America West to fly to Mexican resorts

Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2004 | 11:13 a.m.

America West Airlines has built a sizable portion of its business bringing tourists to Las Vegas.

On Monday, the Tempe, Ariz.-based airline announced it would turn the tables and offer a resort getaway destination for Las Vegans.

America West, the second-busiest commercial passenger carrier at McCarran International Airport by number of flights and number of seats coming into the market, announced non-stop round-trip flights between Las Vegas and two beach resort cities in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.

The new service will operate four times a week on aircraft operated by Mesa Airlines as America West Express. The airline will use 86-passenger, twin-engine Canadair Regional Jets for the service.

The Los Cabos service will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and begin Oct. 31, while Puerto Vallarta flights will run Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, beginning Nov. 1.

The airline is offering an introductory fare of $198 round trip, not including taxes.

Los Cabos, located on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, is a haven for snorkeling and scuba divers and has developed top-notch golf courses, while Puerto Vallarta, located on Mexico's west coast, is noted for its shopping and restaurants.

America West last week received permission to fly new routes to Mexico from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Monday's announcement was part of a major expansion for the airline, with flights announced to Mexican resorts from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and Oakland, Calif.

America West is attempting to capitalize on developing close-to-home resort markets, said Robert Mann, an aviation analyst with R.W. Mann & Co., Port Washington, N.Y.

Mann said travelers' willingness to spend is being tempered by security concerns, which results in vacationers seeking closer, better known destinations.

"The Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii are doing very well this season and several airlines are taking advantage," Mann said. "JetBlue (Airways) is doing it in the Caribbean and it appears America West is trying it in Mexico."

Mann said the company's America West Vacations affiliate should also help the airline capitalize in the Mexican resort market because Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta are destinations heavily favored by package operators and "there are a bunch of ways to make money in packages."

McCarran director Randy Walker applauded the new service, but added that it is getting more challenging to accommodate any expansion at the Las Vegas airport. The new flights will arrive and depart in the afternoon, avoiding the busiest time of day for America West operations, he said.

In addition, flights arriving from Mexico will arrive at McCarran's international terminal so that passengers can clear U.S. Customs. The aircraft is then expected to be repositioned at the airport's A and B gates for departures.

Scott Kirby, executive vice president of sales and marketing for America West, said he doesn't expect passengers to be discouraged by the small aircraft the company will use on the flights and that if demand grows for the routes, the airline would consider daily operations or possibly larger mainline aircraft, like Boeing 737s or Airbus jets.

No other airline offers nonstop service between Las Vegas and Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta. However, three Mexican airlines have nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Mexico City, Monterey, Guadalajara and Hermosillo.

America West recently discontinued nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Mexico City, regarded more as a destination for business travelers. The airline offers one-stop connecting flights to several destinations in Mexico through its primary hub in Phoenix.