Phone: 530-605-0137
Fax: 801-460-6570
PO Box 7 Palo Cedro, CA 96073.
PSG # 0024920
Steve Rudd, co-owner of First Class Shuttle Inc. in Redding, was one of the first-timers. His business opened in April. Rudd provides daily rides from Redding to Sacramento International Airport. First Class Shuttle operates two vans that run three to four times a day. The vans leave from the Oxford Suites on Hilltop Drive. The idea for First Class Shuttle came about two years ago when Rudd was driving his wife to Sacramento to catch a plane. Rudd apologized to his wife that he hadn't been able to get her to the airport earlier. "She said, 'That's OK, I could have just called the shuttle,' and I said, 'I don't think there is one,' " Rudd recalled. "So when I dropped her off, I started doing my homework."It's also an idea born out of necessity.
Rudd, 52, is a truck driver who hauls cement from Redding to Oregon. He was making eight to 10 trips a week a year ago. Today, he's lucky if he makes four trips north in a week. So First Class Shuttle is supplementing his trucking income. Rudd owns the business with his son, Eric Vickery, 34, who runs the marketing and bookkeeping side of the company. First Class Shuttle has not done a lot of advertising but recently purchased Interstate 5 billboard space in Anderson. Rudd said the billboard goes up next month. Click here to read more about First Class Shuttle.
Connecting the Northstate to Sacramento Airport... This is Where Your Trip Begins
Echoing what is happening across the country, the number of passengers flying in and out of Redding Municipal Airport in 2009 fell 13.6 percent to the lowest level since 2003.
The turbulent economy and the growing difficulty of catching connecting flights in other cities factored into the decline, north state travel experts said.
Some even suggested that the return of a Redding-to-Sacramento airport van shuttle helped steer more travelers south in 2009.
"In our business it all comes down to discretionary income, and if you have it, you spend it and people will travel," said Cathy Bossert, co-owner of Downtown Travel in Redding.
Redding Municipal Airport saw 114,104 travelers pass through its terminal last year, down from 132,058 in 2008 and the fewest since 2003's 107,752 - a year when the industry was still feeling the effect from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Redding is served by SkyWest, which contracts with United Express and offers four daily flights to San Francisco, and Horizon Air, which flies daily to Los Angeles and Seattle.
Passenger traffic in Redding peaked in 2006, when a record 135,943 passengers used the airport.
"The entire industry is down," Redding Airports Manager Rod Dinger said.
Dinger said the economy and United Airlines' reduced seating capacity, which means fewer flights available in San Francisco, reverberate to areas like Redding.
Passenger numbers last year at Chico Municipal Airport, which is served only by SkyWest, declined 6.9 percent to 46,341.
At Sacramento International Airport, year-over-year passenger traffic fell 10.7 percent to 8,914,510 in 2009, the fewest travelers since 2003. Even low-budget carrier Southwest Airlines had an off year in Sacramento, experiencing a 7.5 percent decline in 2009.
Janette Webber, co-owner of Avanti Travel in Redding, said Redding continues to be a challenging take-off point for making a connection.
"Personally, I like to go out of Redding as much as I can, but sometimes you are forced to go to Sacramento," Webber said.
When Horizon Air in August replaced its Redding-to-Portland, Ore., service with a flight to Seattle, there was concern that the flight would not arrive in Seattle early enough for travelers to catch their cruise out of the Emerald City.
The flight arrives in Seattle late in the afternoon, which means north state travelers typically either have to stay overnight and catch the ship the next day or fly out of Sacramento to make a same-day connection, Webber explained.
"But if you use it as a positive, and tell people your trip is going to start a day early, you can stay in Seattle and relax," they understand, Bossert of Downtown Travel said of the potential layover.
Meanwhile, both Webber and Bossert said a Redding-to-Sacramento van shuttle that started service in April is gaining favor with north state travelers.
First Class Shuttle provides daily rides to Sacramento International Airport. The vans leave the Oxford Suites on Hilltop Drive. Individual roundtrip tickets are $85.
"We have done a tremendous volume with the shuttle," Bossert said.
Bossert noted that when she suggests flying out of Sacramento, customers often will shoot back that they don't want to make the drive. But that changes when Bossert suggests the shuttle service.
