"Long Beach Airport has California's lowest average airfares again"

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Long Beach Airport has state's lowest average airfares again
By Greg Mellen
The Long Beach (CA) Press-Telegram


LONG BEACH - Knowledgeable local travelers have recognized the Long Beach
Airport tends to offer one of the more enjoyable travel experiences. 

>From its quaint art deco style to easy freeway access to abundant parking,
manageable crowds and short security lines, it has been a go-to choice for
travelers looking to escape the crush at Los Angeles International Airport. 

What might be less known is Long Beach's affordability. 

For the third straight quarter, the Long Beach facility has recorded the
lowest average airfares in California and ranked No. 2 nationally, behind
Atlantic City, N.J. 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's latest quarterly
report, the average round-trip domestic fare out of Long Beach was $229 in
the final quarter of 2011. That ranks well below the national average of
$368 over the same span. 

Airport Director Mario Rodriguez said Long Beach's ability to provide low
costs to its carriers is passed along to customers. 

"Our primary focus is customer service, and keeping costs low is a part of
that," Rodriguez said. 

Long Beach also bucked a national airfare trend late last year by recording
a 2 percent drop in fares, while national fares were rising by more than 2
percent for the quarter and 10 percent since the fourth quarter of 2010. 

That doesn't mean a traveler will necessarily find the best deal flying out
of Long Beach to one of its 14 destinations, the Department of
Transportation report notes. 

Cincinnati, Ohio and Houston/ Bush had the highest air fare averages at $504
and $494, respectively. 

While Long Beach finished second to Atlantic City, it closed the gap, as the
East Coast airport's average flight cost rose from $167 to $189 over the
course of the quarter. Las Vegas was third at $267. 

Rodriguez said Atlantic City and Las Vegas have casinos that subsidize
flights, which keeps average costs down. 

In a prepared statement, Mayor Bob Foster said: "There are a lot of great
changes happening at the Long Beach Airport. ... But one thing that hasn't
changed is that LGB is a very economical airport, with excellent service and
a wide range of destinations." 

In 2011, 3.1 million travelers passed through Long Beach Airport.

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