United Airlines will begin flying 50-seat regional jets between San Francisco and L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport on June 7, the Wall Street Journal reports. The "L.A." was recently added to the name of the airport, which is about 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles. L.A. is spending heavily to open up Palmdale and entice United by covering losses, handling advertising and marketing and shining up the 1970s-era terminal. The city's airport agency, Los Angeles World Airports, likely will spend an astounding $300 or more for every passenger who uses the airport in the next year. Palmdale, which today is home to top-secret Air Force projects and acres of pistachio trees, shows how far big cities have to go to try to relieve airport congestion and find room for growth.
