PDXPremier

What's up with Allegiant and American both starting up service in Idaho Falls? I would have thought QX would have returned by now if passenger traffic warranted and the Allegiant flight from PDX-IDA seems like a route I'd expect from QX long before any other carrier. I can't remember how long it's been since QX served IDA, but my guess is that it went away with the loss of the Q200 aircraft (also resulting in QX dropping PDT).

https://www.idahofallsmagazine.com/2...al-airport-ida

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2021/0...falls-flights/

Idaho Territory

Without breaking open wikipedia it was mid 2000's when IDA lost Horizon service. I had expected AS/QX to be off the table with the pandemic. Glad to see that AA is back. Anything that gives DL a run for their money is good in my book. I haven't figured where my motivation resides about G4 for PDX<>IDA vs AA<>PHX<>IDA.

Buddy16

I miss those those Fairchilds swaying sideways at takeoff from IDA...

PDXPremier

I remember flying the Metro III from PDX-GEG when I was a kid....everyone had a window seat

PDXPremier

The PDX-IDA route seems like an odd choice for G4....will be interesting to see how it works out. For $49, I'm tempted fly it just for fun, but it's on G4 so I'm not THAT tempted

TEDisgone

Way back in the late 80s/early 90s, I used to love flying the AA one-stop (in SLC) from DFW on the mad dogs - there was just something fun about using reverse thrust to push back from the gates at IDA. Then when I moved west, QX became my airline with that one-stop in BOI. I haven't been back since the early 00s so I wasn't even aware QX stopped flying there! A nonstop from PDX would be convenient but... G4? Pass.

dordal

You’d actually go all the way to PHX and connect vs take a non-stop to PDX? I mean you’re in a small metal tube either way... and even if it’s G4 it’s not like it’s a super long flight.

PV_Premier

Eastern Idaho is a gap for AS in the NW...either IDA or PIH would be very useful for me, especially since I am not convinced the JAC flights are going to really survive except for SEA-JAC. It is a long and annoying (trafficky) drive from PIH/IDA to SLC, and BOI is 3-4 hours away.

I think a tag flight on a bigger airframe routed SEA/PDX-BOI-PIH/IDA once or twice a day could work, especially if routing rules and timing of connections from other cities at BOI were accommodated.

Not sure the economics of eastern Idaho are strong enough right now to support a Q400 or E75 more than once a day, and if it shows up, it will show up out of SEA before PDX.

I guess G4's take on this is likely that eastern Idaho has seen significant tourism interest the past year and it's probably cheaper for them to operate in and out of IDA than JAC. JAC is much more convenient for the NP's but if someone is flying on a budget with a big family the economics of $49 into IDA versus $200+ into JAC or BZN come into play.

PDXPremier

Lol, actually I would go through PHX on AA (or even DFW for that matter).....this is FLYERtalk, right? My reasons:
1. Free baggage (after 3/31)
2. Advance seat assignments
3. More RDMs/EQMs
4. AC access in PHX (as Alaska Lounge member)

PV_Premier

Bored Wiki time at lunch today indicates the following:

G4 in fact operates out of IDA currently to both LAS and AZA, supposedly year round. They also fly seasonally (summer) to LAX, OAK, and SAN from IDA, so PDX will be their 6th city served.

QX pulled out of IDA in 2010, and at that time they were only serving it from Boise. The SEA-BZN-IDA flight stopped in August, 2009.



G4 has always freaked me out a bit, but I might try the OAK-IDA flight this summer for a long weekend, I don't need to travel with bags generally speaking, and the drive sucks. Then again the drive to Oakland sucks too, so probably best to just pay Delta an arm and a leg.

NoLaGent

Tangentially, G4 is also beginning 2x weekly service from OAK-BZN on 5/28.

davew-krdm

Multiple cities were dropped when QX stopped flying the Q200 including KFS (Klamath Falls) and OTH (North Bend/Coos Bay). Was Idaho Falls axed at the same time?

PDXPremier

I'm not sure, but that's my guess....if Idaho Falls is such an up and coming destination, I was a bit surprised that QX didn't re-enter the market prior to G4/AA.

jrl767

say WHAT?! yeah it's a reasonable guess, but the real KFS is on the other side of the world from LMT

PV_Premier

if you have ever been to IDA you definitely know there is nothing up and coming about it, except its relative proximity to some cool national and state parks.