On July 14, the latest U.S start-up airline aha! now flies from the city of Reno-Tahoe to Santa Rosa. Luckily, the first-ever 100 passengers won free tickets. The airline was founded by a veteran of ExpressJet Airlines and is very pleased for the airline to finally serve the busy airspace of the Santa Rosa/North Bay Area region, with nonstop flights to and from Reno.
This route marks the first major milestone for aha! Between Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Charles M. Schultz-Sonoma County Airport.
Tim Sieber, head of ExpressJet’s aha! business unit, stated: “We are very appreciative of the warm reception we’ve had since announcing Santa Rosa as one of aha!‘s newest routes – even Snoopy is celebrating with us today!”
“We’re thrilled to be able to provide passengers with an easy nonstop flight between Reno-Tahoe and Santa Rosa – two destinations that offer a blend of urban adventures and outdoor recreation.”
With aha! now flying non-stop between the two cities, means that travellers can not save two travel days. Moreover, travellers can also replace a four or five-hour drive or a long layover with a quick and safe 57-minute nonstop flight.
Aha! will operate these runs every Thursday and Sunday. The flight will initially depart Reno-Tahoe International Airport at 3:40 PM and arrive at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport at 4:37 p.m. On the return leg, aha! will depart Santa Rosa at 5:15 p.m. and land in Reno-Tahoe at 6:12 p.m.
James Gore, Chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and representative for District 4, stated with excitement: “Connecting these two recreational hot spots is a fantastic addition to our local airport.”
“This gives our residents the opportunity to enjoy all that the Reno-Tahoe area has to offer and gives the Northern Nevada residents an excuse for a hassle-free wine country getaway. An absolute win-win for both markets.”
This quirky new airline has an intelligent marketing gimmick. The first 100 passengers will receive a free ticket, giving the airline a major PR boost from day one of launch. To help lure the market even further, wines fly free!
The “wines fly free program” that is – where the airline will welcome passengers to check in one wine bottle as a free checked bag, so long as passengers declare the alcoholic item during check-in.
About aha!
Aha! is an offshoot leisure brand of ExpressJet Airlines. The newly established Nevadan-based airline finds a niche in its operations flying travellers to smaller cities, where most time flights are not being flown. The airline will also fill in the ‘missing market’ where traditional mainline airlines do not fly to such remote communities.
Aha! surely provides a lifeline for commuters from smaller regions and towns, which are often neglected due to the lack of alternative means of transport, especially air. The airline will operate the Brazilian-made Embraer ERJ145 jet from ExpressJet Airlines.
