Allegiant to Fort Myers sure to be a hit with Sox fans

Allegiant public relations coordinator Lindsay Hernquist was on hand for the inaugural flight's sendoff. (Harrison Thorp photos)

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - David Hurd III lives in Haverhill, Mass., which is about a half hour from either Boston or Portsmouth, but when it came to choosing which airport to use to fly to southwest Florida it was a slamdunk, he said.

“It’s so much easier, quicker and cheaper to use Allegiant,” he said on Wednesday afternoon as he prepared to board Allegiant Air’s inaugural flight to Punta Gorda, Fla.

The airline, which also offers flights to Sanford, Fla. (near Disney World), will be offering twice-weekly flights to Punta Gorda, convenient to the Red Sox Fort Myers spring training facility, through late April.

A very tranquil ticket line for Wednesday's inaugural flight.

Hurd, who was traveling to Venice, Fla., said if it weren’t for Allegiant’s flight, he would’ve had to go to Boston, which creates a lot more hassles, he said.

“This trip was a Christmas gift, and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.

Allegiant Air, which uses the commercial airport at Pease Tradeport just off the Spaulding, is offering fares as low $89.

A Rochester resident headed to Punta Gorda to visit his son said he was using Allegiant because it was so easy and so inexpensive. The airport also offers travelers free parking.

“What I like about the flight is it’s nonstop,” he said. “Try finding that out of Manchester or Boston.”

Cory Glaser, Allegiant Air’s station manager at Pease, said the MD-80 jet on Thursday was fully booked with 166 passengers. It arrived a few minutes early with a few passengers headed from Punta Gorda for Northern New England just in time for a blizzard (go figure), before Flight 947 boarded with its full load of happy snowbirds headed for sunny Florida, where it was in the 80s.

The approximately three-hour flights will regularly depart every Wednesday and Saturday.

Allegiant Air is based in Las Vegas, Nev. It also flies out of Portsmouth to Sanford, Fla., which is conveneient to Disney World. (Courtesy photo)

Lindsay Hernquist, a public relations coordinator with Allegiant, said the airline was looking forward to helping Red Sox fans with an easy and affordable way to get to see their team in spring training. Punta Gorda Airport is centrally located in Southwest Florida midway between Fort Myers and Sarasota, a quick drive to eight teams' Spring Training stadiums.

"Allegiant's seasonal Punta Gorda service will be a welcomed option for Portsmouth travelers looking to support their home team at Spring Training games," said Executive Director at the Portsmouth International Airport, Dave Mullen.

Hernquist said the airline’s travel company partners with rental car companies, hotels, restaurants and cruise excursion companies to provide discounted vacation packages available at http://Allegiant.com.