"We get a lot of calls from people who are looking for a shuttle. ... We used to get a ton of calls even before we had the shuttle," Webber said.
Horizon will stop Redding-to-Seattle service
Horizon Air will stop flying from Redding to Seattle, the carrier announced today.
Starting Aug. 22, Horizon will terminate the once-a-day service. The 11:55 a.m. flight picks up passengers in Arcata before flying to Redding then continuing on to Seattle.
“We are obviously disappointed with any reduction in service,” Redding Airports Manager Rod Dinger said today. “But they have to make a business decision and we will support that.”
The change comes a year after Horizon replaced its longtime Redding-to-Portland flight with the service to Seattle.
Horizon will still offer two flights a day from Redding to Los Angeles International Airport.
SkyWest, operating as United Express, also offers daily flights from Redding to San Francisco.
Horizon’s decision to stop servicing Seattle from Redding is part of new fall schedule that also affects several other cities.
Discontinued routes include Boise, Idaho to Idaho Falls, Idaho; Boise to Los Angeles; Flagstaff/Prescott, Ariz., to Los Angeles; Redmond, Ore. to Los Angeles; and Sacramento to Santa Barbara.
Customers holding tickets on flights affected by the changes will be booked on other flights or offered a full refund, Horizon spokesman Dan Russo said.
For more information, call 1-800-547-9308
Horizon Air is pulling out of Redding.
The carrier will discontinue its once-a-day-service to Los Angeles International Airport — its only flight in and out of Redding — on April 17.
Horizon Air has served Redding Municipal Airport since 1992.
In announcing the decision Thursday afternoon, the company said the number of passengers flying to Los Angeles was "insufficient" for parent company Alaska Airlines to operate the service at a profit.
"We tried a variety of alternatives over the past several years to improve the financial performance of these markets. Unfortunately, we saw no significant change," Andrew Harrison, Alaska Air Group's vice president of planning and revenue management, said of Redding and Eureka.
Horizon also provided service to Los Angeles from the Eureka-Arcata Airport.
The decision stunned Redding Airports Manager Rod Dinger, who got the call Thursday morning.
"Very surprising and we are very disappointed," Dinger said. "We had just been meeting with them on this terminal building expansion, so we continued dialogue up through Monday on different things."
Dinger said Horizon's impending announcement to leave Redding didn't come up at the meeting.
The airport is in the midst of planning for a $6 million main terminal expansion.
Meanwhile, the news is forcing customers who booked Horizon flights after April 17 to scramble for alternatives.
Janette Webber of Avanti Travel in Redding said today that the phones at her office have been ringing most of the morning.
"We have a lot of people traveling on packages like Disney cruises who booked six to eight months ahead of time," Webber said.
Unfortunately, with air fares going up because of rising gas prices, those customers could be paying more for their new tickets on a different airline, Webber said.
"It's really putting people in a little bit of a difficult spot," Webber said.
Customers with tickets on the affected flights will be accommodated on other airlines or offered a full refund, Horizon said.
Passengers with questions can call 1-800-252-7522.
Make Your Reservations Online!
or Call 530-605-0137
REBUILD IN PROGRESS -- One of two 1980s-era London taxi cabs being rebuilt in an Anderson shop for Anselmo Vineyards. The taxis will be available for hire through First Class Shuttle Inc. for winery tours, weddings and special occasions. Click here to read the full article.
Restored British cabs will shuttle wine tourists to Anselmo Vineyards -- Reverge Anselmo purchased two retired British taxi cabs to launch a wine tour service in partnership with First Class Shuttle. The service will chauffeur people to area wineries in the refurbished cabs.
First Class Shuttle is working with Caltrans and the Shasta Regional Transportation Agency to add capabilities to its fleet that would address the needs and comfort for our elderly & mobility impaired riders. We currently provide intercity travel from Redding to Sac with stops in rural towns along the route such as Red Bluff, Corning, and Orland. We are taking public comments until April 16, 2013. You can view our public notice below. Send your comments to
First Class Shuttle Inc
Attn: Kim Nemchick
2075 Cilantro Dr. Redding, CA 96003
530-605-0137.
