Looking to get out of the house and do some traveling this summer? Great! Avelo Airlines and Breeze Airways are two relatively new airlines that kicked off flights just weeks apart from each other. Offering some of the lowest fare flights in the world, here’s everything you need to know about these two new budget airlines, from costs and destinations to how they compare to existing budget airlines and big-name airlines alike.
Breeze Airlines: Lowest Flight Rates and More
Breeze is turning a lot of heads in the industry because of its mission. As an airline, their mission is to provide more flights to underserved areas. The airline was founded by David Neeleman, who also founded JetBlue. Big-name airlines like Southwest or Delta don’t always fly to these destinations, so making air travel more accessible to these underserved areas could open up a lot of opportunities for folks who don’t normally have access to air travel.
A big plus to using Breeze is that the airline currently does not charge fees for changing or canceling a flight. They also offer a half-off discount on checked bags if you book your flight online or through their app.
As of summer, 2021, you can book a Breeze Airlines flight from the East Coast to the middle of the United States. Ohio, Connecticut, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Kentucky are all states that Breeze Airlines will fly to. According to Breeze’s CEO, there are no competitor flights for 80% of their nonstop routes this summer, proving that Breeze Airways is breaking ground.
As recent as June 6, 2022, Breeze Airways announced that they would be adding seven new routes from Hartford Bradley (BDL) in Connecticut to Las Vegas (LAS) starting this September.
They boast flights with no connections, but with their destinations still fairly close to each other, that does not seem too impressive yet. Breeze advertises $49 flights, but if you navigate the website, you may find most flights in the $70-120 price range unless you’re booking well in advance.
Avelo Airlines: West Meets East With Minimal Hassle
Avelo Airlines is based in Burbank, California. Avelo has not been quiet about the upside to being based in Burbank: it’s Los Angeles without having to deal with LAX. Burbank is a calmer airport in general with less traffic going to and from it.
Like Breeze, Avelo is dedicated to flying to lesser-served destinations. Avelo currently flies to three different cities in Oregon and Northern California as well as cities in Arizona, Utah, and Minnesota. Finding cheap flights to the cities it flies to, like Santa Rosa, Bozeman Yellowstone, Redding, and Ogden, is hard, but with Avelo you’ll see some of the lowest flight fares out there, even for destinations that get more support (LAX, JFK, etc.).
Avelo formerly provided flights to and from Colorado but with fuel and supply costs on on the rise, they have opted to cancel flights to and from the state and are even providing customers with previously booked flights full refunds.
If you aren’t West Coast-based, Avelo may still be coming your way. The young airline has plans to set up a hub on the East Coast through Tweed Airport in New Haven, Connecticut. If Avelo is dedicated to flying to underserved locations, this East Coast connection can help open up travel to a broad range of people across the U.S.
A big plus while flying for Avelo is that checking a bag is only $10. Priority boarding is only $10. Window seats start at $5. On their website, you can even hit a filter that will show you just low fares. With the low fare filter, the lowest fare flights will range from $39-59. Flights won’t get much higher than $100, so there are a lot of deals to take advantage of.
The Future of Flight? How Avelo and Breeze Stack Up
If you compare the new airlines to Spirit, another discount airline, you’ll first notice their youth. Spirit flies to over 40 cities domestically and more than 25 cities abroad. What the three airlines share in common are fees for checked bags, including any carry-on aside from your small personal item. The newer airlines, however, will have less extraneous fees. Spirit may offer $19 flights, but they can get you on the fees.
Frontier Airlines offers faster boarding with checked bags, but they’ll often have fees like charging you $38 per bag. You can find some $11 flights on their website and more destinations that you’ll see from Avelo or Breeze, but you won’t see every destination that either airline flies to, giving Breeze and Avelo an advantage. Flying Frontier can also mean paying extraneous fees on in-flight drinks and the seats are notoriously small.
Frontier, Spirit and Breeze all offer rewards programs. Avelo is not at that level yet. When comparing these new discount airlines to other money-saving flight providers, they have a lot of similarities. They provide a more personal service than bigger airlines and fly to more places than just main cities. Airlines like these offer a lot of potential, which makes investing in travel seem like an enticing idea.
With the newer airlines, it looks like there aren’t as many fees — plus, they offer more promotional money-saving opportunities. Finding different ways to save money by shopping different airlines to find that lowest flight ticket may seem like a hassle at first, but it is worth the hassle. Avelo Airlines and Breeze Airways might not replace your current preferred method of flight, but, at this phase, both seem worth a try.
