With Southwest leaving Bellingham, here are travel tips for catching flights | Cascadia Daily News

For Jenn Maurer, Southwest’s pending departure from the Bellingham market has left her trying to find another option for flying out of town for her job as a wedding photographer.

“It’s been a really great thing to have a local airport that I can rely on,” the 30-year-old Bellingham resident said. “Change is always hard, so I’m sure I’ll figure out something else, but I’d rather not have to.”

Maurer is one of the numerous Bellingham area residents who expressed disappointment in the decision and are now trying to find other options to replace the convenience that Southwest offered. The Dallas-based airline company said the reasoning for shuttering the BLI route, as well as three others, and reducing flights at two major airports, is because of delayed aircraft deliveries from Boeing and economic factors. The airline announced its final day of operation will be Aug. 4.

Kip Turner, BLI aviation director, said the airport was optimistic that existing airlines at the airport, such as Alaska Airlines and Allegiant, would enhance services after Southwest leaves and hinted at new options.

“We’re going to get more service to replace what’s coming out,” he said, but wouldn’t elaborate on what carriers might be coming into BLI.

As fliers continue to search for solutions, here’s a list of travel options and tips.

Keep going to BLI

Three daily flights to Seattle from Bellingham are operated by Alaska Airlines. Allegiant also offers flights to Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego, but not all of those are daily flights.

Turner encouraged fliers to continue flying out of Bellingham since it’s low-cost and convenient for travelers.

Shuttles to airports

Bellair Airporter Shuttle offers daily shuttles every one to two hours between Bellingham and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. You must reserve in advance and tickets cost up to $101 round trip. However, it’s not the quickest way to SeaTac, with the trip taking more than three hours if you depart from Ferndale.

Bellair shuttles also make an occasional stop at Paine Field, but you must call ahead to schedule. That phone number is (866) 235-5247.

There’s also the Quick Shuttle service from Bellingham to Vancouver International Airport. You can grab the shuttle at four different times in the afternoon from BLI and then be dropped off at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond. From there, you can either take a taxi or the skytrain to the airport. A one-way ticket is $44 and riders can bring a regular bag, a carry on and a personal item.

Travelers can also take the Greyhound bus daily from Western Washington University to SeaTac for about $80 round trip. The trip takes almost three hours with two stops at the University of Washington and 6th Avenue South and South Lane Street.

Fly out of Vancouver

You could choose to fly out of Vancouver International Airport, recently awarded “Best Airport in North America” by Skytrax, the gold standard in airport evaluations.

YVR is an hour to the north, but you take your travel destiny into your own hands when factoring in time spent at the Blaine border crossing. 

Four options for parking at the airport are available: Gateway Valet, the parkade, the jetSet YVR parking and long-term parking. The valet option is the most expensive with a daily rate costing nearly $50CAD, with a $20 valet fee. Long-term parking costs $27.50CAD a day and a free train will take you directly to the terminal.

If you’re looking to travel internationally, YVR offers a range of flights to Mexico, Europe and Asia.

Fly out of Paine Field in Everett

Drive the (roughly) hour south to Seattle Paine Field International Airport in Everett to catch flights offered by Alaska Airlines, the sole airline. Destinations include: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Orange County, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Anchorage and Honolulu.

The airport also offers uncovered parking for up to $34 a day in the premium lot or up to $24 in the economy lot.

Fly out of SeaTac

SeaTac, of course, is an hour and a half to the south on Interstate 5.

Parking rates at SeaTac range from $37 a day for drive-up parking to $47 a day for reservation-only at the airport.

For those who want to park at one of the other parking lots that offer a shuttle to SeaTac, daily parking rates are around $20.

Train and transit options

The Link Light Rail option in Seattle offers a few drop-off points north of the city. For people coming down from Bellingham, it’s recommended you either park or have a friend drop you off at the Northgate light rail station, located near the Northgate Mall. A one-way ticket to the airport will cost around $3.50.

Hop on the Angle Lake train for about 50 minutes, or 17 stops, and get off at SeaTac-Airport Station. From there, it’s a 7–9 minute walk to the terminal. An electric shuttle service between the light rail station and the airport sky bridge runs between 5 a.m. and midnight if the walk is inaccessible. The back of the shuttle has room for baggage.

You can take the Amtrak train from the Fairhaven station at 401 Harris Ave. in Bellingham to Seattle. The train will drop you off at King Street Station and you’ll still have to either take the light rail or a ride share to the airport.

Train tickets start at $27 for coach and go up from there. The average time to Seattle is 2.5 hours by train.

Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.