According to a recent St. Cloud Times article, more than 1,400 people used Allegiant Air’s new service from the St. Cloud Regional Airport to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA) in the first two weeks.

Now that’s a number to tout!

It usually takes time to build such high traffic, so this news very encouraging – especially in reaching our ultimate goal of attracting service to Chicago.

One of the biggest things we can do to achieve additional service is to prove the value of our catchment area by increasing airline use. And there’s no better time to escape Minnesota winter than February – book a direct flight for a weekend in Arizona today!

We’ll have data from January, Allegiant’s first full month of operations, to share in March. Until then, happy traveling!

Her goal: To be the eyes and ears for central Minnesotans, answering questions people have about the new service.

Lisa didn’t disappoint. Her question/answer article in The Times covers a variety of topics, from the comfort level of the plane to rental car options in Pheonix-Mesa. Check out the article to see for yourself!

And folks, I can’t tell you how good it was to see the airport bustling with activity once again.

The Allegiant Air inbound flight arrived at St. Cloud Regional Airport from Pheonix-Mesa Gateway about 1 p.m., filled with around 100 passengers. Then, about 150 sun-seeking Minnesotans hopped aboard Allegiant’s inaugural flight to Arizona.

The event was truly a celebration. In addition to a ceremonial ribbon cutting with St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, it also featured a giveaway from Allegiant. Travelers who showed up at the airport early with their bags packed and ready to fly were entered into a drawing to win an on-the-spot, five-night vacation in Arizona.

Meet our lucky winners, Rich and Debra Hansen of Rice, Minn.

From left to right: St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, Debra and Rich Hansen, and me.

Rich said he was looking forward to spending the unplanned vacation riding his motorcycle. Debra planned to relax by the pool and do some Christmas shopping.

While securing twice-weekly flights to Arizona is a great feat and celebration, we’re focused on what’s next. Our top priority is gaining nonstop service to Chicago, and we’re still pursuing additional destinations with other carriers. The airport has completed the environmental assessment and brought in TSA, which means we’re ready to go whenever they are.

Part of our original goal was to have an air carrier at the airport by early 2013. Now that we’ve met – and outdone – this objective, we can’t wait to move forward and secure carriers to other destinations.

We are well on our way!

P.S. Did you know the St. Cloud Airport has a Facebook page? Make sure you Like the page for updates, ongoing promotions and travel deals.

This Saturday, December 15, Allegiant Air’s inaugural flight takes off from the newly remodeled St. Cloud Regional Airport (STC). If you’re not going to be on the flight to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA), you can count on travel blogger Lisa Schwarz of the St. Cloud Timesto provide a detailed account of her experience.

In a recent blog post, Lisa explained that her goal in traveling on the first flight is to be the eyes and ears for central Minnesotans, answering questions people have about the new service that breaks the airport’s almost three years of inactivity. You can tell her what you want to know by emailing her or calling her at 320.255.8766.

The flight takes off just after 5 p.m., and she’ll be providing real-time impressions about the experience. You can follow her on Twitter at @LisaSSchwarz and check out her Facebook page. Then, watch for stories and snippets in the St. Cloud Times, in the Times Travel section and on her blog.

Bon voyage, Lisa!

St. Cloud was one of 77 stops Allegiant Air is making as part of its month-long Vote for Vacation campaign. The airline is touring the U.S. hosting “poll” events with live radio broadcasts, games, prizes and a chance to win free travel through Allegiant.

The bus made its landing at the mall around 3 p.m. Monday afternoon, greeted by a line of people ready to celebrate the new air service and vote for their favorite travel destination. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, since St. Cloud recently regained air service and will soon be offering flights from St Cloud Regional Airport (STC) to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA).

The first hundred people at the event were given an exclusive tax break for a future vacation booked through Allegiant, and one lucky voter won two round-trip tickets to the destination they voted for. The grand prize, drumroll please … was free flights on Allegiant for four years!

Amid all the promotions, we had a great time celebrating the new service to Phoenix. I’ve included some photos from the event below, but you can check out more on Allegiant’s Vote for Vacation Facebook album.

Thanks to all who came out to celebrate and take part in the promotion on Monday. Stay tuned for details about service to Chicago soon. Let’s Go!

Who:  Allegiant Air

What: Two flights per week

Where: St. Cloud Regional Airport (STC) to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA)

When: Starting December 15, 2012

Warm Phoenix sun in the middle of winter? You don’t have to twist my arm.

