Who's Avelo? What you need to know about the low-cost airline coming to Lakeland Linder
Lakeland Linder International Airport's announcement that it has reached an agreement for passenger air service with Avelo Airlines undoubtedly has some travelers wondering: Who's Avelo?
The low-cost carrier's name isn't quite a household name yet. Avelo was founded in April 2021 during the COVID pandemic.
Here's some basic information about the carrier and its routes today:
Flies to 44 U.S. destinations.
Routes connect 23 different states.
Fleet of 16 Boeing 737 aircraft.
Has flown more than 27,000 flights.
Served more than 3.5 million customers.
"Avelo has unlocked a new era of convenience, choice and competition by flying unserved routes to primarily underserved communities across the country," read a statement from an Avelo spokesperson. "At least one airport on every Avelo flight is a small, easy to use airport – making every Avelo journey easier and more enjoyable."
Avelo's performance
Lakeland residents have already started asking The Ledger how Avelo measures up against other airlines in terms of performance.
Avelo reports its flight statistics from the Official Airline Guide, better known as OAG's Flight Database, on its website:
87.2% on-time performance for November.
82.8% flights arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time through October.
0% flight cancellations in November.
0.1% of flights canceled year-to-date.
The airline's flight data does not appear on the Federal Aviation Administration's monthly reports, as it's not a public company yet, according to spokesperson Courtney Goff.
Here's a look at how other airlines stack up, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's November 2023 Air Travel Consumer Report:
Delta Air Lines Network: 84.8% on-time in September, 81.2% year-to-date.
American Airlines Network: 80.3% on-time in September, 76.9% year-to-date.
Southwest Airlines: 79.5% on-time in September, 75.3% year-to-date.
Allegiant Air: 77.6% on-time in September; 71.3% year-to-date.
Spirit Airlines: 74.8% on-time in September, 66.9% year-to-date.
Frontier Airlines: 74.8% on-time in September, 63.2% year-to-date.
Passenger carrier Avelo Airlines could soon be offering flights out of Lakeland Linder airport
What about costs?
Avelo bills itself as a low-cost carrier. There are some things potential travelers should know about it policies:
Passengers can change or cancel itineraries online with no extra fees.
Travelers age 13 and younger are automatically seated with an accompanying adult at no extra charge.
Passengers pay to select their seats, or an advanced assignment, starting at $11 with extra legroom starting at $39.
One free personal item is allowed. The price for carry-on bags varies based on flight.
Priority boarding is available for $15.
Pets in the cabin are allowed with carrier size restraints for $125.
If you need to call Customer Support for help booking, changing or canceling a fight, there's a fixed non-refundable fee of $20 per seated traveler.
A full list of Avelo's optional services and its associated fees can be found on the airline's website at avelorair.com/optionalservices.
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Heard of Avelo Airlines? Learn about Lakeland's next passenger airline
