Phoenix Mesa-to-Las Vegas flight count raised by Allegiant

At the risk of rerunning the fare war that erupted last year, Allegiant Travel Co. said its discount flier Allegiant Air will connect Las Vegas and Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport with six flights a week starting Nov. 17.

As an introductory offer, it will sell seats on some days as low as $12.99 one way, before the extra charges Allegiant often adds or the government fees and taxes. By contrast, the lowest one-way fare is $59 on Southwest or US Airways to go to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, about 30 miles west of Phoenix Mesa.

Allegiant has mostly flown nonstops from a handful of major resorts to smaller cities, such as Bismarck, N.D., avoiding head-to-head competition with major airlines. Las Vegas to Phoenix, by contrast, has 179 flights a week, according to McCarran International Airport data, making it the second busiest market after Los Angeles. But Phoenix Mesa is already one of Allegiant's major destinations with nonstops to 30 other cities.

One year ago, Allegiant started flights to Long Beach, Calif., at low introductory fares that drew a sharp response from JetBlue and Southwest.