Another new pandemic airline: What travelers need to know about Aha and its $49 flights to Reno/Tahoe
debuted in April, Breeze Airways began flying a month later and a third one is now on the way.
Aha! Airlines on Wednesday said it will begin flights to and from Reno-Tahoe International Airport in late October.
Aha, which stands for “air, hotel, adventure,” isn’t brand new. It is the reincarnation of the former ExpressJet. That’s not a household name because the regional airline flew as United Express, flying passengers on short hops to and from United Airlines’ hubs under contract. The contract ended during the pandemic and ExpressJet effectively shut down in late September.
ExpressJet CEO Subodh Karnik, an airline industry veteran, said the company weighed its options and decided the pandemic presented opportunities, namely for nonstop service from smaller cities to vacation hotspots in the United States. With international travel largely off-limits and business travel not back, vacationers and travelers visiting friends and families have sustained airlines during the pandemic.
“We realized look, nobody wants to go to Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat. They want to go to something much more (pandemic travel) friendly, at least for a while,” he said. “To me, the Reno market is almost like the perfect place.”
►Come explore with us:Subscribe to our Travel newsletter
►’Give us a date’:International travelers want to know what ‘early November’ means for US border reopening
Tesla gigafactory, he said, and for vacationers is the gateway to Lake Tahoe, which offers year-round adventure including skiing, hiking and boating as well as casino gambling.
Aha is starting nonstop service from eight smaller cities/airports in California, Oregon and Washington using 50-seat regional jets, but Karnik said there is room to grow to 20. None of the cities had nonstop service to Reno. Travelers in those cities currently have to catch a connecting flight to Reno at a major airline hub.
The airline plans to add vacation packages to its website in the next few weeks.
“Basically what we are selling is the convenience of a reasonably priced, three-, two-, five-day vacation at a reasonable price to a vacation destination that has everything,” Karnik said.
Aha will launch with fourplanes and has aspirations to expand to the East Coast, he said.
Where does Aha Airlines fly?
The airline plans to fly between Reno-Tahoe International Airport and:
- Pasco/Tri-Cities, Washington: Beginning Oct. 24.
- Bakersfield, California: Beginning Oct. 25
- Medford/Ashland, Oregon: Beginning Oct. 31.
- Eugene/Springfield, Oregon: Beginning Nov. 1.
- Ontario, California: Beginning Nov. 4.
- Redmond/Bend, Oregon: Beginning Nov. 5.
- Eureka/Arcata, California: Beginning Nov. 9
- Fresno/Yosemite, California: Beginning Nov. 10
ended flights to and from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport after three months.
Aha Airlines tickets: $49 introductory fares
Aha is offering introductory one-way fares of $49 on its website, but the travel window is relatively short at that price. Tickets must be purchased 21 days in advance for travel by Nov. 15.
The airline has three fare categories: budget, which is nonrefundable and nonchangeable; standard, which is nonrefundable, but changes can be made for $25 plus any fare difference up to 24 hours before the flight; and flex, which is fully refundable and allows free changes up to 24 hours before a flight (plus any fare difference).
Aha Airlines fees:
Like Allegiant, Spirit, Frontier, Breeze and Avelo, Aha charges for a regular size carry-on bag. The fee on Aha is $30. Personal items that fit underneath the seat are free.
Aha is charging $30 for the first checked bag, the going rate at major airlines, but $50 for a second bag, which is $10 more than major airlines charge.