Another new flight coming to Myrtle Beach

Feb 02, 2010

Myrtle Beach International Airport has landed a flight to Grand Rapids, Mich., on Allegiant Air, the carrier announced this morning. The nonstop flight to a new Allegiant hub at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids begins April 30. It will run on Mondays and Fridays. Flights will depart Grand Rapids at 11:30 a.m. and arrive at Myrtle Beach International Airport at 1:30 p.m. Flights will leave Myrtle Beach at 7:10 p.m. and arrive in Grand Rapids at 9:10 p.m. Allegiant will use a 150-seat, MD-80 series, jet-aircraft. Officials announced a new direct flight from Myrtle Beach International Airport to Huntington, W.Va., according to a news release issued Tuesday. Allegiant Air LLC, a subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Company, announced the direct flight with introductory fares starting at $39 one way, but must be purchased by March 28 and travel completed by Sept. 30, according to the release. A second city will be added later to the service. After the introductory period, one-way fares to Huntington will start at $59, according to the release. Reservations can be made at www.allegiantair.com, or by calling 702-505-8888. Travelers between Myrtle Beach and Chicago have an easier way to get back and forth starting today with the launch of a daily, nonstop flight on Spirit Airlines. Grand Strand tourism leaders herald the new flight to Chicago O'Hare International Airport as an opportunity to lure more visitors to the beach, especially golfers from the Chicago area. "It has huge potential," said Bill Golden, president of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, a marketing group that also works to get flights to the beach. "Chicago is the No. 2 golf market east of the Mississippi behind New York. It is a tremendous opportunity for us." There's a new rock station "not necessarily playing new rock" in town, and there's also an old local morning show voice anchoring the station’s morning slot. Former WKZQ morning show host Mad Max is back on the newly minted Rock 107, WRXZ-FM, a station that has bounced from classic rock to old school R&B in recent years. A sampling of 9 a.m. drive time music on Wednesday revealed a playlist that included Beastie Boys, Stone Temple Pilots, Faith No More, Led Zeppelin and Bad Company. So, it sounds like the music will be a cross between classic rock, classic alternative and newer formats. Stay tuned. SPRING FORWARD Myrtle Beach International Airport is gaining new air service that area leaders say will open the Grand Strand to an entirely new region and potentially thousands of golfers, families and business travelers. American Eagle Airlines, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, will begin nonstop service between Myrtle Beach and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on April 6. "This is huge on so many levels. American, obviously, is a huge legacy carrier and Dallas/Fort Worth is a huge market for us," said Lauren Morris, spokeswoman for the Horry County Department of Airports. Spirit Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between Chicago and Myrtle Beach in March, reopening a key golf and tourism market to the Grand Strand. Spirit will make one round trip between Myrtle Beach International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport in the middle of the day from March 1 to Nov. 11, the company said. The flight marks the first daily nonstop service to the Windy City since United Airlines ceased its daily service in 2006. The airline kept nonstop weekend service intermittently through September, according to Horry County, which owns and operates the airport. Allegiant, which has operated from Grand Rapids for a year, is setting up a hub there, flying to six destinations including Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas and Phoenix-Mesa. Myrtle Beach has lured several new flights starting in early 2010, including a nonstop flight to Toronto on Porter Airlines and a flight to Dallas/Fort Worth on American Eagle starting this spring. Read more at The Sun News.