiant Travel Co. president. "We will soon offer Oahu residents great deals on vacations to Los Angeles."
Allegiant, which entered the Hawaii market in June 2012 with service from Las Vegas and Fresno, Calif., earlier this year said it plans to suspend routes to Honolulu beginning Aug. 14 due to "a seasonal hiatus" from seven of nine mainland cities. However, Allegiant said last week that two of the affected routes — Boise, Idaho, and Spokane, Wash. — will be reinstated for the holiday season during the second week of December.
Routes from two mainland cities remain unaffected by the suspension of service. Allegiant continues to fly nonstop between Las Vegas and Honolulu, and from Bellingham, Wash., to both Maui and Honolulu.
Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said the new Los Angeles-Honolulu service will provide an estimated $26 million in visitor spending and $3 million in tax revenue annually for the state.
Suspended Honolulu routes with no scheduled resumption date are from Eugene, Ore.; Phoenix; and the California cities of Fresno, Stockton and Santa Maria.
