WTOL.com, Toledo's News Leader, News 11 | Jet America spends bundle to lure flyers back to Toledo

Jet America spends bundle to lure flyers back to Toledo

By Lauren Lowrey - bio | email 

Posted by Lisa Strawbridge - email

TOLEDO (WTOL) - We're less than three weeks from the launch of Toledo's newest airline, Jet America. There's been a crush of advertisements leading up to it including some promotion that money can't buy.

The headline says it all, "Toledo Airport woos Detroit Metro Fliers." The article ran Wednesday, June 24 in the Detroit News, which is one of the largest papers in the country serving the city that most Toledo travelers fly from.

Now, The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is working to steal those travelers back. Their weapon is Jet America. The new, low-cost airline will use Toledo as its first test city and will fly direct to Newark, NJ, Minneapolis, MN and Melbourne, Florida (55 miles southeast of Orlando on the Atlantic coast.)

Other travel notes: A train can be taken in to NYC from Newark. Also, the Jet America site has partnered to offer vacation packages in Melbourne and Orlando.

Ticket prices start at $9

"You can go onto JetAmerica.com and book. There are $9 seats on every flight. It's not a gimmick. It's something that's going to be consistent, and something we can really appreciate Jet America taking that approach," said Port Authority President Mike Stolarczyk.

Massive advertising campaign

Low ticket prices are only part of the equation. Advertising is the other. The Port Authority has received a $400,000 grant from the Department of Transportation to promote the airline.

Then, they've put up $200,000 of their own money to help push it along. Also, add on $300,000 of "in kind" advertising from local media coverage.

The Port Authority has $900,000 to spend just to promote Jet America.

Comments

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"I think it's a significant amount of money," said Stolarczyk, "but it has been targeted to the right type of audiences."

So far, the Port Authority has spent just under $200,000 of that money, and this recent article in the Detroit News helps even more.

Stolarczyk told News 11, "When you talk about being in the Toledo and Detroit press, that's thousands upon thousands of dollars in advertising that money just can't buy."

We'll just have to wait to see if that money pays off.

Making reservations

Visit the web site or call a reservations specialist: 1-727-451-3970 8a - 9p ( 7 days a week).