Update: Allegiant expands service in Savannah with 4 new flights
A low-cost airline has expanded its services to include nonstop flights to four cities.
Allegiant Air announced Tuesday morning that it will add routes from Indianapolis; Pittsburgh; Lexington, Ky.; and Baltimore to Savannah/Hilton Head Island International Airport.
Seasonal nonstop service to Savannah from Indianapolis and Pittsburgh begins April 8. Seasonal nonstop service between Savannah and Lexington begins June 2.
Year-round, nonstop service between Savannah and Baltimore will begin April 29.
The new flights will operate twice weekly. With the four new routes, Allegiant will fly from seven cities to the Savannah/Hilton Head airport.
Bill Miles, president of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, said the additional flights service key areas for tourists.
"Typically, we draw well from Pittsburgh," Miles said. Allegiant said in a news release that the expanded service could bring nearly 42,000 visitors each year to the Savannah and Hilton Head areas.
For consumers, the additional flights could also reduce airfare. After JetBlue debuted at the Savannah/Hilton Head airport, ticket prices dropped 13 percent.
"Low-cost airline carriers cause other airlines and services to adjust prices accordingly," Miles said.
Allegiant director of marketing Jessica Wheeler said the year-round service to Baltimore-Washington International Airport was introduced because the company expects more significant two-way traffic on that route.
"There is a lot of (local) demand for the Baltimore/D.C. area," she said.
The other three new cities have been targeted by Allegiant as prime cities for southbound tourist traffic.
Allegiant launched service to three Ohio cities at the Savannah airport last year. Seats filled up so fast that the airline added more flights a few weeks after the initial announcement.
"There was strong demand on the seasonal routes to Ohio," Wheeler said. "We thought there was a lot of potential for this summer."
The Hilton Head chamber is investing about $25,000 to $30,000 on a geo-targeted digital and social marketing campaign and media buy as part of the expanded Allegiant service.
When JetBlue added direct flights to New York and Boston in 2014 from the Savannah/Hilton Head airport, Miles said online traffic to the chamber's website from each location jumped 57 and 70 percent respectively.
"We anticipate increased visits from the (added) regions," Miles said.
Introductory one-way fares for the new flights start at $39 and must be purchased by Jan. 13 for travel by Aug. 16.
Follow reporter Ashley Fahey at on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Ashley.
Related content:
- Demand is so high that Allegiant Air is adding even more flights to one Ohio city, March 6, 2015
- Allegiant opens Ohio-Hilton Head travel line with flights to Savannah airport, February 24, 2015
- No commitment from Allegiant Air to come to Savannah, January 16, 2015
This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 8:46 AM with the headline "Update: Allegiant expands service in Savannah with 4 new flights."