Horizon Ups Capacity With RJs To Meet Load Demands

Seattle-bound travelers poured through the Portland International Airport last week, like the rain that has flooded the Northwest. Due to the closure of Interstate 5 at Chehalis, passengers were opting for air travel, according to the Tri-City Herald. Meeting the demand, Horizon Air sold out seats on its larger 70-seat regional jets. Normally the airline flies smaller 37-seat turboprops on the Seattle-Portland route.

Horizon flights in and out of the Tri-Cities Airport were not affected by the weather or the increased passenger traffic. The airline, part of the Alaska Air Group--flies between Portland and Seattle every 30-minutes during the work week--with tickets costing $99 plus tax each way with an online booking. Horizon carried close to 240,000 passengers in and out of Portland during October -- already the busiest airline at Portland--before I-5 flooding boosted ticket sales.

The storm came as an early holiday present for the company that already sees what promises to be a healthy business month. Despite the rainstorms, travelers were pretty laid back by the travel challenges.

"Flying is no fun, but there certainly isn't anything anyone could do about it," said Mike Caster, from Seattle.

Caster said he would have preferred to drive, but wasn't troubled by the forced flight. "It's faster than driving, if not cheaper."

"I'm not too upset, because this way I got more time with friends and family," said Kathy Jones of Los Angeles. Jones booked a seat on Horizon Air on Wednesday morning because she couldn't get a flight on Tuesday. Amtrak trains eased some of the burden later in the week, but the regular commuters weren't fazed by the inconvenience of the extra crowding. 

"It's only a 45-minute flight," said Steven Anderson, who regularly travels between Portland and Seattle. "For something that short, I'd fly standing up if I had to."

"In the Army, I've seen a lot worse than a crowded plane," said Antwoine Jones, who was returning to his base in Alaska.

FMI: www.alaskaair.com, www.flypdx.com/