Last week, Mike DiTullio drove to the Columbia airport from Aiken to pick up his mother, sister, nephew and nephews friend.
All four flew from Boston to Columbia for $99 each.
They needed a one-way ticket because DiTullio is giving his mother a car. The family will drive home, and Independence Air offered the cheapest ticket, DiTullio said.
It was ideal for this situation, he said.
Thousands of other regional travelers have found Independence Air to be ideal, too. Since the low-cost airline landed at Columbia International Airport a year ago this week, more passengers have used the airport, and average ticket prices at Columbia International have dropped.
Mike Flack, the airports executive director, said Independence Air has completely changed air travel in Columbia.
Its amazing when you look at the difference in fares to our major markets, Flack said.
Competition from Independence forced other airlines to drop their prices.
A U.S. Department of Transportation study showed the average one-way ticket price out of Columbia cost $98 during the third quarter of 2004. The average price was $223 for the same period in 2003.
As a result of lower fares, more people are flying.
In May, 126,241 passengers passed through the Columbia airport, a 28 percent increase from May 2004, said Lynne Douglas, an airport spokeswoman. The boost in passenger traffic means the airport is on track to have a record year.
As for Independence Air, it also is pleased with the Columbia market, said Rick DeLisi, a company spokesman.
Columbia has been a strong market from the outset, he said.
But Independence Air and its parent company, Flyi, have been through financial turbulence since opening for business last June. Some analysts arent sure whether the company will succeed.
The companys own financial statements indicate it is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
It has yet to turn a profit, and it lost $101 million during the first three months of this year, according to its first-quarter financial report. Its stock closed at 95 cents a share Friday, jeopardizing its future on the Nasdaq exchange.
However, Marty Craig of Page, Rich, Tremain and Craig, an aviation consulting firm in Hilton Head, said he wouldnt count out Independence Air.
Independence Air has a niche, Craig said. Independence Air may surprise people. This is not uncommon for carriers in their first year.
Right now, nearly every major airline is struggling because of high fuel costs and fierce competition.
Every airline would do better if fuel prices stabilized, Craig said. Also, Craig likes Independence Airs move to buy a fleet of Airbus jets, which will increase its capacity.
The company says it has been making adjustments to stay alive.
In Columbia, that meant canceling some flights. Already, the carrier has introduced and then withdrawn daily, nonstop flights to Tampa and Orlando. Now, it flies six daily trips to Washington Dulles International Airport.
Spokesman DeLisi said Independence Airs plan is to continue offering a reliable, customer-friendly service.
We think ultimately people will make the decisions on which airline to fly based on service, he said.
For Aikens DiTullio, the plan is working. He books tickets on Independence Air for business travel and said hes never been bumped because of an overbooked flight. He also likes the airlines flight schedule in Columbia.
Before Independence Air arrived in Columbia, DiTullio said it was a tossup over which airport would have the cheapest ticket Columbia or Augusta. Now, Columbia almost always offers the lowest fare, making the hourlong drive from Aiken worthwhile.
Now with Independence Air, it gives you an option, he said.
Last week, his family arrived in Columbia pleased with the airline, too, said sister Linda Amorello.
Of course, the birthday cake offered to passengers in honor of Independence Airs first year didnt hurt, either.
