Hooters Air is not winning any beauty contests with their cancellation of flight service between Gary/Chicago Airport and Las Vegas. The company did not make any mention of the cancellations in their press releases last week, and now many people with travel plans are only getting the refund on a discounted ticket, and are having to pay high last minute airfares to visit loved ones.

Hooters Air has suspended service from the Gary/Chicago International Airport to Las Vegas until March, airport officials said.

Airport administrator Paul Karas said Hooters President Mark Peterson told him that the airline planned to end the Las Vegas service temporarily because of seasonal issues, but that the airline intends to restart the service in March.

On the airline’s Web site, the first flight in March is scheduled for March 10.

Meanwhile, Hooters Air officials would not comment on this issue. Several phone messages during the past two weeks were not been returned.

A person from Hooters said the company’s only comment on the issue is a news release on its Web site. In that statement, the company announced it is eliminating service from the Greater Rockford Airport, but the statement does not mention service at Gary. The Daily Southtown.

Hooters Air is supposed to work the goodwill of the restaurant chain with the airline, but cancelling flights and e-mailing the customers at the last minute. There is no recourse for the customers but to miss the trip or pay higher fares elsewhere.

This episode should be called “The Hooters that stole Christmas.”