Two airlines try out Las Vegas seasonal routes
Two airlines are trying out seasonal routes — one long and one short — to and from Las Vegas this month through April.
Virgin America on Thursday began operating nonstop flights between McCarran International Airport and Boston’s Logan International Airport four times a week through April 28.
San Francisco-based Virgin America, which already offers nonstop routes to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from Las Vegas, will operate flights to Boston at 2:50 p.m., on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and at 3:35 p.m., on Thursdays, and from Boston to Las Vegas at 10:30 a.m., Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The airline will use its 149-seat Airbus A320 twin-engine jets or its 119-passenger A319 jets on the route.
Virgin will compete with JetBlue on the route.
Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines affiliate Horizon Air will launch twice-weekly service Thursdays and Mondays between Las Vegas and Mammoth Lakes, Calif., for the ski season.
Flights will operate Thursday through April 6. The one-hour flights will leave Mammoth Yosemite Airport at 4:05 p.m. with the return flight leaving Las Vegas at 5:50 p.m.
Horizon will use a 76-passenger Bombardier Q400 twin-engine turboprop aircraft on the route.
“The Vegas flight is a great arrow in our quiver for international markets,” said Michael Vanderhurst, director of sales and international marketing for Mammoth Lakes Tourism.
“These visitors often come to the U.S. for two to three weeks at a time,” he said. “Latin America, the United Kingdom and Australia are three markets that will jump at the opportunity to experience a ski holiday at Mammoth Mountain, with the added bonus of being able to experience Vegas during their vacation as well.”
The flights will be the first scheduled nonstop trips between Las Vegas and Mammoth Lakes and brings the number of nonstop routes from McCarran to 134.
Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find him on Twitter: @RickVelotta
