Catalina Flyer commuter rates and regular passenger rates are going down. Tourist pricing is going up.
The general manager of the Catalina Flyer gave the City Council an update on the company’s cross channel rates on Jan. 22.
With General Manager Sterling Miles was Captain and Assistant Manager Alex Shaw.
Miles said Catalina Passenger Service (aka Catalina Flyer) was formed in 1965. Starting last year, they have two boats, allowing the service to schedule more trips.
Miles said they have added the Newport Flyer to their fleet.
We have just received a final approval from the California Public Utilities Commission for our new pricing structure,” Miles said. He said the business was reducing commuter and regular passenger rates.
The commuter rate is now $59 round trip.
Miles said the Catalina Flyer doesn’t do a commuter book. He said you pay for your ticket one at a time. Families can by one-one or roundtrip tickets at the time of travel.
“One or More of the travelers that are taking our trips must have a valid ID showing an Avalon address,” Miles said.
He said they can buy up to five tickets at a time.
Miles said the company has extended this rate to Catalina Island Conservancy members, people who frequent the Island but don’t live there such as employees.
“This rate can be used with a Catalina Island Conservancy membership,” Miles said.
“We are doing this completely on our own; no government subsidy or assistance of any kind,” Miles said.
Miles said the current owner bought the business in 2006 and he’s interested in brining commuters back to Catalina on the Catalina Flyer.
“There’s no way to book our commuter rate online at this time but members of the public or residents looking to use the commuter rate would call us on our reservation phone,” Miles said.
He said they have a reservation text system that is monitored from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
He said commuters that haven’t booked with the company will have to send a copy of their ID showing an Avalon address.
Catalina Flyer Assistant Manager Alex Shaw explained what parking looks like in Newport Beach for everyone.
“All Catalina Flyer passengers are our normal tourist passengers or commuters,” Shaw said.
He explained that parking was in a lot owned by the city of Newport Beach. “All of our passengers are required to park there,” Shaw said.
“It’s about a 200-yard walk to our dock,” Shaw said.
Shaw said Newport Beach offers a parking permit for the lot, which is called the Balboa Parking Lot, for $300 a year. According to Shaw, the permit allows for overnight parking.
You can only leave y our car for seven days Shaw said.
“If a person purchases this parking permit they can extend that to 14 days,” Shaw said.
The permit is available anyone who is interested, according to Shaw.
He went over the 2025 schedule.
Shaw said during the slow season, the service operates Friday through Sunday, once a day.
He said March through June, the business will continue operating the daily service that arrives in Avalon around 10:30 a.m. (Later the time was put at 10:15 a.m.)
Starting last year, the business offers three trips per day seven days a week.
