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Avelo Airlines has extended its flight schedule from Wilmington (ILG) from the end of October into the first week of January. That’s good news for travelers heading to Florida for the holidays.
The airline will resume service to West Palm Beach. in November after taking a break folowing the July 4th holiday.
Flights typically operate twice a week and are geared to long weekends.
Holiday flights may run $100 or more one-way with baggage fees and seat reservations at an extra charge. That’s still below the inflated fares we see during that time of year.
The exceptions to the two-a-week rule are Orlando and Tampa, the two most popular destinations.
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Avelo added eight cities to its system from Wilmington late this month and, based on booking volume, is expected to fly 100,000 passengers to and from the Delaware airport. Avelo has nearly 100 employees and two Boeing 737-800 jets based in Delaware.
Nowhere on the schedule is Melbourne, FL, which was dropped from initial flight plans. Also, Wilmington (ILG) service will not be extended beyond October for destinations in the Carolinas and Savannah, according to the website. Nashville remains on the schedule.
Based on booking trends, Avelo is projecting 100,000 summer travelers using the Wilmington airport.
Airport officials have seen more passengers using parking at the airport. Plans call for reopening another lot that hasn’t been used for several years.
American offering year-round flights to Spain, Portugal
American Airlines has extended its seasonal nonstop service from Philadelphia International Airport to Lisbon and Barcelona to year-round status.
“As customers begin to plan their winter vacations, American Airlines is excited to offer more service to Europe from Philadelphia this winter with new year-round service to Barcelona and Lisbon,” said Jason Reisinger, American Airlines managing director of Global Network Planning. “From our leading transatlantic hub, American will offer up to nine daily flights to European destinations our customers want to visit the most.”
In addition to Lisbon and Barcelona, American Airlines’ year-round PHL transatlantic service includes London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Zurich, Paris, Madrid, and Rome.
There have been worries that American was shifting more overseas service to other airports, including its fortress hub in Charlotte, NC.
American this week saw the end of a northeast alliance with smaller Jet Blue. A judge ruled the alliance with the nation’s largest airline came with antitrust issues. While both airlines denied monopoly claims, the alliance did allow American to not worry about competition on routes like Philly to Boston. Jet Blue has a solid foothold on that route.
Jet Blue chose to move on, noting that it needed to move forward with a proposed merger with budget carrier Spirit, which also comes with antitrust issues. If Jet Blue is successful in the merger, jets are expected to be converted to Jet Blue’s model, which comes with more amenities like business class and internet access and most likely higher fares.
Copa comes to Baltimore-Washington
At Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Copa Airlines has launched flights to its hub in Panama City, not the Florida one.
Copa serves a total of 14 cities in the United States with connecting flights from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Copa Airlines now offers four weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
In addition to Baltimore, Copa Airlines launched a new route in South America on June 27, connecting its Panama hub o to the city of Manta, Ecuador. This move positions Copa Airlines as the sole provider of international connectivity to Manta, often referred to as the “Gateway to the Pacific.”
Copa also serves better-known South American destinations including Buenos Aires
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