First passengers from Rockford to LA praise convenience and cost of new destination

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD  — The first flight from Los Angeles to Rockford came at the perfect time for Jenna Larson, who was looking for an easy route back home in time to celebrate her sister’s graduation.

She didn’t even realize the novelty of being aboard that first flight until she walked off the boarding bridge Wednesday afternoon to see reporters and news crews in the terminal.

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Larson, a Rockford native now working in the film industry in LA, said the new route will provide a more convenient way for her to visit her family in Rockford without fighting the Chicago traffic at O’Hare.

“It definitely means a lot to me to have more access to coming to visit my family,” she said. “I definitely think I’ll be able to visit them, hopefully, more and a lot more easily.”

Passengers on the first flights between Rockford and Los Angeles say the new route provides a less expensive and more convenient option to reach California. Flights depart on Wednesdays and Saturdays in June, July and early August. It switches to Thursday and Sundays in late August through October.

The first flight came with an introductory one-way fare of $79 for those who booked early. Round trips now are still less than $200. For example, Allegiant’s website showed Wednesday that you could round trip from Rockford to LA from July 10 to 17 for $138 pre-tax, and without any add-ons such as bags and seat selection.

John and Donna Podkowa of Belvidere were on the first flight departing Chicago Rockford International Airport to LAX. They appreciate the low cost and more relaxed atmosphere in Rockford as opposed to the hectic rush of going through O’Hare.

“There was a woman behind us and she asked, am I standing in the right lane? She goes, I’m used to being at O’Hare and it’s like crazy, you just have to run, run, run, run,” Donna Podkowa said. “I said, it’s really laid back, just relax and have fun.”

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Allegiant Air kicked off its seasonal schedule between RFD on LAX on Wednesday, but the new flights started with news that the season will be shorter than initially intended.

The Las Vegas-based airline is cutting back on 19 routes this fall, including the Rockford flights to Los Angeles and Nashville, because of delays in receiving Boeing 737 MAX airlines it ordered.

Both routes were initially scheduled to run into late November. Allegiant has now updated its schedule to have its last flight to L.A. on Oct. 13 and final route to Nashville on Oct. 28. Both flights will restart in spring or summer 2025, although dates have not been announced yet, Allegiant and RFD officials said.

“The season is simply ending earlier than we initially planned, as part of a schedule adjustment we made in anticipation of receiving fewer Boeing aircraft in 2024 than initially expected,” said Sonya Padgett, director of corporate communication for Allegiant.

The new Los Angeles flights are among several passenger-service additions at the airport. Allegiant added its flights to Nashville on May 16, and next year marks the return of international flights to Cancun, Punta Cana and Costa Rica.

“The customer service here is wonderful. It’s just simple: A simple nice vacation out of Rockford,” said Jacqueline Wingard-Suggs, who was part of the first flight with her husband, Quint, and granddaughter, Courtney. “I can’t wait until they start going back to Cancun and the other places they’re starting in January.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas