Have you heard? There’s a new budget airline in town, and while it may seem an odd time to start up such a major venture, the wealth of experience the executive team boasts suggests they have a great chance at success. I certainly hope so, because I stand to benefit directly if it does. No, I’m not an investor, but Avelo Airlines, which launched April 8 at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles (BUR) (formerly known as Bob Hope Airport),

Photo 200890753 © Fritz Hiersche | Dreamstime.com

includes my hometown airport (Rogue Valley International Airport — MFR) on one of its initial routes. Avelo is the first new mainline airline in nearly 15 years.

Avelo Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy was the co-founder and previous president of Allegiant Air (which also serves MFR) and CFO at United Airlines. Other members of his team have worked as commercial pilots and held executive positions at such major carriers as Delta, United, American Airlines, Eastern and Northwest, adding up to a combined 200-plus years’ experience in the industry.

The airline’s model is to provide direct service to smaller, less busy and crowded airports near population centers with draws for leisure travelers such as national parks, wine regions and ski slopes. From its hub at Burbank, routes operate three to four days a week to Western regional airports at Redding, Santa Rosa and Arcata-Eureka, California; Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona; Ogden-Salt Lake, Utah; Grand Junction, Colorado; Medford and Redmond-Bend, Oregon; Bozeman-Yellowstone, Montana; and Pasco-Tri Cities, Washington. The first East Coast hub will be at Tweed New Haven (HVN) in Connecticut, but routes have not yet been announced. The fleet currently consists of three fully refurbished Boeing 737-800s,

Photo 107223868 / Air © Motive56 | Dreamstime.com

each offering a total of 189 seats (in a 3-3 configuration), with 60 “premium” seats up front. Three more aircraft are to be added by the end of this year.

So, what about the nitty-gritty (fares and fees)? Introductory one-way fares (now through Sept. 15) start at $19 on all routes, with no cancellation or change fees (this policy may change once normal travel resumes post-COVID). First checked bag is a reasonable $10, with an overhead carry-on bag, limited to 35 pounds and size restrictions, costing $35 (a single personal item which can fit under a seat is free). Other fees include priority boarding ($10), window or aisle seat ($5) and pets ($95). There is no additional charge for making reservations through the call center rather than online. In-flight Wi-Fi will become available, though there are no power ports or entertainment screens.

The first flight into Medford arrived this past Tuesday, with airport firetrucks providing the traditional water arch. Flights between MFR and BUR will operate on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, accommodating those seeking a long weekend either here or there. I’m looking forward to having this option to fly into the Los Angeles area while avoiding crowded LAX, and Burbank’s location actually puts one closer to such attractions as Universal Studios (just 5 miles away) and offers a direct rail line to downtown and points beyond.

Yes, it’s nice to have another option, and with such low fares, I won’t need much of a nudge to get me to check it out!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor