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COMMERCIAL AVIATION Airport on pace for 700,000 passengers in 2015 Travelers laud convinience, cost of flying out of Medford Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 11, 2015 at 2:20 PM Updated Sep 11, 2015 at 2:41 PM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 11, 2015 at 2:20 PM Updated Sep 11, 2015 at 2:41 PM » Social News Three successive months of 70,000-plus passengers has all but assured the Medford airport will reach the 700,000 plateau this year. "If the economy were to crash or something major occurred, we could have a drop-off," airport Director Bern Case said. "From this point, if we stay even with last year, we're going to have a really good year." While falling short of July's all-time record of 76,578, August saw 75,174 passengers, with United Express and Allegiant Air producing the biggest gains. Through eight months, the airport has seen 498,877 travelers pass through its gates, more than any 12-month total before 2004. It stands 15.2 percent ahead of the 2014 pace. When deregulation hit the industry in the late 1970s, fares in competitive major hub markets tumbled while ticket prices in smaller regional airports soared. As a result, it was common for Rogue Valley travelers to drive to Sacramento, San Francisco or Portland to cash in on lower fares, especially when a whole family was flying. Medford resident Cindy Stieglitz flies regularly to visit relatives in the Midwest. "When I was traveling with the kids 20 years ago, I would go out of San Francisco or Portland because it was more economical," Stieglitz said. "Now, it's not worth the time to go other places. By the time you add up your time, gas, wear and tear on the car, parking and possible hotel stay, it is no longer cheaper for one or two people to travel out of Portland or San Francisco. If you are buying tickets for a larger group, it then is more economical for sure, but still a pain to drive there." Amanda Chantel drove to Los Angeles once to cash in on a bargain fare, but that trip proved to be an educational experience; today, she flies out of the Rogue Valley. "I always fly out of Medford," Chantel said. "It's closer, and the difference in cost is negated in gas, hotel costs and my time. I flew out of LAX once and it was not a pleasant experience — 12 hours in a car, hotel and gas, as well as parking fees, were all wasted. Also, we have short lines, easy security and you don't have to show up more than an hour before your flight." Combined with 730,000 passengers over the past 12 months, comments like those above have Case on cloud nine. "It's been a nice ride," he said. Alaska's Horizon Unit accounted for nearly 40,000 passengers in August, United Express had just over 20,000 travelers, Allegiant Air had 8,268 customers and flew just over 7,000 passengers. Although a monthly record or two may fall between now and 2016, Case knows the usual shoulder-season trajectory. "I'm convinced the monthly record will stand until next June or July, even if we remain on our upward trend," he said. "That's just the way the statistics run." The 19 daily departures, up one from a year ago, are running at more than 90 percent capacity even though United Express upgraded its San Francisco runs to regional jets from small prop planes. Case is also hopeful Allegiant will again provide seasonal service to Mesa, Ariz., next year. Allegiant views the Rogue Valley as a summer getaway for Arizonans, rather than the Valley of the Sun being a snowbird destination for Oregonians. "I think if Alaska Airlines would open a route to say (Sky Harbor Airport in) Phoenix, then that number would grow, but I don't make those decisions," said Brian Mein, owner of Caveman Travel in Grants Pass. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31 , and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/EconomicEdge . By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 11, 2015 at 2:20 PM Updated Sep 11, 2015 at 2:41 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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