CRESTVIEW — North Okaloosa County travelers anticipate expanded opportunities after the Jan. 12 announcement of a new airline serving Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport.
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air will offer direct flights to and from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport beginning May 20 and MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Belleville, Illinois, beginning June 2. Service will be seasonal at first, with introductory fares beginning at $39 each way.
Allegiant has been flying since 1997 using a low-fare formula that has allowed it to dodge legacy carriers’ financial challenges, Okaloosa County Airports officials said.
“They’re a very successful, ultra low-cost carrier,” Interim Airports Director Tracy Stage said.
Allegiant’s à-la-carte services selection model cuts fares by allowing passengers to choose just the services they need. The carrier’s specialty is marketing vacation packages, which drew Allegiant to the Emerald Coast.
“They partner with the community in selling hotel rooms, rental cars and tours,” Deputy Airports Director Mike Stenson said. “To be profitable, they rely on ancillary revenue.”
For local travelers, Allegiant’s arrival adds two more direct destinations, supplementing Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas and Houston hubs now served by American, Delta and United Airlines.
$6 MILLION IMPACT
Local business leaders lauded the opportunities Allegiant’s arrival brings, both for expanded outbound destinations and for attracting more visitors.
“It can only be good for our area,” Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Valerie Lott said. “It’s a no-brainer. It brings more people in and gives local residents and businesses quicker access to more airports. That is always advantageous.”
“St. Louis and Cincinnati have always looked upon us as their no. 1 beach for vacations and getaways,” Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Ed Schroeder said. “Now, they’ll have a great alternative to the 12-hour drive. That allows them to enjoy two extra days on the beach.”
“In the first year, we’re looking at economic impacts of over $6 million to our communities, and it can just compound from there,” Stage said.
More than half that estimate comes from tourists, Allegiant stated in a press release.
“The new flights will operate twice weekly and will bring more than 12,000 additional visitors each year to the Destin/Fort Walton Beach area and generate an estimated $3.5 million annually in total visitor spending,” the release stated.
MORE TO COME
From Allegiant’s St. Louis and Cincinnati hubs, local travelers can connect with nationwide and worldwide destinations on flights operated by Allegiant and other airlines.
“It would be outstanding for the Okaloosa community because of the fact that we have so many retired and active duty military people with spouses of European descent,” said Jim Mills, a Navy veteran whose wife, Isabelle, is French. “They are constantly looking forward to flying back to see their families.”
Direct flights from Cincinnati to Paris Charles de Gaulle will expand currently limited connection opportunities for student and adult Sister City Program members, Mills, the program’s former president, said.
“It’ll be a great opportunity for Northwest Florida State College and Crestview High School, which have large programs active with Noirmoutier,” Mills said. “It can save adults and students a lot of money.”
Crestview real estate agent Dino Sinopoli, who frequently travels for business and pleasure, said he’s excited about the local airport’s expanded options.
“The better the value in airline seats, the more you can enjoy travel,” he said. “For our economy, the benefit is getting the people down from the north to enjoy our beaches and amenities.
“For us, we can zip up there and connect to some more locations. I’ve got family all over the place. It’s good to have a cheaper airline that services our area.”
A NINE-YEAR EFFORT
Attracting Allegiant Air to Destin-Fort Walton Beach has been a nine-year process involving intense competition from neighboring airports such as Panama City and Pensacola, Stenson said.
“They didn’t just come knocking on the door to tell us they were flying from VPS,” Stage said. “We had a very competitive effort to bring them here, and we won it.
"It is all due to our low operating costs and how we manage our airports.”
“One of the reasons we’re able to keep our airport costs low is because of our partnership with Eglin Air Force Base,” Stenson said.
For local flyers, St. Louis and Cincinnati are just the beginning, he said. Allegiant plans to grow its Okaloosa service to other destinations.
“All the cities they have service from is just amazing,” Stenson said. “What they do is start with service to a couple airports and incrementally add new cities every year. For instance, Myrtle Beach started a few years ago with two cities, like we are, and now has service to 14 cities.”
Stenson said bringing Allegiant Air to VPS should affect the airport’s other three carriers.
“Having a low-cost carrier is going to lower fares across the board,” he said. “You may not see it in year one, but you’ll be seeing it across the board for the other airlines.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Allegiant Air begins Okaloosa County service in May