5 Discount Airlines You Need To Know About

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If you’re looking for cheap flight options in the United States or around the world, there are some discount airlines you need to know about. 

They may be “flying beneath your radar” because they’re relatively new or they service routes that aren’t at the mega-airports.

In this article, I’ll fill you in on where these five airlines fly and what they offer. I’ll also compare their prices to legacy carriers and other discounters. 

Breeze Airways

Breeze Airways was founded in 2018 by JetBlue founder David Neeleman. The Breeze website says the company “provides nonstop service between underserved routes across the U.S. at affordable fares.”

As of November 2022, the website shows that Breeze flies to 31 destinations across the United States, including Syracuse, New York, to Las Vegas and Provo, Utah, to San Francisco. Breeze recently announced that it will be adding two new destinations in February 2023: Vero Beach, Florida, and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Route Map

Screenshot via Breeze Airways, November 2022

Price

Breeze has three fare classes: “Nice,” “Nicer” and “Nicest.”

There are no fees for flight changes or cancellations, but all Breeze tickets are technically non-refundable. Instead, you’ll get a travel credit (in the form of BreezePoints) that’s good for 24 months.

Nice fares let you can carry on only a personal item for free.  

Nicer fares allow you to bring one carry-on bag and one checked bag for free. You also get priority boarding, a complimentary snack bar and drink and a seat with extra legroom. 

Nicest fares are available only on long-haul flights and let you bring a carry-on and check two bags for free. You also get a snack and a beverage. 

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Breeze is the only airline that flies nonstop from White Plains, New York to Los Angeles (LAX). In November 2022, I looked up prices for round-trip, early morning flights, traveling on a Monday in February 2023.

American AirlinesUnited AirlinesBreeze Airways
ClassEconomyEconomyNice (Economy)
Cost Round Trip$291.20$365.54$238.00
Stops1 (Chicago-O’Hare)1 (Chicago-O’Hare)Nonstop

Add-Ons

If it’s not included in your fare, the baggage situation gets complicated. Not only is there no set rate (the Breeze website provides this calculator), but if you wait until four hours before your flight to pay for your bags, you’ll pay a surcharge of at least $50

You can pay to get a pre-assigned seat ($10-$30) and for a seat with more legroom ($20-$50). Got an extra $3 handy? You can pay it to Breeze to get your boarding pass printed at the airport.

Amenities

If you are looking for entertainment while on a Breeze flight, you may or may not find it. Breeze offers complimentary movies, TV and games on certain flights. I talked with a Breeze representative who told me the airline does plan to offer streaming options and Wi-Fi at a later date on new aircraft.

There is a full menu of drinks and snacks available for purchase on board.

Avelo Airlines

Created in 2018, Avelo Airlines serves 32 destinations with bases in Burbank, California, Orlando, Florida, New Haven, Connecticut, and starting early next year, Wilmington, Delaware. But Avelo doesn’t fly cross-country. Instead, it has routes in the west (mostly from Burbank and a couple from Las Vegas) and others primarily along the East Coast including several destinations in Florida.

Route Map

Screenshot via Avelo Airlines, November 2022

Avelo Airlines’ new service from Wilmington, Delaware, is scheduled to begin in February 2023.

Avelo has just one class of service, and you’re allowed only a personal item on board for free. 

Avelo flies direct from Lexington, Kentucky, to Orlando. In November 2022, I compared prices using afternoon fares departing on a Wednesday in February 2023 and returning in the morning a week later.

Price

American AirlinesDelta AirlinesAvelo Airlines
ClassEconomyEconomyEconomy
Cost Round Trip$312.20$373.70$128.00
Stops1(Charlotte)1(Atlanta)Nonstop

Add-Ons

According to the Avelo website, carry-on bags and checked bags are $40 each if you pay when you book your ticket. The prices go up if you wait.

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My advice is to check the website during the booking process so that you don’t get hit with unexpected baggage charges. And unfortunately, if you need phone help when booking or changing a reservation, there’s a $20 charge.

Selecting a seat in advance starts at $11, and priority boarding costs $15.

Amenities

Avelo does not have any type of inflight entertainment or Wi-Fi. 

There are no food offerings on board, but you do get a complimentary bottle of water.

Norse Atlantic

Founded in February 2021, Norse Atlantic Airways flies only nine routes as of November 2022; all of them are transatlantic. 

Route Map

Screenshot via Norse Atlantic Airways, November 2022

Norse Atlantic has two main fare classes: Economy and Premium.

Price

Norse Atlantic flies from New York (JFK) to London (Gatwick). In November 2022, I looked up prices using evening fares on a Monday in February 2023 and returning a week later on afternoon flights.

