San Jose to Sacramento Just $29 Each Way

Just $29 gets you from San Jose to Sacramento on Horizon Airlines. Sure, you could probably get there faster by driving, but then how many frequent flyer miles would you earn by doing that? =)

The fare is valid 7 days a week through 2010, and comes to about $79 roundtrip after all taxes and fees. Click here to book.

Bird Strikes Damage Four Planes at Sac Airport

Sacramento International Airport ranked second in the country for the number of serious bird strikes since 1990.

Four planes were damaged within a 14-hour period last weekend in separate bird strike incidents. The latest occurred with a Southwest Airlines was hit during final approach from Portland. The plane made a normal, on-time landing, but needed repairs before returning to flight.

1,553 bird strikes were reported at Sacramento Airport from 1990-June 2009, most with little or no damage to the plane.

Snow Likely in on the Valley Floor Monday

The National Weather Service continues to predict snow in parts of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley's, including in Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto. The snow is expected to begin early Monday morning and last through early afternoon, with total accumulations of 1-3 inches possible. Those of you familiar with the area know, snow is a rare in the Sacramento area.

Not all models are in agreement for this snow event, but if it does pan out, could be a record - as the most significant snowstorm hit Sacramento back way back in 1888, where 2.5 inches of snow fell.

Travelers through Sacramento (SMF) should stay tuned for changing weather conditions.

Elsewhere, snow levels around the Bay Area are expected to drop to 1,000 feet Monday, locally lower in any heavy downpours.

Horizon Begins Sacramento to Santa Barbara Flights Today

Nonstop service between Sacramento and Santa Barbara returns today thanks to Horizon Airlines. The route was recently discontinued by regional airline ExpressJet.

Two daily flights, one in the morning, one in the evening, operated by a 70-seat Bombardier region jet will be available during the week, and one daily flight on weekends. 

Santa Barbara airport (pictured above) is one of my favorite airports to fly through. The charming little airport resting near the mighty Pacific is a preferred alternative to the hustle and bustle of LAX to the south. For example, upstairs at the Overlook Cafe, there is an observation deck to watch the small commercial planes come and go. Downstairs, the inviting back patio, complete with lawn and wooden benches, provides the perfect opportunity for waiting passengers a last minute chance to soak up the warm Southern California Sun.

Air Canada Jazz Drops Sacramento to Vancouver Later This Month

Air Canada Jazz will drop twice-daily flights between Sacramento and Vancouver effective October 25th. Record high fuel prices and a mild recession are partially blamed for the route loss, which has operated since June 2007.

Horizon Adds Sacramento to Santa Barbara Route

Flights down to wonderful Santa Barbara Airport resume.

Nonstop service between Sacramento and Santa Barbara returns beginning November 9th - thanks to Horizon Airlines. The route was recently discontinued by regional airline ExpressJet.

Two daily flights, one in the morning, one in the evening, operated by a 70-seat Bombardier region jet will be available during the week, and one daily flight on weekends. 14-day advance tickets are available for just $79 each way. Click here for more information.

Santa Barbara airport (pictured above) is one of my favorite airports to fly through. The charming little airport resting near the mighty Pacific is a preferred alternative to the hustle and bustle of LAX to the south. For example, upstairs at the Overlook Cafe, there is an observation deck to watch the small commercial planes come and go. Downstairs, the inviting back patio, complete with lawn and wooden benches, provides the perfect opportunity for waiting passengers a last minute chance to soak up the warm Southern California Sun.

inFLIGHTout Head South Airfares

The cool winter months are quickly approaching, making it a good time to start planning a trip to the warmer South. Here's a roundup of round trip airfares - hand picked and verified available.
Prices valid as of 9:00 AM Tuesday, include taxes and fees, and valid for at least the early winter months unless specified otherwise.

-San Francisco to....
Puerto Vallarta $319 (Mexicana)
Cancun $298 (Mexicana)
San Juan $291 (US Air)
Jacksonville $195 (United)
Palm Springs $140 (Alaska) October 6-19th only
Long Beach $119* (JetBlue)
*Before $50 travel credit promo - see earlier post

-Sacramento to...
Ft.Lauderdale $210 (American)
Jacksonville $210 (United)

Visit Travelocity to search availability and combine these great airfares with discounted hotels.
If you are searching for airfare only, use the "flexible dates" option for the best results.

