Avelo: $35 Flights and What's the Catch?

Avelo's $35 Flights: Or, How to Lose Money and Annoy Everyone

$35 flights? Yeah, right. Give me a break. Avelo Airlines is at it again, promising the moon for pocket change. I saw the headline: "Avelo Airlines adds service from Wilmington to Atlanta, Chicago." Okay, great. More ways to get crammed into a metal tube with screaming kids and questionable hygiene for less than the price of a decent meal. You can read more about the new routes in Avelo Airlines adds service from Wilmington to Atlanta, Chicago.

The "Ultra-Low-Cost" Lie

Let's be real, "ultra-low-cost" is code for "we'll nickel and dime you for every breath you take." $35 to Chicago? Sure, if you're flying with nothing but the clothes on your back and a burning desire to stand for the entire flight. Wanna check a bag? That'll be extra. Want a seat with enough legroom to avoid deep vein thrombosis? Cha-ching. Want a glass of water that isn't sourced from a rusty tap? Prepare to open your wallet.

And don't even get me started on the "convenience" factor. Concord, North Carolina? Wilmington, Delaware? These aren't exactly bustling metropolises. They're secondary airports for people who are too cheap—sorry, "frugal"—to fly into the actual city. You'll save $50 on the flight and then spend $100 on an Uber to get where you actually need to go. Brilliant.

Then again, maybe I'm being too cynical. Maybe Avelo is run by a bunch of benevolent saints who just want to spread the joy of air travel to the masses. Maybe pigs will offcourse fly.

The Fine Print Nobody Reads

Avelo founder and CEO Andrew Levy spouts the usual PR garbage: "[The flights] inspire more travel as we gear up for spring break, more vacations, and connecting with friends and family." Yeah, and McDonald's "inspires" healthy eating habits. These guys are selling a fantasy, not a service.

Look, I get it. People want cheap flights. I want cheap flights. But there's a reason why airline fares are what they are. It costs money to fly a plane. It costs money to pay pilots and flight attendants. It costs money to maintain the damn thing so it doesn't plummet out of the sky. So where are Avelo cutting corners? Are they skimping on maintenance? Are they paying their employees peanuts? Are they using recycled cardboard for the seats? I need answers!

And what's with all these random routes? Lakeland, Florida, to Detroit? Charlotte to Nashville? Who is clamoring for these connections? It feels like they're throwing darts at a map and hoping something sticks. You can read more about the new routes Avelo Adds Three New Routes, Brings Back Three Others.

Avelo's Grand Plan (Probably)

Here's my prediction: Avelo will last about as long as it takes for the first major mechanical failure or customer service disaster. Then they'll quietly disappear, leaving a trail of stranded passengers and unpaid bills in their wake. It's the circle of life for budget airlines. Remember Spirit? Frontier? Allegiant? They're all masters of the bait-and-switch, promising rock-bottom fares and then squeezing every last cent out of you once you're trapped on board.

This Is Gonna End in Tears