"Are fares from Inyokern going up in the air?"

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Are fares from Inyokern going up in the air?
The Ridgecrest (CA) Daily Independent


Rumors are "flying" in the wake of a recent e-mail concerning fares for
government travelers departing from Inyokern Airport.

David Rosenthal, president of the airport's board of directors, heard a
rumor that fares would increase dramatically - up to $1,000 per round trip
to Los Angeles - and set out to discover the accuracy of the story.
 
"The truth is that fares have gone up to $256 one way to L.A. for government
travelers. Fares for non-business travelers have not changed," Rosenthal
said.

"Everyone at the airport, both staff and board members, are concerned about
the quality of service we are able to provide to passengers. I went to the
source to get an accurate account."

The source, in this case, is Linda Moors, United Airlines representative at
Inyokern Airport. SkyWest, the commuter service at IYK, is a branch of
United's Express service to smaller airports.
 
"What happened here was a change in government regulations. In order to bid
for lower fares for government travelers, the site must have three flights
daily departing after 6 a.m. The regulation used to require two flights
after 6 a.m. Since our first flight leaves Inyokern at 5:15 a.m., we no
longer qualify. We still have three scheduled flights per day - 5:15 a.m.,
noon and 8:30 p.m.," Moors said.

Another factor, Moors said, is that fares for government travelers are
unrestricted - meaning they can be changed without penalty. Restricted
flights are available to the general public - meaning, once purchased, there
are penalties for changing the tickets.

"Flying out of Inyokern can actually be very economical. Depending on your
destination, advance purchase of the tickets and if you stay with United
Airlines, the flight from Inyokern to L.A. can almost be a bonus," Moors
said.
 
As with any airport, flights are subject to delay or cancellation or simply
being rescheduled in order to coordinate with connecting flights out of Los
Angeles. Fares are also subject to change.

"We're not going anywhere. SkyWest has a lot of frequent flyers - we think
they're the best travelers in the system - and we're pleased to be able to
offer them transportation from Inyokern Airport to L.A. Our pilots are some
of the most experienced and we have excellent crew members. It's a win-win
situation for everyone," Moors said.

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