Flights from Calgary now landing in Penticton.
(MEAGHAN ARCHER / iNFOnews.ca)
March 12, 2014 - 1:43 PM
PENTICTON -- A flight service connecting Penticton to Calgary is launching tomorrow after several months of preparation.
Jump On Flyaways is offering weekend round-trips from Calgary to Penticton at discounted rates. The planes will depart Calgary International Airport at prime times and return the passengers from Penticton Regional Airport on Sunday evening.
The offer currently includes a package deal, organized in part by Tourism Penticton, to include flights, two nights hotel stay and a wine tour. The deal is meant to be a weekend getaway for Calgarians but flights-only deals will be offered after the first few weeks.
There is a set fare that won’t change like other airlines, said Jump On CEO, Roger Jewett. And there won’t be extra fees for travelling at prime times. There will also be early booking incentives, but passengers need to keep in mind the flights will only take off if the plane is full.
By “full” Jewett means 80 percent, which is about 60 people for the 76 seat plane.
The planes being used are Alberta charter airlines that are idle over the weekend, as they are mainly used during the week to fly oil industry workers from Calgary up North to the oil sands. Jump On is able to use the planes for a smaller fee since they would otherwise be sitting at the airport over the weekend.
Jewett said there is a possibility for flights to also head East to Calgary from Penticton for the weekend, so long as there is enough demand from customers.
Connections are not offered for passengers travelling past Calgary.
There has been no talk of flights servicing Penticton to Calgary from Air Canada, Penticton Airport’s flight provider. Media Representative, Angela Mah said Air Canada bases its decisions on “commercial factors such as demand to support regular flights, other economic factors such as the price of oil and aircraft availability.”
With Jump On as a new competitor, Air Canada may have more incentive to provide regular weekday flights to Calgary.
To contact the reporter for this story, e-mail Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca, or call 250-488-3065.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014