Saving money on airfare by booking a budget airline can be a hard bargain to pass up for many travelers. Even as demand for first-class comfort is picking up, some are still opting for fewer frills in exchange for more affordable tickets on airlines like Spirit or Frontier. But now, budget carriers Breeze Airways and Avelo Airlines have announced they’re adding more flights in 2025 to meet this increased demand—but what do travelers really think about them?
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Avelo offers affordable flights with practically no frills.
Since taking to the skies in early 2021, Avelo has begun to fill in the void at smaller airports across the U.S. The airline filled slots left vacant as major carriers cut back routes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, The New York Times reports. This makes Avelo a go-to option for travelers looking to connect to a larger city from smaller cities like Knoxville, Tennessee; New Haven, Connecticut; Salem, Oregon; and Traverse City, Michigan.
The airline also offers some international flights to the Caribbean and Mexico, per the company’s website. And similar to most major airlines, there’s no fee for canceling or changing your booked flights.
However, the cheap fares customers enjoy ironically come at a price. Like other budget airlines, extra fees are tacked on for trip basics like carry-on items, checked luggage, and seat selection, according to The Travel Bite. There’s also no food and drink service of any kind, no in-flight entertainment available on board, no WiFi, and no power outlets.
Breeze gives the option for more comfort on board.
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Not all budget airlines leave you with the bare-bones experience. While Breeze also focuses on flying from smaller airports in underserved cities, travelers can opt for three different levels of service once they’re actually on their way: Nice, Nicer, and Nicest. Passengers flying the lowest tier will have to pay a little extra for their carry-on luggage and checked bags, but those flying Nicer and Nicest will get a free carry-on and one or two checked bags, respectively, per Going.
Breeze passengers also have the chance to eat and drink with items furnished on board, with snacks and beverages available for purchase on Nice and complimentary on Nicer and Nicest fares. And unlike Avelo, travelers can also use their personal devices to tap into streaming movies and shows on all flights.
You can also stay connected: WiFi is available for $8 per flight for Nice tickets—which covers every device for every traveler on the reservation—and is complimentary for Nicer and Nicest fares on most of the aircraft in the carrier's fleet. All travelers can also access free messaging on flights where this service is available.
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Customers appreciate Avelo, but their opinions are mixed.
While it can be easy to pile on airlines for creating travel mishaps, some flyers are proponents of the little things that make Avelo stand out, even as a budget airline.
“Avelo is the best!” one enthusiastic traveler wrote on the airline’s subreddit.
They continued, “I have never had a bad experience. All customer service people in-person or over the phone are very pleasant and kind…Avelo makes flying a little more enjoyable than the norm,” also noting that the carrier helped them rebook when a flight was canceled due to weather.
Others agreed that the low cost isn’t necessarily a trap. “It’s no-frills, but it’s what you need it to be,” Mia Whitfield, a Connecticut resident who uses the airline to visit family out of town, told The NYT. “We’re just really grateful to have the option. It gives us more time together at the end of the day.”
However, Whitfield clarified that even though the smaller airports Avelo flies through can make pre-flight procedures easier than at larger hubs, popular flights can sometimes overcrowd the boarding area. Traffic and finding transportation to the less busy airports can also be an issue.
Other Reddit users bemoaned the airline for being unreliable. “I've had fine experiences with Avelo, and I want to like them. But they've also pulled some stupid [expletive] (like totally canceling my flight the day before Thanksgiving two years ago and not notifying us until an hour before the flight was meant to leave),” one user wrote. “I would not rely on them for time-sensitive flights...but then again, which airline can you really depend on?”
Some travelers love Breeze’s cheap fares.
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On the other hand, some flyers say that the Breeze travel experience is on par with some of the major airlines.
“I just flew with Breeze for the first time, and it went surprisingly well,” one commenter wrote on the airline’s subreddit. “Boarding was efficient and quick, take off was on time, [and our] flight arrived early. This happened for both flights. Their cheapest seats had more room than Delta's basic economy.”
“I recently took a flight from the east coast to the west coast and back, [and] I had a good experience overall. Definitely better than Spirit, Frontier, or Allegiant,” another user commented.
However, travelers pointed out that while they generally love the airline, the infrequent flight schedule can become an issue—which is a common problem among budget carriers.
“If you’re traveling for something which you must be at and don’t have flexibility, it might not be the best option,” one Reddit user wrote. “In the very small chance you run into a significant delay or cancellation, the next flight might not be for several days.”
The Takeaway
Both Avelo and Breeze are adding more flights to their schedule this year, providing more budget flights to passengers eager to save money. While both offer direct flights from smaller city airports to larger hubs, there are some differences in the in-flight experience.
Avelo provides practically zero frills—including no beverage or snack service of any kind, no in-flight entertainment, and no WiFi—while Breeze gives the option of free checked bags, snacks, and drinks with the purchase of a higher-tier ticket.
Customers have mixed opinions of both carriers, with the most common complaints being Avelo’s tendency to run late or cancel flights last minute and Breeze’s lack of departures consistently throughout the week. Still, many appreciate the “no-frills” approach in the name of saving some money.
UPDATE: A previous version of this article stated that WiFi was unavailable on Breeze flights. We corrected the mistake.
