Is Alaska Air picking a fight with Allegiant over Bellingham, Wash.?
Beginning June 25, Alaska Airlines will add nonstop service between Bellingham, Wash., and Las Vegas. In a press release, Alaska Air says “the flights will operate each way on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines will also continue to offer four-times-daily Bellingham-Las Vegas service via Seattle.” The Bellingham Herald calls Alaska Air’s new route a “sign that competition for area travelers is heating up.” The paper writes “Alaska Airlines appears to be angling for a share of the lucrative market, which includes travelers from the Vancouver, B.C. area, that has been established here by Allegiant Air.” Allegiant officials appeared to downplay Alaska Air’s move. Robert Ashcroft, Allegiant’s vice president of planning, says in an e-mail to the Herald: “This isn’t the first time an airline has entered one of our routes, and it won’t be the last. How it shakes out remains to be seen, but in the meantime it’s nothing but good news for the folks in and around Bell