Sacramento Int'l Officials Launch 'Big Build' Site

Sacramento International Airport officials announced the launch of a website dedicated to provide interested parties up-to-date information on the $1.3 billion airport expansion.

The site, www.bigbuild.org, includes information about the project including a fly-through animation, employment opportunities for the build, and construction information that may cause traffic issues around the airport.

U.S Airways Dropping Sacramento to Charlotte Flights

After less than two months in operation, U.S Airways said Tuesday they will discontinue flights from Sacramento to its Charlotte hub. The route, which officially ends August 18th, was intended to be seasonal, but according to an airline spokesperson, “Skyrocketing fuel costs and softening demand," are also factors for the cutback. Overall, the airline plans on 4th quarter cutbacks in domestic capacity by 6-8% over last years levels.

In addition to Charlotte, U.S Airways also operates flights between Sacramento and Phoenix, Las Vegas and Philadephia.

Click here for more posts about on Sacramento Airport, including information on other airline cutbacks.

ExpressJet Cutting Operations, Big Impact on Sacramento Airport

(Sacramento Business Journal)
ExpressJet will stop flying under its own brand name effective September 2. The company will discontinue its 13 daily departures from Sacramento International Airport, including flights between Sacramento and Bakersfield; Santa Barbara; Tucson, Ariz.; Tulsa, Okla.; San Antonio; Oklahoma City; Spokane, Wash.; Colorado Springs, Colo. and Albuquerque, N.M. Those flights will end Sept. 1 under the plan the company announced Tuesday.

The 39 aircraft currently used in ExpressJet operations will be among those returned to the lessor no later than June 2009.

On July 7, Delta Air Lines Inc. announced it was ending its Delta Connections partnership with ExpressJet.

ExpressJet, a subsidiary of Houston-based ExpressJet Holdings Inc. (NYSE: XJT), said it would stop flying Delta Connection routes, primarily out of Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, beginning Sept. 1. ExpressJet said it will continue to operate flights as Continental Express under a deal with Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL).

ExpressJet will continue flying a fleet of 205 aircraft as Continental Express to more than 150 destinations, as well as continue to serve charter customers with a fleet of 30 aircraft through ExpressJet Corporate Aviation.

"If we had any other choice, we would not take this difficult action," ExpressJet chief executive officer Jim Ream said. "However, rising fuel prices has made the operation impossible to sustain."

Tickets to ExpressJet flights before Sept. 2 are not affected, the airline said. The carrier will continue to sell tickets for those flights.

Sacramento Airport To Expand, Raise Fees - Upsetting Airlines

In May, Sacramento county government unanimously approved a $1.27 billion expansion of Sacramento International Airport, to include a new terminal, hotel, parking garage and people-mover tram. But the cost of the expansion is expected to be paid by already cash-strapped airlines.

As part of the plan, the airport will boost charges to the airline by $6 to $9 per passenger, climbing to over $13 by the year 2013 to help cover improvement costs. The airlines strongly opposed the extreme fee hike. American airlines recently notified Sacramento airport officials they will pull 1 of the 4 daily flights between Sacramento and Dallas due to "substantial and unreasonable" fee increases recently imposed on all airlines using Sacramento's runways and ticket counters. Airport officials contend the real reason for American cutbacks may actually be related to rising fuel costs and trimming of flights nationwide.

Meanwhile, county officials have defended the airport's expansion plan and rate increases as fair and necessary.

(Pictured above: Design of the second floor ticketing area for Central Terminal B at Sacramento International Airport. More pictures can be found here.)

Air Canada Dropping Sacramento to Vancouver Route

According to the Sacramento Bee, Air Canada will be dropping twice-daily flights between Sacramento and Vancouver effective October 25th. Citing record high fuel prices and a mild recession, the airline will slash overall U.S-Canada capacity by 13%. In addition to the Sacramento loss, the airline will cut seasonal flights between San Francisco and Montreal this fall.

