Content area
Full Text
The Long Beach Airport, which has languished for years as an underexploited resource for travelers, is suddenly buzzing with talk of a new airline and new possibilities.
Given the low success rate of start-up airlines everywhere, there's no telling how long this new enterprise, called WinAir, will survive. But if the airline can live up to its pledges, a few million consumers in southern Los Angeles County and northern Orange County may have a new departure point to consider.
WinAir is a Salt Lake City-based outfit with four leased Boeing 737s and a dream of flying daily from Long Beach to five major Western cities.
On Monday the airline is scheduled to begin flying at least two flights daily to Sacramento, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Seattle. Service to Oakland is to follow beginning Nov. 22, and the airline has pledged that by March 1, its daily departure count will grow from 10 or 12 to 29. Introductory one-way prices (good through Nov. 18) begin at $29 to Las Vegas, $39 to Salt Lake City, $49 to Sacramento and $79 to Seattle. After Nov. 18, prices with 14-day advance purchase will rise to $49 to Las Vegas, $59 to Sacramento, $69 to Salt Lake City and $109 to Seattle; the Oakland fare will be $49. Passenger facility charges could add as much as $6 to those prices.
If this fledgling enterprise lasts, a lot of travelers could avoid a lot of human and vehicular congestion and, if fares stay down, maybe save some money. But the record of start-up...