Northwest Testing Low-Fare Program In Minnesota

<I>Minneapolis</I> - Northwest Airlines is testing a new six-month program to drive up commuter traffic within Minnesota while driving down ticket costs.

The program, called Fly Local, involves an experimental fare structure for flights between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Bemidji, Brainerd, Hibbing/Chisholm, Grand Rapids and St. Cloud, Minn., connections most travelers cover by car rather than by air.

Mesaba Airlines, which operates 19-seat aircraft, will be the prime Fly Local carrier, according to Northwest spokeswoman Marta Laughlin.

"Until Fly Local started March 25, we've been dealing with very low traffic volume and very high fares," Laughlin said. "For example, it formerly cost a traveler $149 for a 21-day advance purchase one-way fare to Brainerd, and $249 for a walk-up ticket. Now that 21-day fare is $69 one way."

Similarly, 21-day advance purchase and walk-up fares were $135 and $201 to Grand Rapids, respectively; $135 and $201 to Hibbing/Chisholm; and $99/$169 to Brainerd. Now, fares to all five Fly Local destinations will be $69 for a 21-day advance purchase with Saturday night stayover, and $99 for walk-up purchase.

Equally important, there is now a uniform one-way add-on to interstate fares requiring a switch to commuter flights in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Instead of paying up to a few hundred dollars for the commuters-which many travelers have avoided by renting a car in Minneapolis-passengers pay an extra $15 to and from St. Cloud, and $30 each way from the four other secondary destinations.

"We hope the Fly Local experiment will increase passenger levels enough to make this an ongoing part of our pricing strategy," said Northwest Airlines senior vice president for state affairs Richard Anderson. Laughlin noted that should the program prove successful, it might be expanded to several other states.