By now it is common knowledge that SkyWest is taking over service at the Vernal Regional Airport in June. A lesser known detail is that the service will actually be United flights operated by SkyWest. Because of this, tickets will be able to be purchased on any major travel site and for anywhere in the world that United serves. Bags will be checked for the duration of the flight from Vernal to wherever
the final destination
is. SkyWest will employ roughly 10 part time employees and 2 full time managers for the Vernal location. Boutique has employed 3 part time employees. According to airport manager Doug Brown, connections will be made faster and easier due to Vernal’s TSA check-in so instead of dealing with TSA at larger airports, passengers will get through the screening and be on their way. Flights will arrive at the United concourse in Denver for a more convenient connection. Another common question is how ticket prices will be affected. Brown says that when the airlines submitted their bids, Boutique’s average price was $98 dollars while SkyWest’s average price was $99 dollars. “The big thing with dealing with a larger airline is that they have a greater resource to pull from,” shares Brown. “Right now, if an aircraft goes down for maintenance, the entire company feels it. That is much less likely when dealing with an airline who has hundreds of aircraft and a great supporting staff.” The Grand Opening is scheduled for the evening of
July 2nd.
