New Airline in Fresno Marks Inaugural Flight with Special Deals, Low Fares as Demand Grows

Nov. 10—The inaugural flight of ExpressJet Airlines' new aha! brand Fresno to Reno on Wednesday afternoon left Fresno Yosemite International Airport less than half full, but representatives of the upstart brand expect that the three-times-a-week flights will soon attract more passengers.

Michael Miskel, a specialist for airport operations for ExpressJet, said the 50-seat Embraer ERJ145 regional jet brought eight passengers from Reno to Fresno for the first flight, and carried 20 people for the return trip to Reno.

But Miskel added that as people in Fresno learn of the new route, more will begin making the trip, based on his experience with other communities in California, Washington and Oregon where aha! has launched service over the past few weeks — and less than two months after announcing its plans for Fresno.

The airline's business model is aimed at offering relatively low fares to a popular destination for passengers hoping to make a spontaneous, short-duration getaway.

The airline was welcomed at the airport's boarding gates with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, City Manager Thomas Esqueda, Assistant City Manager Greg Barfield and Kevin Meikle, the city's director of aviation.

"This destination has been on my wish list," Dyer said of the flights to Reno.

Dyer and Meikle added that airline travel from Fresno's airport is already rebounding to, and beyond, pre-pandemic levels.

Dyer said that through the first 10 months of the year, Fresno Yosemite International Airport is on pace to achieve 1.3 million departing passengers, and a similar number of arrivals, for 2021 — enough to mark a new annual record.

aha! (the airline brand's name is an acronym for "airline, hotel, adventure") hopes to capitalize on the increasing appetite for airline travel among a public that was largely locked down in place with travel restrictions for the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ExpressJet CEO Subodh Karnik told The Bee this week that the company actually accelerated its plans in anticipation of pent-up travel demand.

Reno-Taho International Airport is the base of operations for aha!, and currently the only destination for the small to mid-sized airports that it is serving in the western U.S. The airline is flying between Fresno and Reno on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with arrivals in Fresno at about 3:30 p.m. and departures at about 4:15 p.m.

Special deals

aha! marked the start of its service with an offer of a free ticket for the first 100 customers on the Fresno-Reno rout, a marketing representative said Wednesday.

Travelers can use the promotional code WELCOME2FAT when they book their ticket online at www.flyaha.com or calling 775-439-0888 before midnight Friday. The promo code is good for a $0 base fare through Dec. 15. The base fare does not include extras including checked baggage or ticket upgrades, and is subject to blackout dates.

Additionally, the airline has a limited-time introductory fare of $49 each way through Nov. 15.

aha! hopes to begin offering vacation packages that bundle airline tickets with hotel offers at Reno hotels, possibly later in November or in December.

This story was originally published November 10, 2021 5:58 PM.

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