The revolution of established players in the airline industry has been the one shining aspect of travel over the past few years. Due to the pandemic, landing slots at popular airports are now easier to find, and used aircraft are affordable, making the value proposition of launching a new airline a little less challenging. Two new American airlines have debuted since the pandemic started: Breeze Airways and Avelo Airlines, both of which began operating in May 2021 out of Burbank, California. Due to its larger route map and fleet, Breeze has so far attracted more attention.
Avelo Airlines, however, is also pursuing intriguing passenger-friendly strategies, such as emphasizing underutilized airports to reduce costs and providing perks like low-cost bag-check fees.
What is Avelo Airlines?
Avelo is a brand-new start-up airline with a business strategy that incorporates the best elements of Allegiant and Southwest Airlines, two other successful low-cost airlines.
Similar to Allegiant, the majority of Avelo Airlines route are point-to-point between smaller airports with inexpensive landing fees and no existing service (i.e., they won’t sell you any connecting flights). They also place a high priority on aircraft utilization, keeping their aircraft in the air as much as possible with quick turnaround times on the ground, similar to Southwest.
They put a lot of effort into tricking leisure travelers, and their route network reflects this by giving prominent placement to places like Florida and Las Vegas. Additionally, they provide service to a number of smaller towns, including Redding and Eureka, California, which are both close to inaccessible natural attractions like Lassen Volcanic and Redwood National Park, respectively.
Avelo Airlines currently has six Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet, which is comparatively small. This fleet isn’t particularly young, with an average age of 14.5 years, but flying older, well-maintained jets is a simple way to save money and keep fares low for passengers. The average aircraft age of United Airlines is roughly 16.5 years, so this figure is actually lower than many major US airlines.
Avelo Airlines routes
A distinctive feature of Avelo Airlines is that it runs separate route networks on the east and west coasts. A variety of smaller airports in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Rocky Mountains are served nonstop by their largest base in Burbank; at the moment, Avelo doesn’t offer connecting flights.
A network of flights to Florida as well as flights to Baltimore-Washington (BWI), Chicago Midway (MDW), and Raleigh-Durham are all operated from their second hub in New Haven, Connecticut (RDU). Lastly, Avelo is expanding its presence in a more limited way for flights to Las Vegas the flight that matters the most to the review with flights to California and Colorado.
- Baltimore-Washington (BWI)
- Chicago Midway (MDW)
- Raleigh-Durham
Andrew Levy, the CEO of Avelo, has admitted in interviews that he views the eastern and western networks as two distinct airlines with their own fleets and resources.
Service Provided By The Avelo Airlines
Avelo designed his new airline to be as feasible as possible. Instead of the enormous hubs dominated by the major airlines, Avelo focuses on mid-sized and smaller airports. For example, Burbank is chosen over Los Angeles International Airport, Mesa Airport outside of Phoenix is chosen over Phoenix Sky Harbor International, and Ogden-Hinckley Airport in Utah is chosen over Salt Lake City International Airport, which is nearby.
Avelo Airlines is an ultra-low-cost carrier, so it doesn’t have many extras. 189 seats in a typical coach configuration will be found on board the single-class Boeing 737-800 aircraft used for the flights, though 60 of them will be available for an upgrade fee starting at $18 that will give passengers two to nine inches more legroom.
Free bottled water and a small snack are provided as part of the in-flight experience; additional snacks and beverages are available for purchase. According to an Avelo spokesperson, Wi-Fi won’t be available right away but will gradually be added over the course of the following year.
Cultural Soul of Service
The foundation of Avelo’s service culture is Crewmembers helping Crewmembers to better care for their Customers. Through its cross-functional Crewmember training program, Avelo University, the airline promotes a kind, caring, and welcoming attitude among its Crewmembers. When scheduled flight service starts at the end of April, Avelo expects to have more than 200 aviation professionals on staff.
According to Jim Lynde, Head of People at Avelo, “people are joining Avelo from all walks of life because they aspire to be more than a badge number.” The opportunity to start a new airline from scratch is once in a lifetime for our crew members.
Also read: 8 Beautiful Flight Attendant Uniforms From Different Airlines Worldwide
Spend Less. Trip More
The airline will initially fly 189-seat, single-class Boeing 737-800 aircraft that are fuel-efficient and provide a more comfortable ride than the regional jets frequently used by the airports Avelo serves. No change or call center fees apply to Avelo’s surprisingly affordable daily fares for customers who choose to make reservations over the phone.
Additionally, Avelo provides a number of unbundled, competitively priced travel-improving options, giving customers the freedom to spend money on what matters most to them:
- First Bag Checked: $10
- Overhead Carry-On Bag: $35
- Priority boarding: $10
- Cabin with Pets: $95
- Options for seating: Customers can select from a variety of seating options. The 189-seat Avelo 737-800 will have 129 standard slimline seats with a 29-inch pitch. Aisle and window seats can be reserved in advance for $5. Additionally, 60 seats on Avelo aircraft will have a pitch range of 31 to 38 inches. These tickets begin at $18.
Conclusion
Avelo Airlines was established with the straightforward goal of Inspiring Travel. They provide customers with a surprisingly smooth experience, time and money-saving convenience, and low daily fares while operating a fleet of Next-Generation Boeing 737 aircraft.
It provides service to a number of stunning and tranquil locations not currently provided by BUR. They take all necessary safety measures to safeguard passengers’ health both at the airport and on the flight. Avelo is the best choice if you want to travel on a budget.
