Heart of America Group announces the opening of the new Days Inn today. Heart of America Group converted its Econo Lodge, located off I-80 and Northwest Blvd, to an official Days Inn property. CEO Mike Whalen announced, “We are proud to have teamed up with the Days Inn, which is part of the Wyndham Worldwide Hotels”. The Days Inn will undergo a refresh that includes a newly designed lobby, new room décor, and the addition of a fitness center. Renovations will begin shortly and be completed in time for the busy summer season. “We look forward to a strong partnership between the Days Inn and the Quad City area” says Whalen. The Days Inn is located adjacent to the award winning Iowa Machine Shed restaurant which is also managed and owned by Heart of America Group.

To make a reservation, visit www.daysinn.com or call 563-391-8222.

The company started with a 100-seat restaurant back in 1978, The Iowa Machine Shed. Heart of America Group has evolved into one of the Midwest's premier design, construction, and management companies with a 33 year history of developing award-winning properties. Currently Heart of America Group is located in ten metropolitan areas across six Midwestern states.

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Destined to Travel with JA Contest Launches

Moline, IL. - Junior Achievement USA^™ is offering high school students the opportunity to win a three-day adventure for four people to Walt Disney World^® Resort in Orlando. To enter the Destined to Travel with JA contest, students review the interactive Destination Build lesson, a teaching tool that allows students to explore the tourism industry, complete a quick quiz, and submit their answers. The randomly selected winner will receive two nights at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort, 12 complimentary one-day Park Hopper^® passes, and $2,000 for airfare and other travel expenses.

“This contest is a terrific opportunity for high school student in our area,” says Barbara VenHorst, president, Junior Achievement of the Heartland.  “In addition to earning a chance to win a prize worth more than $4,000, our future job seekers and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to explore the tourism industry. This means every student that participates is a winner.”

The nationwide contest is based on student learning drawn from Destination Build, an online learning lesson that is housed in the hospitality and tourism student sector of the JA Student Center, available from the Junior Achievement^® website. Through it, students explore the decisions made by city planners to increase local tourism in a community and hear from residents and tourists about how consumer decisions influence the local economy. The scenario is different each time a student plays the online lesson.

The contest, sponsored by the Destination & Travel Foundation, is open to high school students. The deadline for contest submissions is November 1, 2011. Visit http://bit.ly/n8jRBK for more contest information.

About the Destination & Travel Foundation

The Destination & Travel Foundation is a combined effort between the U.S. Travel Association and Destination Marketing Association International.  In February of 2009, the respective foundations for each association were combined to create a stronger organization better capable of enhancing the destination marketing and travel professions through research, education, visioning and development of resources and partnerships for those efforts. The new organization was joined by Tauck-Romano Innovative Philanthropy, ShopAmerica Alliance and American Express Foundation in a multi-year program with Junior Achievement. For more information on Destination & Travel Foundation, visit http://www.ustravel.org/about/Foundation.html. 

About Junior Achievement USA™ (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches four million students per year in more than 120 markets across the United States, with an additional six million students served by operations in 119 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

Locally, Junior Achievement of the Heartland serves more than 56,000 students in 24-counties throughout eastern Iowa, western Illinois and Grant County Wisconsin.

Six Month Project Was Part of $34 Million In Airfield Improvements

MOLINE, ILLINOIS         Rehabilitation of the main 10,000 ft. runway at the Quad City International Airport, known as 9/27 is just days away from final completion.  A ceremony today featuring Dr. Susan Shea, Director of Aeronautics for Illinois, Susan Schalk, Airports Division Manager, Great Lakes region for the FAA, a representative from Senator Durbin’s office, and other area dignitaries will commemorate this milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 12:00 noon.  The ceremony will take place on the airfield near the “bulls-eye” where three of the airport runways intersect.  The rehabilitated runway 9/27 will feature 47,000 cubic yards of new concrete.  Paved asphalt shoulders on each side of 9/27 are an added safety enhancement.

Construction started in mid-April, and all three runways have been shut down for the past six months.  During this time a temporary runway of 6,500 feet in length was used (runway 10/28.)  The project remained on target throughout the season and will be completed one month ahead of schedule.  Planning for this major phase began in 2007, and encompassed $34 million in total airfield improvements.  Funding for the improvements has come from local, state and federal resources.  “The Quad City International Airport is a critical transportation link that is key to the region’s economy,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).  “This runway will help put the airport in the strongest possible position to compete for better air service and aviation development projects and contribute to the long term ability of the Quad City Airport to serve travelers safely, securely, and efficiently.  It is a great example of Recovery Act funding at work.”

