ExpressJet Airlines Launches, Serving a Number of Popular Gay Travel Destinations

If you live in or travel regularly to one of the many city's in the country that qualify in the airline industry as mid-size markets, you've no doubt gotten used to the annoying reality that you typically must connect through major hubs in order to fly to and from similar mid-size destinations. A new airline, ExpressJet, which has long flown under the name Continental Express and Delta Connection, is helping to remedy this problem, having launched its own stand-alone service on April 9. By the end of this summer, the fledgling carrier will offer nonstop flights between dozens of cities around the country (most in the South and the West) that previously had no direct connections.

Over the next few months, ExpressJet should earn plenty of props from gay travelers as it launches service in the following popular gay destinations: Albuquerque (which is also the gateway for Santa Fe), Austin, Bakersfield, Birmingham, Boise, Colorado Springs (a good alternate to DIA for flying to Denver), Corpus Christi, El Paso, Fresno (also a gateway to Yosemite National Park), Jacksonville (a good alternate airport for reaching Savannah), Kansas City, Louisville, Monterey, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ontario (which is also a relatively close airport to Palm Springs and Los Angeles), Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento (a good alternate to San Francisco, Tahoe, Yosemite, and the Napa/Sonoma Wine Country), San Antonio, San Diego, Spokane, Tucson, and Tulsa. All flights are provided on 50-seat jets, all with assigned seating (and no middle seats) - other perks include 100 channels of free XM Satellite Radio, leather seats, and cheap booze ($1 for beer, $3 for wine and liquor).

What are some popular new direct routings that will be especially popular with the gay travel market?

Albuquerque (i.e., Santa Fe) to Austin

Austin to New Orleans

Colorado Springs (i.e., Denver) to Ontario (i.e., Palm Springs, Los Angeles)

Jacksonville (i.e., Savannah) to Kansas City

Monterey to San Diego

New Orleans to Raleigh/Durham

Ontario (i.e., Palm Springs, Los Angeles) to Albuquerque (i.e., Santa Fe)

Sacramento (i.e., San Francisco, Wine Country, Tahoe, Yosemite) to Tucson

San Antonio to Ontario (i.e., Palm Springs, Los Angeles)

San Diego to Monterey

Fares are expected to be highly competitive, comparable to those charged by competing carriers, which is especially impressive given that ExpressJet will shave off hours of travel time by eliminating so many connections. The airline will also offer a frequent flyer program very similar to Southwest's: fly eight round-trips, and you'll qualify for a free round-trip flight anywhere in the system. However, as a promotion, if you fly any four round-trips before September 30, 2007, you'll qualify for the round-trip award. Sounds like great news for gay travelers in a number of markets throughout the country!