Airlines schedule more flights to Las Vegas from Bay Area for 49ers fans ahead of Super Bowl LVIII
As some of the 49er Faithful start making plans to get to the Super Bowl party in Las Vegas to root the team on, some airlines are beefing up their flight schedule from the Bay to Sin City to accommodate the crowds.
United, Delta and Spirit airlines are all adding flights to make sure 49ers fans have plenty of options to make it to the big game.
On the heels of the team's win, the official airline of the San Francisco 49ers United is adding nine more flights to Vegas from the region -- including five originating at San Francisco International Airport and four from San Jose Mineta International Airport. Those flights will allow more than 2,200 additional fans in the Bay Area to make it to Super Bowl LVIII.
The airline also created special flight numbers for our service between the Bay Area and Vegas during the Big Game weekend. Flight number UA 1995 was named for the last year the 49ers won the Super Bowl, while Flight UA 1849 represents the year of the San Francisco Gold Rush.
A press release issued by United noted that tickets for the new flights are currently on sale via United.com and on the United app, adding that with more than a quarter of all flights for the Super Bowl are generally purchased in the two weeks before the game, itis an optimal time for customers to book their trip to Vegas.
Both United and American airlines added similarly themed flight numbers from Kansas City to Las Vegas. American nodded to the jersey numbers of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and safety Mike Edwards, as well as Kelce's girlfriend Taylor Swift by using her birth year (and the name of her hugely popular fifth album) 1989 for a flight number to Las Vegas.
Delta is also introducing new routes for 49ers faithful from San Francisco and San Jose to Las Vegas. Spirit Airlines is introducing three daily, nonstop flights between San Jose and Las Vegas on Friday, Feb. 9, for fans to travel for football's biggest weekend. There are also up to four daily, nonstop flights from Oakland to Las Vegas available at Spirit.com.
Bay Area travel agents have been busy with requests from 49ers fans, including at Imperial Travel Service in San Francisco's Mission District, where Ivette Gomez and her team have been working tirelessly to accommodate the surge in demand for travel arrangements.
The family-owned travel agency, boasting over 45 years of experience, has witnessed an increasing influx of texts and emails, with many enthusiastic 49ers fans securing their tickets well in advance of Sunday's win in the NFC Championship.
Gomez shared with CBS News Bay Area of the enticing offers: a special package with Circus Circus Hotel, located conveniently close to the walkway to Allegiant Stadium. Priced at $960 per person, the deal includes airfare and a three-night stay from the Friday before the game to the following Monday.
Despite being two weeks away from the highly anticipated game, the travel agency is already extending its hours to accommodate the increasing number of customers.
"We're probably gonna open, maybe, an hour longer in the evenings because people have to work," said Gomez.
Gomez acknowledged that last night's game served as confirmation for many fans, turning their trip into a full-fledged vacation.
She remarked, "It's the best time to be there. Beautiful weather, it's a nice 70 degrees, people are going for the food, they're going for the excitement."
However, Gomez advised potential travelers not to delay their plans, cautioning that prices are expected to soar.
"Now it's just crazy so. The airfares are around $500 round trip right now. If you can get that. But honestly, if you can get a hotel package, it's your better bet," she said