Spirit Is Adding Flights From Charleston To These 2 Northeast Hubs

26.01.2024 - 17:59 / travelandleisure.com / Spirit Airlines / John Kirby

Spirit Airlines is expanding its presence in South Carolina, adding flights from Charleston to Boston and New York City this spring.

Starting April 19, the budget airline will add flights between Charleston International Airport and both Boston Logan International Airport and New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Spirit confirmed to Travel + Leisure. The new flights will operate daily.

“Charleston’s historic sites, booming food scene, and beautiful beaches have made it one of the most popular U.S. leisure destinations, and Spirit’s new, daily nonstop flights are a convenient and affordable way for our Guests in Boston and New York to enjoy all the city has to offer this spring,” John Kirby, the vice president of network planning at Spirit Airlines, said in a statement shared with T+L. “We're looking forward to celebrating our first anniversary in Charleston this April by expanding our schedule to five nonstop flights and giving our CHS Guests More Go to two major metro areas in the northeast.”

In addition to the new flights, Spirit flies to Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, and Newark from Charleston (named the the No. 1 city in the U.S. by T+L readers). The airline first started flying out of the popular South Carolina city last year.

The decision to expand its Charleston service comes after a federal judge blocked a much-talked-about merger between the airline and JetBlue, which would have made it the fifth largest carrier in the United States. The federal judge in Massachusetts ruled the merger was unlawful following a 17-day trial because it violated antitrust laws.

Both Spirit and JetBlue have filed a notice to appeal the decision.

For its part, Spirit is a low-cost carrier offering bare-bones tickets and charging for extras like baggage and seat selection.

Travelers who belong to the airline’s paid yearly membership program, the Saver$ Club, receive discounts on those extras. Spirit has also introduced a status-matching program, which gives travelers access to those same types of perks for a fee.