Airline to offer direct flights from Lafayette to Las Vegas on Nov. 3

A discount travel company will begin offering direct flights from Lafayette to Las Vegas on Nov. 3.Representatives from Allegiant made the announcement during a Tuesday morning news conference at the Lafayette Regional Airport, complete with a model dressed as a Vegas showgirl and Vegas-themed trophy replicas for Lafayette officials.

We're very pleased and excited about this,said Kristine Cooper, Allegiant's public relations manager.We look forward to a great partnership.Lafayette Airport Commission Chairman Paul Guilbeau said Las Vegas has consistently been one of the most-requested destinations for Lafayette travelers.Our director of aviation, Greg Roberts, targeted what we believe to be the best carrier to bring Las Vegas service to Lafayette Regional Airport and made the case for our community,Guilbeau said.We look forward to seeing how well people who flight from Lafayette will respond and we thank Allegiant for bringing flights to Acadiana.Founded in 1997 in California, the company faced bankruptcy in 2000, but exited that two years later with a focus on providing charter flight to Nevada casinos, as well as service to smaller cities throughout the country.

The direct flights will operate on Sundays and Thursdays only. Flights are scheduled to depart Lafayette at 9:05 p.m. and arrive at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas at 10:35 p.m. Flights leaving Las Vegas will depart at 3:10 p.m. and arrive back in Lafayette at 8:25 p.m. All flight times are local. A 150-seat MD-80 jet is scheduled for use for the flights.Allegiant is offering a one-way introductory fare of $89.99 for tickets purchased by Sept. 5 and valid for travel between Nov. 3 and Feb. 14. However, seats are limited and may not be available on all flights.The offer is not available from Nov. 18 to Nov. 28 and Dec. 24 to Jan. 4.That price does not include several additional fees, including a segment tax or Sept. 11 security fee of up to $10.70 per segment. A segment is one takeoff and one landing, the airline said.

A convenience fee of $16.99 per passenger will apply to tickets purchased on allegiant.com. A $16.99 convenience fee per passenger, plus $14.99 per segment, will apply to tickets purchased through Allegiant call centers. There are no convenience fees for purchases made at Allegiant airport ticket offices.In addition, a checked bag fee of $29.99 per bag will apply per person, per segment when purchased at the time of booking. If purchased at flight check-in, a fee of $35 per checked bag, per person, per segment will apply for the first two bags checked, with higher fees for three or more checked bags.With the fees and other charges, a one-way flight on the airline from Lafayette to Las Vegas could end up costing between $150 and $200 per person.

By comparison, a one-way flight from New Orleans to Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines costs anywhere from $273 to $509, not including any additional fees or taxes that might be incurred, plus the cost of traveling to New Orleans.Allegiant received mixed reviews on several airline and air traveling message boards. Some travelers complained about the added fees, unusual boarding procedures, the quality and cleanliness of the planes and lengthy flight delays. But others said they had positive experiences and were happy with Allegiant's overall customer service, had no flight problems and enjoyed traveling in smaller airports with less hassle.Earlier this year, another discount airline, Vision Airlines, stopped its nonstop flights from Baton Rouge to Las Vegas after only a handful of trips. Vision continues to operate out of the Lafayette Regional Airport, offering nonstop flights to Destin, Fla.