For Jenn Maurer, Southwest's impending departure from the Bellingham market left her trying to find another option to leave town for her job as a wedding photographer.
“It’s really a good thing to have a local airport that I can count on,” the 30-year-old Bellingham resident said. “Change is always hard, so I’m sure I’ll find something else, but I’d rather not have to.”
Maurer is one of Many Bellingham area residents have expressed disappointment with the decision and are now trying to find other options to replace the convenience offered by Southwest. The Dallas-based airline said reasoning for closing the BLI road, along with three others, and reduced flights at two major airports, are due to delays in Boeing aircraft deliveries and economic factors. The airline announced that its last day of operations would be August 4.
Kip Turner, BLI's director of aviation, said the airport was optimistic that existing airlines at the airport, such as Alaska Airlines and Allegiant, would improve their services after Southwest left and made hint at new options.
“We're going to get more services to replace what's coming out,” he said, although he did not specify which carriers might enter BLI.
As travelers continue to look for solutions, here is a list of travel options and tips.
Continue to BLI
Three daily flights to Seattle from Bellingham are operated by Alaska Airlines. Allegiant also offers flights to Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego, but not all are daily flights.
Turner encouraged travelers to continue flying out of Bellingham because it is inexpensive and convenient for travelers.
Shuttles to airports
Bellair Airporter Shuttle Offers daily shuttles every one to two hours between Bellingham and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. You must book in advance and tickets cost up to $101 round trip. However, this is not the quickest way to get to SeaTac, with the drive taking over three hours if you are leaving from Ferndale.
The Bellair Shuttles also make an occasional stop at Paine Field, but you must call ahead to schedule. This phone number is (866) 235-5247.
There is also the Fast Shuttle service from Bellingham to Vancouver International Airport. You can take the shuttle at four different times in the afternoon from BLI and then be dropped off at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond. From there you can take a taxi or the skytrain to the airport. A one-way ticket costs $44 and passengers can bring one regular bag, one carry-on bag and one personal item.
Travelers can also take the Greyhound bus daily from Western Washington University to SeaTac for about $80 round trip. The trip takes nearly three hours with two stops at the University of Washington and 6th Avenue South and South Lane Street.
Fly from Vancouver
You can choose to take off from Vancouver International Airport, recently voted “Best Airport in North America” by SkyTraxthe benchmark for airport assessment.
YVR is an hour north, but you take control of your destiny by factoring in the time spent at the Blaine border crossing.
Four airport parking options are available: Gateway Valet, Parking Lot, JetSet YVR Parking and Long Term Parking. The valet option is the most expensive with a daily rate of almost $50CAD, with a valet parking fee of $20. Long-term parking costs $27.50 CAD per day and a free train will take you directly to the terminal.
If you want to travel internationally, YVR offers a range of flights to Mexico, Europe and Asia.
Fly from Paine Field to Everett
Drive about an hour south to Seattle Paine Field International Airport in Everett to catch flights offered by Alaska Airlines, the only airline. Destinations include: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Orange County, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Anchorage and Honolulu.
The airport also offers uncovered parking for up to $34 per day in premium parking or up to $24 in economy parking.
Fly from SeaTac
SeaTac, of course, is an hour and a half south on Interstate 5.
Parking rates at SeaTac range from $37 per day for drive-up parking to $47 per day for an airport-only reservation.
For those wishing to park in one of the other lots offering a shuttle to SeaTac, daily parking rates are around $20.
Train and transit options
The Link Light Rail option in Seattle offers a few drop-off points north of the city. For those coming from Bellingham, it is recommended that you park or have a friend drop you off at the Northgate Light Rail Station, located near the Northgate Mall. A one-way ticket to the airport will cost around $3.50.
Ride the Angle Lake train for approximately 50 minutes, 17 stops, and get off at the SeaTac-Airport station. From there, it's a 7-9 minute walk to the terminal. An electric shuttle service between the light rail station and the airport skybridge operates between 5 a.m. and midnight if the boardwalk is inaccessible. The rear of the shuttle offers space for luggage.
You can take the Amtrak train from the Fairhaven station, located at 401 Harris Ave. in Bellingham, to Seattle. The train will drop you off at King Street Station and you will still need to take the tram or carpool to the airport.
Train tickets start at $27 for coach and go up from there. The average time to travel to Seattle is 2.5 hours by train.
Annie Todd is CDN's criminal justice and business reporter; join her to annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
