Allegiant Air offers free companion fares with Vegas air and hotel package purchase

November 11, 1:25 AMLas Vegas ExaminerCharles Higgins

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PHOTO : Allegiant Air MD-80 at gate

Vegas based Allegiant Air is offering free companion fares for prospective Sin City travelers who purchase a minimum two night air / hotel package by November 18, 2009 for travel through May 31, 2010. Visitors can select from more than 60 Vegas hotel properties who partner with Allegiant Air for this significant flight savings opportunity. Those properties include MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Caesar's Palace, Rio, Flamingo, Luxor , Gold Coast , Planet Hollywood , South Point , Golden Nugget , Harrah's , and the new City Center's Aria resort (profiled in an earlier LVE article) which will unveil it's highly touted guest services and amenities on December 16. Fly from such regional communities as Bellingham WA, Billings MT, Bismarck ND, Grand Junction CO, McAllen TX, and Stockton CA for this deal. In all, forty departure cities are represented in this Vegas air / hotel , 2 for 1 fare special.

Specifics of the offer include: 

- Two day advance purchase by November 18 for a minimum two night , two person air and hotel package involving a free fare for the companion traveler with identical itineraries for both parties. Travel opportunities with this offer are valid through May 31, 2010 if purchased by the November 18, 2009 deadline. Obtain complete departure city info and book reservations at this link or phone 702-505-8888.

This is indeed a significant and specific fare savings offer from Allegiant. There is a fine print allegory and flip side to this deal. Be aware that there are several add - on fees that are well illustrated on the Allegiant website linked above. There are segment fees ($10.60), a "convenience fee" of $14 per passenger plus $10 per segment for bookings handled through the website or call center (convenient for whom?), and baggage fees ranging from $15 - $20 ( first checked bags) and $25 for the second checked bag applicable for each passenger. For those initially checking bags at time of check - in, baggage charges are $35 each for first and second bags per person per segment. Additional higher fees apply for three or more checked bags. Travel blackout dates include November 29 and December 13 - 14, 2009 and January 1 - 3, February 15 - 16, and March 1 - 31, 2010. In spite of these significant add - on costs that are also charged by most other airlines ( excluding that ridiculous "convenience fee"), this offer is still a good deal from most departure cities / destinations to Vegas.

It's rare to find a free companion flight offer that extends for a six month travel window and it is further evidence of the recessional effects on Vegas tourism and the concomitant efforts of a Vegas based airline to draw customers. The fact that this airline offers service to and from many smaller and more regional type communities adds some type of undefined merit to their overall services and business model. That protocol is indeed partially about generating revenue since most of the other domestic airlines don't service those smaller cities. They're going where the others aren't going...a niche market that they really dominate at present. Kudos to Allegiant Air for finding a means to generate profit in a slowed economy, including this free fare offer for Vegas travelers.

Cheers...

Charles Higgins

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