Delicious cupcakes at the press conference today. What a great celebration it was!

Plus, Phoenix-Mesa offers flights to popular destinations all across the U.S., including San Francisco, Las Vegas and Eugene, Ore.

Service to Arizona opens up a window of opportunity for us here in greater St. Cloud. If you’re as excited as I am to hop aboard, you can actually book your flight to Phoenix-Mesa today!

The push to Chicago continues

While we’re thrilled to have Allegiant Air as a confirmed partner, we’re not stopping here. The GSDC is continuing to work hard on service to Chicago and we have several interested carriers. In fact, we’re optimistic that we will have secured service to Chicago before the end of the year.

We’ll keep you updated about developments along the way. In the meantime, you can continue to help our efforts by becoming a partner and encouraging your friends, family and business colleagues to do the same. The more people and companies we have behind us, the greater our chances are of giving Allegiant some company at our newly remodeled airport.

Let’s Go!

But we couldn’t have done so without the community’s remarkable support. That’s why The Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC) the City of St. Cloud and the St. Cloud Regional Airport  are inviting everyone to join us for a news conference where we’ll announce the confirmed airline partner.

The event will take place at the St. Cloud Regional Airport on Thursday, August 23, at 2 p.m. It’s free and open to the public, so bring your friends, family and business colleagues.

I’ll be speaking at the event, along with Mayor Dave Kleis, St. Cloud Airport Director Bill Towle and an air service representative. We’ll also answer questions people have about the new service.

Come join the excitement – Let’s Go!

For those of you who didn’t read it, I figured I’d give a little recap.

As I state in the article, the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation and other community leaders are in final negotiations with an airline that would provide regular service to Chicago, as well as with another carrier about flights to Phoenix. I’m optimistic that we’ll be making an announcement about both by the end of this year.

While securing air service has been an ongoing effort over the past decade, the article talks about how new incentives – like the more than $6 million in pledges from local businesses and the $750,000 federal grant – are helping us reach our goal. In fact, St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis said he’s “confident we’ll have air service.”

How’s that for good news? Sure makes me smile.

An industry expert featured in the article admits that many communities that receive federal grants face tough odds in securing lasting air service. However, he says those that conduct thorough market research and supplement grant money with community support are more likely to succeed.

“Perfect, that’s us,” I thought when reading this.

The article also talks about the competition a new carrier will face from frequent flier programs used by people flying Delta out of MSP. When I heard this, I immediately thought about my latest experiences with frequent flier programs – believe me, many of these so-called ‘perks’ aren’t all what they’re cracked up to be.

A recent Wall Street Journal article explains what I’m talking about. The story discusses how airlines like Delta have cut and reduced benefits offered to frequent fliers, such as early boarding, free baggage checks and extra legroom.

In fact, according to The Journal, sometimes priority lines reserved for frequent fliers are longer than regular lines. The situation is making many travelers reconsider their airline loyalty.

With frustrated frequent-flier travelers, it seems to me that there couldn’t be a better time for a new carrier to come to the table. And with STC’s convenience – not to mention its new amenities – the experience of flying economy class from St. Cloud may rival that of frequent-flier programs offered through airlines that fly out of MSP.

I read a recent St. Cloud Times article that discussed the I-94 traffic problem. In it, local leaders say expanding this section of highway is among the area’s top transportation priorities. Despite widespread public support, including the formation of the I-94 Coalition, the Minnesota Department of Transportation says the expansion won’t happen anytime soon.

MnDOT officials agree the I-94 congestion is a concern.

In fact, they’ve studied enlarging the segment between St. Cloud and the Twin Cities multiple times. But the department’s priority is expanding I-494 and other Twin Cities corridors. Plus, there’s a general lack of funding for large road expansions.

In the meantime, commuters and travelers are told to wait – literally.

This congestion, and moreover, the fact that it won’t be relieved anytime soon, reinforces greater St. Cloud’s need for air service. Timely, reliable transportation is key to our region’s economic growth, and driving to catch a flight at MSP via a highway with unpredictable congestion is hardly dependable.

Have you experienced traffic congestion between St. Cloud and the Twin Cities? Share how air service would help relieve your travel concerns in the comments section below. Let’s Go!

We’re pleased The Times covered this important community issue and grateful for the chance to respond in the paper’s Opinion section. Our reply sums up our efforts so far, where we’re headed in the coming months and ways people can support our efforts.

Take a look at the articles and, if you’d like, write a comment to share your support. Let’s Go!