Question of the Day - 13 January 2017

In November 2016, Allegiant Airlines ferried 203,917 passengers to and from Las Vegas. But as impressive as that might sound, it doesn't even place Allegiant in the top five -- behind number-five carrier Spirit Airlines, at 277,439, by nearly 27%.

Tops for the market -- with no one even close -- was Southwest Airlines, carrying 1,620,893 air travelers. A distant second was American Airlines, carrying 390,692. Rounding out the top five were United Airlines (364,677), Delta (357,695), and Spirit.

Over the first 10 months of 2016 (McCarran International Airport, which provides the passenger numbers, has yet to aggregate the data from November and December), Allegiant has brought 1,988,943 souls into and out of Sin City, a year-to-date change increase of 11% over 2015.

For all of 2015, Allegiant flew 3,101,161 people to and from Las Vegas, a 15% upswing from 2014's 2,697,878 total. In 2015, Allegiant represented 1.4% of McCarran's 45.4 million passenger loads, so it's got a long way to grow.

Its low-cost base-price strategy leads to some unconventional policies. First, flights are sold exclusively on AllegiantAir.com and not via any online travel agents (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.), and there’s a $15 charge for phone-in reservations (along with a number of other upsells). Allegiant Air doesn’t have any sort of frequent-flyer program. The airline charges for carry-on bags (only one other, Spirit, does that) and gate-checked bags. Snacks are never offered on Allegiant Air flights, and seats on Allegiant Air aircraft don’t have a reclining mechanism. (seats come pre-reclined).

So, though you like it, Allegiant isn’t for everyone.

"In today's QoD, you say that only Allegiant and Spirit Airlines charge for carry-on bags. I know that Frontier Airlines charges for carry-on bags as well ($20 at ticket purchase, up to $60 at check-in). This policy goes a long way to explain why I have learned to pack for a three-day trip in a backpack that will fit under the seat. When I took a flight to Philadelphia on United, which does not charge for carry-on bags, I forgot my carry-on and left it in my car. I did bring my backpack, so not all was lost." "Just wanted to add some information about Allegiant Airlines snack policy. They do offer snacks and such, but you do have to pay for the snacks that they offer on their menu. Remember to bring your credit/debit card for that... Or bring your own snacks and food with you!" "We have used Allegiant the last 6 trips to Vegas. Two reasons we like Allegiant: 1. Priority boarding. $10 each allows use to bypass the lines at check-in and we can use the first class security line in Las Vegas.Plus they offer a few large seats at an extra charge, a couple of which do recline."