Tickets are now on sale for twice-daily, nonstop flights between Meadows Field and Houston, United Air Lines Inc. said Friday as part of its previously announced plan to serve what it hopes will be strong demand for air travel within the booming energy industry.We’re pumped about our new flights to California’s oil capital,read a flyer by United, which recently merged with Continental Airlines.

The company’s online booking , shows that round-trip tickets range in price from the low $300s and the mid-$400s for economy class aboard a 66-seat, Canadian-built CRJ-700 aircraft. First-class seating is also available.Flights depart for Houston at 6:30 a.m. and 12:05 p.m., arriving at noon and 5:35 p.m. local time, respectively. Return flights depart Houston at 9:40 a.m. and 8:50 p.m. and arrive at 11:30 a.m. and 10:40 p.m., respectively.The first flight from Houston is expected to arrive in Bakersfield Sunday, and the first departure from Meadows Field is scheduled for Monday morning.Kern County Airports Director Jack Gotcher said he was glad to have United back after it and other carriers pulled out of the local market about three years ago amid soaring fuel prices.

When last the company flew to Houston from Bakersfield, it offered three daily flights with about 146 seats total, Gotcher said. This time its daily capacity will be 132.There’s just a lot of people that go to that part of Texas, and that’s just a great location, he said.Meadows Field is experiencing something of a resurgence lately, given Allegiant Air’s recent launch of low-cost flights between Bakersfield and Las Vegas three times a week. Gotcher said he is working to attract other flights as well, such as service to and from Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Hawaii.