Wine Bar Takes Flight

(Sherman's Travel)

These days, serving time in airport limbo is an expected part of travel. Vino Valo, a wine bar and retail chain popping up in airports around the country, is ameliorating the experience glass by glass. Debuting at Dulles International in 2005, it has since opened outposts in Seattle, Baltimore, Sacramento and New York. Up to 10 more locations are planned for 2008. Wine comes by the glass, bottle, or location-appropriate flight ('Sierra Reds" in Sacramento). Volos are post-security, so customers can bring their favorite bottles on the plane (from $4; vinovolo.com). -BB.

Sacramento - Philadelphia $190 RT/tax included

Sacramento (SMF) to Philadelphia (PHL) $190, round-trip, taxes included. (thanks FT)
Fare offered by Northwest (K-Class), United (L-Class), Frontier (Z-Class). For $10 more you can fly Delta (T-Class) or American (O-Class).
Travel permitted through August 22nd on most of these fares. View "flexible dates" calender at http://www.travelocity.com/

U.S Airways Adds Two Transcontinental Routes from Sacramento

Great News for travelers to and from Sacramento!
On Monday U.S Airways announced three new cross country flights beginning this summer. Of these, two are non-stop flights from Sacramento to U.S Air hubs in Philadelphia and Charlotte. This compliments existing service into hubs in Phoenix and Las Vegas, acquired from the America West merger.

“We are thrilled with the addition of these two great cities to our non-stop service here in Sacramento,” said G. Hardy Acree, director of airports for the Sacramento County Airport System. “We have a great working partnership with US Airways and we are confident that our travelers will embrace these two new flight opportunities.”

The new routes begin June 3rd, and will be operated by Airbus 320 aircraft.
Schedule:
Sacramento to Philadelphia - Departs 8:30am, arrives 4:31pm
Sacramento to Charlotte - Departs 10:30pm, arrives 6:10am

Hot Hot DING fares

It's been a while since we've seen some good Southwest Airlines Ding! fares, but now they're back! You must download the DING! program (free) onto your PC or MAC in order to see DING! fares. Purchase by 3pm Central Time Wednesday, for travel during certain days in March and April. Prices below are one way, before tax. Example fares:

Oakland-Los Angeles or Reno $38
Oakland-Spokane $51
Oakland-Austin $71
Sacramento-Seattle or Spokane $51
Sacramento-Las Vegas $55

More information on DING! can be found here.

Southwest announces changes to Bay Area departures

Citing concerns of slowing economic growth, Southwest Airlines announced several route changes from airports around the SF Bay and nationwide. In all, the airline will trim a net 17 flights, while it focuses on higher yielding routes. The changes go into effect May 10th.

Losses:
Oakland - San Diego, Las Vegas, Ontario, Los Angeles, Burbank; 2 daily flights being axed on each route.

San Jose - Los Angeles and Ontario will loose a daily flight each.

Sacramento - Burbank, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Diego; loosing 1 flight each.

Gains:

Oakland - Austin service will be inaugurated with 1 daily non-stop.

San Francisco - San Diego; 2 extra daily flights to be added, for a total of 10.

San Jose- Denver; New 3 X daily non-stop service will begin

The Southern Sky over the Bay Area

Hardly matching the grand appearance Virgin America flaunted to the people of San Francisco, Southern Sky Airlines will quietly commence flights from Oakland and Sacramento in the next couple months. The charter airline, established by Aviation Advantage, is currently selling tickets from Oakland-Las Vegas ($69/each way) for flights beginning March 11th. Flights direct from Sacramento to Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco will be offered as well.

Visit: http://www.southernskyways.com/

Sacramento to Santa Barbara now available Nonstop

ExpressJet Airlines began new service from Sacramento International Airport to Santa Barbara this month. Sacramento travelers can fly nonstop with ExpressJet to Albuquerque, Bakersfield, Colorado Springs, Spokane, Oklahoma City, Santa Barbara, Tucson and San Antonio.

ExpressJet Airlines aircraft are quiet, fuel-efficient and configured with no middle seat. Amenities include complimentary headseats and over 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio, along with "beer for a buck" on most flights. Visit http://www.xjet.com/

HOT FARE. Sacramento - Philadelphia, PA $105+tax roundtrip ($137 all in) December 1-19th
Continental, Delta and Northwest Airlines.