Idaho Falls Regional Airport: Consider all the costs
The Idaho Falls Regional Airport wants to be on travelers’ radar. This week, it unveiled a new website, IFlyIDA.com, and logo that includes a custom designed look as well as resources for travelers, including a cost comparison calculator and booking widget. IDA airport director Craig Davis said the marketing plan will allow the community to understand how much they aren’t saving with larger airports.
“This is one piece of the pie for attracting air carriers,” he said. “We’re trying to get people to change their perception of it being cheaper to fly to Salt Lake City.”
Davis said 50 percent of the airport’s customer base would rather drive to the Salt Lake City International Airport than pay higher airfare locally. But the new website could stop the leakage.
The cost calculator estimates the total cost of flying out of two other area airports based on the amount of money one would lose in travel time away from work, as well as gas, parking and airfare costs. The booking widget auto populates airfares to and from IDA to destinations served from the airport and then allows customers to book flights based on available options. Real-time flight status updates, a flight tracker and air traffic map are also included to assist travelers in their planning needs.
“There’s more competition. There are many more airlines at these larger air hubs, so they do have cheaper air fare,” Davis said. “That’s why we want to focus in on your travel times your personal time that you’re away from your work or family as well as gas and airfare. Consider all the costs.”
Davis said since the airline industry is volatile, it’s important for customers to invest in their local airports to increase airline options, which could lead to lower airfare through competition.
“Many times the airlines say, ‘Here’s a new route. Use it or lose it,'” Davis said. “Many airlines are requiring a 90 percent passenger load on every flight to consider that route profitable. This is a typical situation that most regional, geographical isolated regional airports face, this leakage.”
IDA is hosting a promotion that encourages people to submit reasons why they choose to fly IDA. To enter the “I fly IDA because…” giveaway, complete the entry form found at Facebook.com/IFlyIDA or Woobox.com/n5baq3 and specify why they chose to fly IDA. The promotion ends Aug. 25, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. MT. Each week one participant will win a $200 Delta Air Lines or United Airlines gift card, and one lucky person will win a trip for two to Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS), or Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona (AZA), courtesy of Allegiant.
