DAYTONA BEACH − Avelo Airlines began offering flights to several destinations at Daytona Beach International Airport in June 2023. Breeze Airways will begin flights here on Thursday. Both describe themselves as ‘ultra-low-cost airlines’.
Here’s a look at what that means and how Avelo and Breeze differ.
Brian McCormick, director of airport properties for Breeze Airways, Joanne Magley, air service, marketing and customer experience manager at Daytona Beach International Airport, and airport director Karen Feaster, make hand gestures to mimic the airline’s logo following the announcement on Wednesday, August 8. On August 7, 2024, Breeze plans to add nonstop service to four new destinations.
Both promote super-low airfares compared to major airlines like Delta and American, and it’s true that they do.
However, both are no-frills budget airlines that compensate for cheap airfares by charging for “extras” that passengers on major airlines typically don’t have to pay for.
Avelo, whose name (sort of) rhymes with “hello,” is a Houston-based budget airline that launched in April 2021, led by Andrew Levy, the former Chief Operations Officer of Allegiant Air. It is the successor to Casino Express Airlines, which entered service in 1989 and changed its name to Xtra Airlines in 2005.
Although it offers direct flights to some major markets, such as Orlando, Chicago and Washington, DC, Avelo tends to focus on serving secondary markets within a short drive of major cities. For example, Avelo offers nonstop service from Daytona Beach International Airport to the “Philly” area, but the flights on that route actually land at the airport in Wilmington, Delaware, which is about a 30-minute drive to the town of Brotherly Love.
Breeze is a budget airline based in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, founded in May 2021 by JetBlue co-founder David Neeleman (he also co-founded Morris Air, WestJet and Azul Linhas Aereas). Like Avelo, it specializes in serving secondary markets, rather than flying directly to major cities. For example, instead of flying to New York City, Breeze offers nonstop flights to White Plains, New York (Westchester County), just over an hour’s drive north of the Big Apple.
A sign shows the flight path for Avelo Airlines’ planned new nonstop Daytona Beach-New Haven, Connecticut service during a news conference at Daytona Beach International Airport on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
Avelo allows passengers to bring one personal item (such as a purse, briefcase or small backpack) on a flight at no additional charge, but charges an additional fee for carry-on and checked bags. Passengers also have to pay extra if they want to choose their seat and/or want more legroom.
Avelo recommends that passengers bring their own non-alcoholic drinks and snacks and ensure that their electronic devices, such as smartphones or tablets, are pre-charged with favorite programs. “There will be no Wi-Fi or charging facilities during the flight,” the airline’s website said.
Breeze follows a slightly different model where passengers can choose between a ‘no flex fare’, which is the cheapest no-frills option, and options that increase in price and offer more benefits accordingly: the ‘nice bundle’, the ‘nicer’ bundle”, and the “most beautiful bundle”.
Each option allows one personal item on board at no extra charge, but the “no flex fare” requires passengers to pay extra for carry-on luggage.
One checked bag is allowed at no extra charge if you choose a ‘nicer’ or ‘nicest’ bundle option.
Breeze charges extra for onboard WiFi and onboard snacks and drinks for the cheaper options, while the more expensive options include these benefits at no extra cost.
Breeze also offers a loyalty program that allows passengers to earn “BreezePoints” that can result in additional discounts on future travel.
Avelo currently offers twice-weekly nonstop flights from Daytona Beach International Airport to New Haven, Connecticut, and to Wilmington, Delaware/Philadelphia, on Sundays and Thursdays. On Mondays and Fridays it offers nonstop flights to Hartford, Connecticut.
Starting Thursday, Breeze will offer nonstop flights twice a week to White Plains, New York (Westchester County), on Thursdays and Sundays.
Beginning February 13, 2025, Breeze will also offer biweekly nonstop flights to Hartford, Connecticut, and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, on Thursdays and Sundays, and starting the following day it will launch biweekly nonstop service to Providence, Rhode Island, on Mondays and Friday.
A ribbon-cutting event will take place Thursday at 3 p.m. on the second level of the main passenger terminal at Daytona Beach International Airport to celebrate the launch of Breeze service to the Volusia County-run airport. The inaugural inbound flight from White Plains is expected to arrive at 4:14 p.m
For more information, visit flybreeze.com.
This article originally appeared in The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Cheap flights at Daytona Beach Airport thanks to Avelo, Breeze
