OAKLAND, Calif. (May 22, 2013) – The Memorial Day holiday weekend kicks off the peak Summer travel season and Oakland International Airport is ready for travelers with more flights, new destinations and great options for parking combined with the convenience and reliability for which the airport is known. This summer there are 145 peak day departures scheduled to 38 domestic and international cities, including two new destinations and more nonstop flights to the East Coast, Southern California, Hawaii, Mexico and Europe.

LESS WAITING, MORE TIME FOR FUN
Vacation starts the moment travelers leave home. Why spend the first few hours fighting for a parking space and standing in long lines? When travelers choose OAK, the experience is smoother, faster and less stressful. There are shorter lines and plenty of on-site parking available and, of course, more on-time arrivals and departures. Flying is simpler, easier and faster to and from OAK. “We’re ready for summer with an emphasis on making your airport experience easy, convenient and reliable,” said Kristi McKenney, Acting Director of Aviation for the Port of Oakland which owns and operates OAK. “Local residents and visitors to the Bay Area alike tell us that there is no better way to begin or end a summer journey than at OAK where they can count on welcoming staff and easy to use facilities located on the sunny side of the San Francisco Bay.”

EASY PARKING AT AN EVEN GREATER DISCOUNT
On-airport parking is better than ever with something for every budget from the first class Premier Lot located directly across from the terminal to the nearby Economy Lot that is just a short walk away from the terminals. OAK saves you time by offering more than 7,000 convenient spaces, most within walking distance although shuttles continually operate for added convenience. You can save $4 to $8 on OAK’s already low parking rates by downloading a coupon here.

NEW DESTINATIONS FROM OAK
Spirit Airlines launched new daily nonstop service between OAK and Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) on April 25, 2013. This is the first nonstop service to the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex from OAK since 2008. A convenient 5PM departure begins on June 13, 2013. Tickets can be booked at Spirit.com.

Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy another nonstop option from OAK this summer. Beginning on June 7, 2013,Allegiant Air will offer twice-weekly nonstops between OAK and Provo Municipal Airport (PVU), Utah. Provo, home of Brigham Young University, gives visitors the opportunity to fish, canoe, or jet ski on Utah's largest freshwater lake or hike at Mt.Timpanogos. Tickets can be booked at Allegiantair.com.

SEASONAL EUROPEAN SERVICE RETURNS
OAK welcomes back nonstop service to international vacation destinations this summer, allowing both Bay Area travelers and inbound tourists more opportunities for travel:

Following the successful launch last summer, Dutch airline ArkeFly, a unit of TUI Travel, is back for their second season of service to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) which began on May 19, 2013. ArkeFly flies to Amsterdam from OAK every Thursday and Sunday through October 20th. Thursday departures are nonstop to Amsterdam, while Sunday flights make one stop in Los Angeles (LAX). Tickets can be booked at ArkeFly.nl.

SATA International will resume seasonal summer service from OAK to the Azores Islands on June 6, 2013. The Azores Islands are a Portuguese archipelago paradise in the Atlantic Ocean roughly 900 miles from Lisbon. The once-weekly flight departs and arrives every Wednesday between June 6 and October 2, 2013. Tickets can be booked at SATA.pt.

FOUR HAWAIIAN ISLAND DESTINATIONS
Over 1,000 daily seats and nonstops to four Hawaiian Islands on state-of-the-art aircraft provide Bay Area travelers with plenty of tropical vacation options out of their favorite airport, OAK. Alaska Airlines flies to Honolulu, on the island of Oahu; Kahului ,Maui; Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island; and Lihue, Kauai. Buy your seat to island paradise at AlaskaAir.com.

Hawaiian Airlines also offers daily service to both Maui and Honolulu, with more seats to Hawaii from OAK than any other Bay Area airport. Easy connections or a free layover in Honolulu are available from OAK to Hawaiian’s growing network in Australia and New Zealand as well. Now you can easily fly from Oakland to Auckland! Tickets can be purchased at HawaiianAirlines.com.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER VACATIONS
Bay Area travelers flying from OAK can easily take their South of the Border dream vacation on a Volaris Airlines nonstop flight to Guadalajara (GDL), Mexico. Volaris offers daily nonstop flights to Guadalajara out of OAK with connecting service to destinations throughout Mexico. Nonstop flights to Mexico City (MEX), Mexico are also on tap for the peak summer season with evening flights scheduled Fridays through Sundays in July, and Fridays through Mondays in August and September. Tickets can be booked at Volaris.mx.

MORE NONSTOPS TO THE EAST COAST, THE WEST AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, TOO
This summer JetBlue Airways resumes daily nonstop service to Boston (BOS) and adds frequencies to daily nonstop service to Washington D.C.-Dulles (IAD) and New York (JFK). Tickets can be purchased at JetBlue.com.

Southwest Airlines has also doubled up on Chicago-Midway (MDW) flights for the summer at OAK with four peak day nonstops and a popular daily nonstop to Kansas City (MCI) has been added, too. Both provide multiple connecting opportunities to Southwest Airlines destinations in the Midwest and East Coast. Remember, tickets for Southwest are available exclusively at Southwest.com.

OAK continues to be the on-time base for flights throughout the West and Intra-California. Southwest Airlines has also added frequencies for summer to San Diego (SAN), Burbank (BUR), Orange County (SNA) Las Vegas (LAS) and Phoenix (PHX). All told, Southwest has over 100 daily 737 departures from OAK to 19 destinations.

Just in time for summer, Delta Air Lines has added a fifth daily flight to its Los Angeles (LAX) hub with opportunities for travelers to connect with services all over the world. Find out more at Delta.com.
Finally, US Airways has added seats and an additional late summer frequency to its growing global hub at Phoenix (PHX). Tickets can be booked at USAirways.com.

START YOUR SUMMER VACATION AT OAK
Summer is here and OAK’s got you covered. With 20,000 seats departing OAK daily, Bay Area travelers can choose from 38 domestic and international destinations. Visit www.oaklandairport.com or join the conversation on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/iflyoak for more information on airline destinations and airport services.

About the Port of Oakland:
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport offering over 300 daily passenger and cargo flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. Together, through Port operations and those of its tenants and users, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.

Media Contacts:

Kim Domerofski
Port of Oakland
(510) 563-2892
[email protected]