A new budget airline has set up shop in Charleston WV at Yeager Airport, and it can take you to a couple places on the cheap.
Breeze Airlines announced in March that they would be starting flights from Charleston, WV to Charleston, SC and Orlando, FL. Today I am going to give you the low down on what to expect with this airline, and how cheap flights truly are from Charleston WV. I will also give you a little information you probably do not know about the airlines.
Breeze Airlines is a budget airline with headquarters in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. The founder is David Neeleman. David previously co-founded JetBlue, WestJet, Morris Air, and Azul Linhas Aereas, so he has the experience in this industry. The company is fairly new, starting in May 2021, and has added flights to several cities around the country. In the news this week, they announced they were stopping some flights, that mainly affect flights leaving from Westchester County Airport in New York and flying to Los Angeles, or to Sarasota Florida. Also, after Labor Day, there will be 23 flights cut that are seasonal flights, but most will start back up in the summer of 2024.
The Low Down
-Download the Breeze Airlines app to help you research, book, and enjoy a contactless check in and boarding experience. If you download the app, you get 500 Breezepoints. (You get points to redeem for future flights).
-Personal items are included with flight, 17"x13x8 (included with basic flight)
-Carry-on bag 22"x14"x9" is $37
-Checked bag, 1st bag is $39, second is $45, third $50.
-Seats cost anywhere from $10, to $30 depending on where you want to sit, and yes you have to buy a seat.
-A $75 pet fee (each way) if you want to bring your cat or dog. It must be 25 pounds or less and you keep them under the seat.
-Special Needs tabs: Hearing impaired, wheelchair needs, visually impaired, non-English speaking, portable oxygen concentrator, airport assistance, other medical disability or service animal. These are all items you can click on while booking to let the airline know if you need help in any way.
Charleston, SC
I just tested it out. A round-trip flight on May 31st to June 6th to Charleston SC (CHS) will cost you $98.00, picking the cheapest seat on plane, and after taxes and fees. This is a nonstop flight.
Nice, Nicer, and Nicest, gives you the option of paying extra up front to get you the best seat and luggage deals, and you also earn more Breezepoints when doing this. It raises the cost to $186 for the round-trip flight to Charleston SC and back. (Nicer was chosen, Nicest was not available). A personal item, 1 carry-on bag, 1 checked bag, and extra leg room at your seat are included in this option.
It's $355 if you choose to fly American from Charleston WV to Charleston SC on the same days, and it has a layover in Charlotte NC. (Not including checked luggage, or extra leg room).
Orlando, FL
I also just tested out June 7th to June 14th to Orlando Florida (MCO) and it will cost you $138, picking the cheapest seat on plane and after taxes and fees. Nonstop flight.
Nice, Nicer, and Nicest, gives you the option of paying extra up front to get you the best seat and luggage deals, and you also earn more Breezepoints when doing this. It raises the cost to $218 (Nicest) for roundtrip flight to Orlando and back. A personal item, 1 carry-on bag, 2 checked bags, and extra leg room for your seat are included in this option.
It's $393 if you choose to fly American from Charleston WV to Orlando FL on the same days, and it has a layover in Atlanta. ($2 more for layover in Charlotte NC). This flight does not include checked luggage or extra leg room).
Another Fact
An interesting tidbit, Breeze Airlines has flights from Charleston SC and Orlando FL that connect to several other cities around the country. I double checked prices for Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Provo to see if it would be cheaper to fly from Charleston WV to Charleston SC or Orlando FL to connect to these flights. This is not the best option. Most flights are more expensive, than flying direct on American with a layover somewhere else.
One example, Charleston WV to San Francisco CA May 31st to June 6th was $495.00 on American with a layover in Charlotte NC. I tried it with layover in Charleston SC on Breeze it was $695, plus the initial $98 to get the Charleston SC, and the layover didn't match up easily. So if you are looking for a deal that way, you will not come up with it.
In Conclusion
If you are used to flying budget airlines (Spirit, Frontier, or Allegiant) this airline is similar, with similar issues in the reviews. Lacking customer service is most common of the bad reviews. Overall, the rating is a 2 out of 5, but I think that is a little harsh for a budget airline.
For the price, I do not think you can beat it, and I would do these flights in a heartbeat to get to either city. If you live in West Virginia and fly out of Yeager airport, to Charleston SC or Orlando FL, Breeze is the way to go.
If you would like more information on Breeze, Charlston SC, or Orlando FL, I can help you out on that. Just make an appointment on tourangie.com and I can do your research and plan your itinerary.
This post contains affiliate links that if you click on them and buy, I might receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
interesting read!