Bruce Carter, Director of Aviation says “Planning for this project started in 2007.  We are finishing the third stage of a four-stage plan and we are very pleased with the cooperation that was achieved through the efforts of the FAA, the Division of Aeronautics, the engineers and contractors.  Hundreds of jobs were created in the fields of concrete, asphalt, earthwork, electrical, and trucking.  This infrastructure improvement will take us well into the future.” Carter adds, “While today is ceremonial in nature, we are ready to open all three of our runways to arrivals and departures next weekend.  This is an exciting time in history for the Quad City International Airport and for our travelers.”

The fourth and final phase of the overall project will be completed next year, when the temporary runway used during the construction period converts to a taxiway, which will be called Taxiway P “Papa.”  
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Las Vegas, October 6, 2011/ GLOBENEWSWIRE -- Allegiant Travel Company (NASDAQ:ALGT) today reported preliminary passenger traffic results for September 2011.

Scheduled Service

Sep. 2011 Sep. 2010 Change

Passengers                     359,739        362,519          (0.8)%

Revenue passenger miles (000)               327,382        330,800          (0.2)%

Available seat miles (000)                          363,438        359,785             1.0%

Load factor                         90.1%           91.9%        (1.8) pts

Departures                     2,684            2,697          (0.5)%

Average stage length (miles)                        892               889             0.2%

3Q11 3Q10 Change

Passengers                     1,478,046     1,488,600          (0.7)%

Revenue passenger miles (000)             1,347,896    1,356,043          (0.6)%

Available seat miles (000)                         1,462,636     1,512,650          (3.3)%

Load factor                         92.2%           89.6%          2.6 pts

Departures                     10,834          11,316          (4.3)%

Average stage length (miles)                        892               891             0.1%

Total System*

Sep. 2011 Sep. 2010 Change

Passengers                     398,206        390,492             2.0%

Revenue passenger miles (000)                 357,525  362,714          (1.4)%

Available seat miles (000)                          415,941        420,469          (1.1)%

Load factor                         86.0%           86.3%        (0.3) pts

Departures                     3,317            3,231             2.7%

Average stage length (miles)                        832               873          (4.8)%

3Q11 3Q10 Change

Passengers                     1,578,645     1,559,836             1.2%

Revenue passenger miles (000)            1,425,002     1,425,761          (0.1)%

Available seat miles (000)                         1,593,766     1,646,431          (3.2)%

Load factor                         89.4%           86.6%          2.8 pts

Departures                     12,527          12,761          (1.8)%

Average stage length (miles)                        845               865          (2.3)%

*Total system includes scheduled service, fixed fee contract and non-revenue flying.

Preliminary Financial Results

Change

August 2011 actual year-over-year

scheduled revenue per ASM (PRASM) change                                  20.6%

August 2011 actual year-over year

scheduled total revenue per ASM (TRASM) change                          15.8%

September 2011 estimated year-over-year PRASM change          32.5 to 32.9%

September 2011 estimated year-over-year TRASM change         23.8 to 24.2%

September 2011 estimated average fuel cost per gallon                        

– system                         $3.04

September 2011 estimated average fuel cost per gallon                        

– scheduled                      $3.30

3Q11 estimated year-over-year PRASM change                           24.2 to 24.6%

3Q11 estimated year-over-year TRASM change                         19.1 to 19.5%

3Q11 estimated average fuel cost per gallon – system                         $3.12

3Q11 estimated average fuel cost per gallon – scheduled                        $3.33

Guidance

ASMs – Available seat miles

About the Company
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company (NASDAQ: ALGT) has posted 34 consecutive quarters of profitability.  The company is focused on linking travelers in small cities to world-class leisure destinations such as Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix-Mesa, Orlando, Fla., and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.  Through its subsidiary, Allegiant Air, the company operates a low-cost, high-efficiency, all-jet passenger airline offering air travel and hotel rooms, rental cars and other travel-related services.  In 2011 and 2010 Allegiant ranked 64 and 25, respectively, on FORTUNE magazine’s Fastest-Growing Companies list.  In 2010, Allegiant was ranked number one for low-cost carriers in Aviation Week’s Top Performing Airline study.   ALGT/G

Note: This news release was accurate at the date of issuance. However, information contained in the release may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

For further information please visit the company’s investor website: http://ir.allegiant.com