British AirwaysJetBlue AirwaysNorse Atlantic
ClassEconomyBasic BlueEconomy (Light)
Cost Round Trip$580.68$505.48$354.65
StopsNonstopNonstopNonstop

Add-Ons

Within each of Norse Atlantic’s two fare classes, there are three bundled upgrade levels that charge various fees for carry-on bags, checked bags, priority boarding, meals and how much you’ll pay if you need to change your flight.

If you fly at the cheapest level, Economy Light and don’t choose any of the upgrade packages, you’ll be allowed to bring only a personal item on board for free.

Amenities

You can purchase food and drinks on board (if you want more than what’s included in your upgrade bundle), and the menu also includes blankets, earphones and neck pillows – not to mention a full range of duty-free products.

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Norse Atlantic offers movies and TV shows on demand at every seat.

It also provides USB and power outlets, but there’s nothing on the carrier’s website about the availability of Wi-Fi.

Money expert Clark Howard mentioned Norse Atlantic on his podcast earlier this year: “Norse is flying from a number of U.S. cities at fares that are really, really, really, really cheap,” he said. “And by the way, if you like a fancy seat, their premium seats are so much cheaper than they are on anybody else.”

PLAY

Founded in 2019, PLAY is based in Iceland, and all of its flights either terminate or connect through Reykjavik. 

PLAY serves 27 destinations and has recently started service to the U.S. with destinations of Washington, D.C., Boston, Massachusetts, Baltimore, Maryland, and Hudson Valley, New York. PLAY was created by investors of the now-defunct airline WOW Air.

Route Map

Screenshot via PLAY, November 2022

Price

PLAY flies from Boston to Reykjavik, Iceland. In November 2022, I compared prices for round-trip fares on Monday evenings, a week apart, in February 2023. 

IcelandairPlay Airlines
ClassEconomyEconomy
Cost Round Trip$501.18$310.51
StopsNonstopNonstop

If you bring a carry-on bag, you automatically get priority seating, but it’s not free. It starts at $26 and goes up depending on the route and the time of year. Checked bags start at $32. You’re allowed to bring a personal item on board for free.

Add-Ons

PLAY’s add-on menu is a sight to behold: It’s huge, so here’s a link.

It covers everything from “seating” (but doesn’t explain exactly what that means) starting at $6 and goes up to unaccompanied minor fees and trip insurance. Again, the prices depend on route and season. 

Amenities

Considering the segments on PlAY are on the shorter side (under six hours), I was surprised to see such a large in-flight menu. There are a variety of cold sandwiches, wraps, snacks, sweets, and beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic available for purchase.

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There is no Wi-Fi and no inflight entertainment.

Flair Airlines

Flair Airlines is based in Edmonton, Alberta, and has been around since 2005. It started service to the U.S. just last October.

Flair serves 35 destinations with 11 of them in the U.S. It also has flights to Cancun, Los Cabos and to Puerto Vallarta.

Route Map

Screenshot via www.flyflair.com, November 2022

Price

Flair flies from Fort Lauderdale to Toronto. In November 2002, I looked up prices for late morning or afternoon flights on Fridays, a week apart, in February 2023.

Air CanadaWestJetFlair Airlines
ClassEconomyEconomyEconomy
Cost Round Trip$221.34$334.23$174.01
StopsNonstopNonstopNonstop

Flair offers only Economy seating, and you get to bring just a personal item on board for free. 

You’ll see more fare classes on the website when you start to book your flight, but those apply to the hundreds of other airlines you can book through Flair’s website.

Add-Ons

Carry-on bags start at $29, and checked bags start at $44. The price goes up if you purchase at the airport.  

You can purchase bundles of services that include baggage combinations and a waiver of flight change fees. You can also pay for changes or cancellations separately.

Seat selection starts at $10, and seats with extra legroom start at $25. Priority boarding costs $10. If you need personal assistance checking in at the airport, be prepared to pay $25 for it – per flight, per passenger.

Amenities

Flair’s entertainment offerings are all on its mobile app. Per the company website, it includes “engaging content, games and movies.” Wi-Fi is free on board.   

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Flair offers a wide range of snacks and beverages for purchase. 

Pro tip: Don’t be surprised if you’re charged more than the menu price for a drink. Why? In very fine print on the menu (which you’ll find on the app), it says, “… to support sustainability, Flair will be charging $0.10 for every single use plastic cup.” The good news here is that dime appears to be in Canadian money.

Final Thoughts

Whenever booking on a deep discounter or any airline, be sure to add up the add-on fees to make sure you are truly getting a good deal. 

Booking a fully refundable fare allows you to shop around and monitor prices. If a deal pops up elsewhere, you can always cancel the more expensive and book elsewhere. 

Clark has a habit of letting cheap flights dictate his travel destinations.

My #1 rule of travel is buy the deal first and then figure out why you want to go there.”

Have you flown with these airlines? Tell us about your experience in our Clark.com Community.

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