Flying between Red Deer and Calgary or Edmonton for a total of $9.99 proved to be popular, said the general manager of Swanberg Air Inc.
Although he did not yet have exact figures, Rich Wilde said the airline sold nearly all of the 235 seats they offered at the discount rate from early November to 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31.
The Grand Prairie-based company, which started flying out of the Red Deer Regional Airport just over a year ago, offered the $9.99 seat sale to create some buzz and to better assess how many people may fly the route, Wilde said.
“It does give us a good idea of how much potential there is and if we have to adjust our fares to capture that market,” he explained.
“It gives us some pretty good working numbers to figure that out.”
The company’s ticket sales tend to slump during the holiday season as the majority of its clients fly for business.
Happy with the increase in passengers, Wilde hopes interest continues into the new year and said the airline may offer the $9.99 seat sale at the same time again next year.
Swanberg Air flies into Red Deer from Calgary at 6:30 a.m. and returns to Calgary at 6:50 p.m. on weekdays.
Flights to Edmonton from Red Deer depart at 6:50 a.m. and return at 6:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Regular priced one-way tickets between Red Deer and Calgary range from $111.64 and $95.89 while flights between Red Deer and Edmonton range from $116.17 and $99.58.
The cheaper fares are offered when tickets are purchased two weeks in advance of flying.
All prices include taxes.
ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com