The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

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March 28, 2008

Businesses may offer travel credits for Allegiant Air

By Michael Roknick

VIENNA — A local marketing effort was unveiled Friday to give Allegiant Air a lift.

Dubbed “Project Business Allegiance,’’ the promotion seeks to entice local businesses and other organizations to buy credits for local air travelers to fly Allegiant Air out of Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.

In explaining the program at a news conference Friday morning at the airport, Carolyn Rubenstein of Rubenstein Associates, the airport’s marketing firm, said the idea is to get local companies to offer the travel credits to employees meeting sales or performance goals.

Also, retailers and other businesses could offer the credits as rewards to customers.

“Travel credits offer an alternative to conventional premiums,’’ Ms. Rubenstein said.

The goal is to have 2,000 regional businesses offer enough credits to buy 4,000 Allegiant tickets. The program will be coordinated by Carlson Wagonlit Travel of Boardman, Ohio.

As the airport’s sole carrier, the promotion not only is to boost ticket sales for Allegiant, but also to attract other carriers.

In 2007, Allegiant saw 10,503 passengers board 78 fights out of the airport, up from 6,681 passengers of 56 flights in the prior year. Allegiant Air began service at the airport in May 2006 after Vacation Express exited the market amid cries of it continually running late or leaving passengers stranded.

Although Allegiant’s planes have been 95 percent filled when leaving the airport, travelers complain there’s only one choice for a destination — Orlando-Sanford, Fla.

Trumbull County Commissioner Dan Polivka countered that the airport does have its appeal as an easy-to-use travel operation.

“When it comes to airports today, bigger isn’t necessarily better,’’ Polivka said.

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