A version of this article originally appeared in Architectural Digest.
22.05.2024 - 17:53 / thepointsguy.com / David Neeleman
One of America's newest airlines is marking its third birthday with a big announcement.
Breeze Airways, founded in May 2021, unveiled plans Wednesday to dramatically increase its service over the next half-decade at T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) in Providence.
Already operating up to 132 weekly flights and 18 destinations out of the New England airport, Breeze is plotting as many as 35 destinations over the next five years — and 200 weekly nonstops.
As part of an agreement, Breeze is expected to expand its footprint to three international destinations or U.S. territories, explained the company's founder and CEO, David Neeleman.
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"We've been chomping at the bit to do international for a little bit here," Neeleman said in an interview this week with TPG.
By fall, Breeze will have nine operating bases. It'll have three bases in Florida — once its Fort Myers base opens in October — and two in New England, including Providence. The other is at Bradley International Airport (BDL) near Hartford.
But the additional service offerings the Provo, Utah-based carrier is planning out of T.F. Green will far surpass the presence it currently has in any one market. The move will see Breeze base as many as 12 jets in Providence and double its personnel headcount to around 400.
What's behind this interest in Providence?
"We always say, if we're going to add a city, we add four or five destinations — and if those fill up, we'll keep adding," Neeleman said. "We see there's a clear path to 35 different places we can fly to [from Providence]. The airport's been supportive, the governor, everyone."
Indeed, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee joined Breeze executives in Providence to announce the growth plans, including an agreement with the government that will see the carrier operate routes to at least seven cities west of the Mississippi, Neeleman said.
Here's how Breeze's current Providence route map shakes out, as shown by aviation analytics firm Cirium.
"This expansion will bring in more economic activity, more good-paying jobs, more routes, more visitors, and help set Rhode Island up as a true destination state," McKee said in a statement announcing the news.
As part of the agreement, Breeze will also commit to pursuing interline agreements with international carriers over the next three years to help Providence become more of a connecting hub for international traffic, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation said in a statement Wednesday.
Once it clears regulatory requirements, where might Breeze fly internationally?
"Anywhere we can draw a seven-hour circle around Providence," Neeleman said, alluding to the range of the Airbus A220.
A version of this article originally appeared in Architectural Digest.
Finnish airline Finnair is making it easier to hop across the Atlantic this fall and winter with a flight sale for travelers planning ahead.
If you’ve been stuck on the tarmac or stranded at the gate for what seems like an eternity, you’re not alone. A new study by travel website Places to Travel reveals which U.S. airports are the biggest culprits when it comes to lengthy flight delays. Places to Travel analyzed data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics for nearly 2 million delayed domestic flights from January 2023 through February 2024 to find the airports with the longest average delay times.
Last-minute travelers can take comfort that an airline has plenty of deals available for a summer getaway. Allegiant Airlines, a discount carrier based in Las Vegas, recently began offering hundreds of last-minute flight deals with wide availability through August 2024 to popular summer destinations including Austin, Chicago, New York City, Orlando, and more. Passengers can visit Allegiant’s sale page, and enter their desired departure city to find deals from their home market, and even set a budget for the maximum amount they would like to pay for flights. There is no scheduled end date for the sale, and fare prices are subject to change. Travel + Leisure spotted a wide availability of flights to and from popular Florida summer destinations including:
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