Allegiant adds direct flights to California

Allegiant announced Tuesday it will offer nonstop jet service between Kalispell and the San Francisco Bay Area two days a week starting April 27.

The direct flights between Glacier Park International Airport and Oakland International Airport will be offered Friday and Monday. Allegiant already offers twice-weekly direct service to Las Vegas.

“We’ve been working on the California market for several years,” Glacier Airport Director Cindi Martin told a crowd of business and economic leaders gathered at the airport for the announcement.

She said the expanded service from Allegiant is a welcome addition for both business and recreational travelers.

Martin noted that Allegiant is offering $39.99 one-way fares to Oakland as an introductory offer, and she added with a smile that the service begins “just in time for baseball season.”

Allegiant is also adding the direct flights to Oakland at the Bozeman, Missoula and Billings airports.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, said in a press statement that the expanded service will help Montana small businesses expand and allow more visitors to enjoy Montana.

“No matter where I go, folks tell me that more connections between the Big Sky State and the rest of the country are critical to Montana’s economy,” Tester said.

Kalispell Chamber of Commerce President Joe Unterreiner said nearly 10 percent of Montana’s visitors come from California.

“This new direct flight from the Bay Area to Kalispell will help to increase those numbers,” he said.

Unterreiner also stressed the importance of the added flights for the business community, noting that companies such as Applied Materials in Kalispell, which is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., can tap into the expanded service for business travel.

A number of local business and tourism groups contributed financially to the marketing effort related to Allegiant’s service expansion at Glacier Park International. Allegiant matched those contributions dollar for dollar, Martin said.

Based in Las Vegas, Allegiant ranked ninth this year in Forbes’ Best Small Companies list. The airline also recently was named one of Fortune magazine’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies for a second consecutive year, ranking 64th and 25th, respectively.

For more information about the airline and introductory fares to Oakland, go online to allegiant.com.