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Sin City direct is no more.
Allegiant Air abruptly canceled proposed direct flights from Baton Rouge to Las Vegas Friday, leaving flustered Metro Airport officials accusing the airline of violating their agreement.
Airline officials said a lack of advance ticket sales was the reason for the pullout, a consideration Metro Airport spokesman Bill Profita said was never brought up in negotiations.
"That was never disclosed anywhere along the way to anyone and we think that is a serious, serious breach," he said.
About 700 tickets for the flights, which were slated to begin May 10 and run four times a week, had been sold.
Allegiant claimed those numbers did not stack up to similar Allegiant ventures in Bismark, N.D., Sioux Falls, S.D. and Peoria, Ill., Profita said.
"They’re looking at advance ticket sales from other cities that have nothing to do with Baton Rouge," he said.
Other airlines provide connections to Las Vegas from Baton Rouge, but Allegiant would have given Metro Airport its only direct service to the gambling Mecca.
Allegiant has assured the airport that passengers who bought tickets will not have their credit cards charged and will be contacted by the airline, Profita said.
If Metro Airport officials had known the deal was contingent upon advance ticket sales, they would not have touted the flights as a sure thing, Profita said.
Allegiant’s Las Vegas corporate headquarters was closed Friday night and no one at the airline could be reached for comment.
However, in March, Allegiant Vice President Mark Peterson said, "Baton Rouge has been a bright light on our radar as we have looked around at 20-plus cities."
Despite heavy opposition from local casino employees who feared the flights to Las Vegas would hurt business, the Metro Council on March 24 approved a $430,048, two-year incentive plan to bring the low-fare airline to Baton Rouge.
None of the incentive money had been paid, Profita said.
Allegiant flights were to start at $89 each way and settle at $109-$179 each way.
Airport officials have said 75 percent of people in the region who fly to Las Vegas use airports other than Metro.
"We are looking to capture the market of people already flying to Las Vegas and not flying out of Baton Rouge," Airport Director Anthony Marino said in March, while touting the plan.
Mayor Bobby Simpson, who supported the plan as a profitable job-generator, said Allegiant gave no warning there was a problem.
"We put a lot of hard work into it and we don’t really understand why they chose so abruptly to leave," he said Friday night.
Profita would not say if the airport would take legal action but he said they are exploring "all options."
"We are very, very disappointed in (Allegiant’s) conduct," he said.
The airport and its airline partners will try to help those whose travel plans have been spoiled by the pullout, Profita said.
"We’ve got four airlines that serve Las Vegas several times a day and I’m sure they will do their best to accommodate those passengers," he said.
Anyone with questions about their ticket purchase can contact Allegiant at 800 432-3810, a Metro Airport release says.
Allegiant Air abruptly canceled proposed direct flights from Baton Rouge to Las Vegas Friday, leaving flustered Metro Airport officials accusing the airline of violating their agreement.
Airline officials said a lack of advance ticket sales was the reason for the pullout, a consideration Metro Airport spokesman Bill Profita said was never brought up in negotiations.
"That was never disclosed anywhere along the way to anyone and we think that is a serious, serious breach," he said.
About 700 tickets for the flights, which were slated to begin May 10 and run four times a week, had been sold.
Allegiant claimed those numbers did not stack up to similar Allegiant ventures in Bismark, N.D., Sioux Falls, S.D. and Peoria, Ill., Profita said.
"They’re looking at advance ticket sales from other cities that have nothing to do with Baton Rouge," he said.
Other airlines provide connections to Las Vegas from Baton Rouge, but Allegiant would have given Metro Airport its only direct service to the gambling Mecca.
Allegiant has assured the airport that passengers who bought tickets will not have their credit cards charged and will be contacted by the airline, Profita said.
If Metro Airport officials had known the deal was contingent upon advance ticket sales, they would not have touted the flights as a sure thing, Profita said.
Allegiant’s Las Vegas corporate headquarters was closed Friday night and no one at the airline could be reached for comment.
However, in March, Allegiant Vice President Mark Peterson said, "Baton Rouge has been a bright light on our radar as we have looked around at 20-plus cities."
Despite heavy opposition from local casino employees who feared the flights to Las Vegas would hurt business, the Metro Council on March 24 approved a $430,048, two-year incentive plan to bring the low-fare airline to Baton Rouge.
None of the incentive money had been paid, Profita said.
Allegiant flights were to start at $89 each way and settle at $109-$179 each way.
Airport officials have said 75 percent of people in the region who fly to Las Vegas use airports other than Metro.
"We are looking to capture the market of people already flying to Las Vegas and not flying out of Baton Rouge," Airport Director Anthony Marino said in March, while touting the plan.
Mayor Bobby Simpson, who supported the plan as a profitable job-generator, said Allegiant gave no warning there was a problem.
"We put a lot of hard work into it and we don’t really understand why they chose so abruptly to leave," he said Friday night.
Profita would not say if the airport would take legal action but he said they are exploring "all options."
"We are very, very disappointed in (Allegiant’s) conduct," he said.
The airport and its airline partners will try to help those whose travel plans have been spoiled by the pullout, Profita said.
"We’ve got four airlines that serve Las Vegas several times a day and I’m sure they will do their best to accommodate those passengers," he said.
Anyone with questions about their ticket purchase can contact Allegiant at 800 432-3810, a Metro Airport release says.
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