Allegiant to offer flights from Eugene to Las Vegas.

Byline: Tim Christie The Register-Guard

Nothing like a little sex appeal to get people's attention.

To announce new direct air service from Eugene to Las Vegas - two flights a week, starting May 10 - Allegiant Air officials brought with them freelance showgirl Polina McDowell, clad in blue boas, shimmering spangles, a towering feathery hat piece and not much else.

"Since I can't take you to Vegas, I brought a little Vegas with me," Eric Woodson, Allegiant's director of marketing and sales, said in introducing McDowell at a news conference Thursday inside the airport terminal.

McDowell's main function, it appeared, was to look showgirly and pose for photos with airport officials, travel agents and civic leaders, including Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy.

Airport Manager Bob Noble said travelers have long been asking for low-cost flights to leisure destinations, and Las Vegas is one of the top markets out of Eugene.

"We're meeting the demands of what the regional community has asked for," he said.

After an introductory round-trip fare of $118, Allegiant will charge a regular round-trip fare of $158. US Airways currently offers direct flights from Eugene to Las Vegas three times a week; a telephone agent said the cheapest round-trip fare for travel at the end of March is $278.

One complaint from travelers about the US Airways service is that its return flights leave Las Vegas at 11:51 p.m., Noble said.

Allegiant occupies a unique niche in the ultra-competitive airline industry: It offers residents of small- and medium-size cities in the northern half of the country cheap flights to sunny climes, catering not to the business traveler but rather the leisure traveler. It also offers vacation packages in partnership with more than 35 Las Vegas hotels, Woodson said.

"We are radically different from every other carrier," Woodson said. "United is in the connectivity business. We are trying to connect you to Vegas."

An airline like Southwest wouldn't serve Eugene because the market doesn't have the volume of customers to make their business plan work, he said.

Allegiant looks for markets such as Eugene - as well as Medford and Redmond, where it recently launched service - that don't have low-cost jet service to vacation destinations.

Allegiant, which became a publicly traded company in December, has seen "explosive growth" in recent years, Woodson said. In October 2004, it had 300 employees and seven jets serving 12 cites. Today, it has 1,000 employees and 25 jets serving more than 50 cities, including 38 that fly into Las Vegas. The carrier also offers flights into Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg from Midwest and Eastern cities.

If the demand for service to Las Vegas grows, the airline will add flights, Woodson said. Bellingham, Wash., for instance, is one of Allegiant's busiest markets, offering eight to 10 flights a week, he said.

Noble said the airport will spend $50,000 for initial marketing of the new service and to promote the inaugural flight in May, but is offering no other incentives or guarantees.

ALLEGIANT AIR

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air will begin direct flights from Eugene to Las Vegas on May 10.

Allegiant will offer an introductory fare of $59 one-way, which must be purchased by March 31 and used by Aug. 15. After that, fares will start at $79 one-way.

The flights initially will be on Thursday and Sunday. They will depart Eugene at 11:05 a.m. Thursday and arrive in Las Vegas at 1 p.m. Return flights will depart Las Vegas at 8:30 a.m. Sunday and arrive in Eugene at 10:25 a.m.

Allegiant flies 150-seat MD-80 jets.

Travelers can book vacation packages to Las Vegas, including more than 35 hotels, through ww.allegiantair.com