Horizon flying high in Sonoma County

Horizon Air’s bet on service from Santa Rosa to Las Vegas has paid off, helping to double the number of passengers at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in just one year.

While Horizon is not immune to the problems facing the airline industry and continues to tinker with its schedule, Santa Rosa has become a bright spot for the regional carrier.

In August, its Sonoma County flights were 80 percent full, compared with 78 percent for the airline’s entire network.

“We’re very happy with our Sonoma County expansion,” said Dan Russo, marketing director for the Seattle-based carrier.

In June, more than 22,000 passengers flew into or out of Santa Rosa on Horizon, double the number from a year ago.

Despite travelers’ embrace of air service in Santa Rosa, there are no prospects for another airline to enter the market anytime soon. Soaring fuel costs and a sluggish economy have prompted many commercial carriers to cut back on flights to regional airports.

The industry’s problems have stalled Sonoma County’s campaign to attract more airlines, said Jon Stout, airport manager. The county would like to see scheduled service from Santa Rosa to Orange County, San Diego, Denver, Salt Lake City and other destinations, he said.

“Right now, the airlines are not interested in talking,” Stout said.

Horizon launched its Santa Rosa flights in early 2007, ending a five-year absence of commercial airline service to Sonoma County. It began with daily round trips to Los Angeles and Seattle, and added nonstops to Portland last October and Las Vegas in April.

The Portland flight carried more than 3,400 passengers in May, the most recent month for which numbers were available for specific routes.

The Las Vegas flight drew almost 3,000 passengers in its first full month of service, according to the airport. Ridership grew in June, July and August, though final numbers haven’t been tabulated, Stout said.

The Las Vegas nonstops are about 75 percent full, he said.

“They’re doing very well,” Stout said.

Horizon expects loads to increase in coming months since it changed Las Vegas flight times from the evening to the afternoon.

“We’re already seeing an improvement,” Russo said.

On Wednesday, Sue Lueth of Santa Rosa was waiting for the 12:10 p.m. Horizon flight to Las Vegas. She was planning to meet a girlfriend for several days of fun, including shows on the Strip.

“This is very convenient,” said Lueth, who was taking her first flight from Santa Rosa’s small airport. Parking was easy and the terminal is just minutes from her home, she said.

“I’m leaving at a primo time,” Lueth said.

SR vs. Bay Area

Chuck Ardoin of Santa Rosa was flying to Las Vegas to meet relatives. It was his first trip on Horizon, too, and he liked not having to drive to Oakland or San Francisco to catch a plane, he said.

“I was amazed you could fly out of here,” Ardoin said. “I’m like, ‘Wow, this is easy.’”

Horizon’s Santa Rosa ticket prices are higher than fares from Oakland and San Francisco, but they’re competitive when costs of getting to those airports are thrown in, Russo said.

“We’re not exactly the same price as flying out of the Bay Area, but when you add up the cost of driving and parking, we think it’s a good value,” he said.

Horizon has been jostled by turbulence in the air travel industry, including skyrocketing fuel prices and the U.S. economic slowdown.

Last month, the carrier pulled the plug on its second daily flight from Santa Rosa to Seattle, due to high fuel costs and low customer demand.

The evening flight, added for the peak summer travel season, ended two months earlier than the airline had planned.

Fuel costs force cuts

Horizon, the sister carrier of Alaska Airlines, has been forced to cut the number of its flights in California, Washington, Oregon and other western destinations because of record-high fuel costs, the company said.

It also has raised fares and increased some baggage and service fees in response to soaring costs.

The cost of a gallon of jet fuel rose 77 percent over the past year, according to U.S. transportation officials.

“The industry is not out of the woods,” Russo said. “Fuel is still much higher than we ever planned it to be. With the housing crunch, there’s less discretionary spending, and that can include air travel.”

In July, Alaska Air Group, which includes Horizon and Alaska, reported a $14 million loss for the company’s second quarter.

This year “is shaping up to be the most difficult period in commercial aviation history,” said Bill Ayer, Alaska Air Group’s CEO.

Connecting at LAX

Still, Santa Rosa remains a solid market for Horizon.

The biggest draw is service to Los Angeles. In May, 7,500 passengers took flights between Santa Rosa and LAX.

Travelers are using Los Angeles as a hub to reach other destinations in the U.S. and overseas, said Megan Erlendson, manager at HMS Travel in Santa Rosa.

“They’re not just going to L.A.,” she said. “It’s a connecting point.”

Seattle is the second most popular Horizon destination, with more than 5,700 passengers in May.

Most of the travelers on Horizon flights come from Sonoma and surrounding counties, according to an airport study. Fewer travelers came from Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland and Las Vegas.

Promoting Santa Rosa

The study said Sonoma County and Horizon could increase ridership by better promoting Santa Rosa flights in the airline’s destinations.

“Horizon is definitely bringing people into this market,” said Tim Zahner of the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau. The bureau has been promoting Sonoma County as a Wine Country getaway in Horizon’s destination markets, he said.

The program already is bringing more visitors to Sonoma County, said Percy Brandon, general manager at Vintners Inn in Santa Rosa.

The number of Vintners Inn guests from Washington and Southern California has doubled over the past year, while Oregon is up 80 percent, Brandon said.

The tourism bureau is launching a new ad campaign in Las Vegas around Horizon’s afternoon flights to Santa Rosa, Zahner said.

“We are actively reaching out to Las Vegas,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Steve Hart at 521-5205 or steve.hart@pressdemocrat.com.