Avelo's East Coast Obsession: Are We Witnessing a Controlled Crash?
So, Avelo Airlines is going all-in on the East Coast, huh? After ditching their West Coast operations – Burbank, I'm looking at you – they're now doubling down on smaller East Coast airports. Places like Wilmington and Lakeland. The official line? "Consolidating our network," blah, blah, blah. Translation: They screwed up their initial expansion and are now scrambling to cut losses. According to Avelo Airlines To Consolidate Network Ahead Of E2 Deliveries, this consolidation is happening in anticipation of new aircraft deliveries.
They claim this move is all about raising "brand awareness." Okay, let's be real: If you haven't heard of Avelo by now, adding more flights to freakin' Wilmington ain't gonna suddenly make you a household name. It's like trying to become a rockstar by playing exclusively at your local dive bar. Sure, you might get some regulars, but the world ain't gonna notice. And offcourse, they trot out CEO Andrew Levy to say this will "inspire more travel"...Inspire who? People who are already flying Avelo?
The E2 Mirage
The real reason for this East Coast pivot? The Embraer E195-E2s they're supposed to start getting in mid-2027. Suddenly, then they'll think about returning to the West Coast. It's always "just around the corner," isn't it? These planes are supposed to be the magic bullet, the thing that'll finally make their business model viable. But here's the thing: 2027 is a lifetime away in the airline industry. Who knows what the landscape will look like then? Will Avelo even be around?
And get this: they haven't even settled on the configuration for these E195-E2s yet. They're "open to the idea of a dual-class configuration." Seriously? You're ordering 50 planes, and you're just now thinking about what the inside will look like? This ain't a good sign. It's like buying a house without knowing how many bedrooms you want.
The Illusion of Choice
Avelo's schtick is offering cheap flights from smaller, "convenient" airports. And I'll admit, the idea of skipping the hellscape that is, say, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson is appealing. But let's not pretend this is some altruistic endeavor. Avelo isn't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They're doing it because they can't compete with the big boys – American Airlines, Southwest – on major routes. So, they carve out these little niches, hoping to pick up the scraps.
They're adding new flights from Charlotte and Lakeland to Chicago and Nashville and Detroit. All well and good. But what happens when Breeze Airways, or Allegiant, or some other budget carrier decides to muscle in on their territory? Those $35 flights won't stay $35 for long. It's a race to the bottom, and the only people who win are the ones who get out before the whole thing collapses.
Oh, and speaking of collapses, remember when Avelo ended its Redmond-Burbank flights earlier than expected? Yeah, that's the kind of "inspiring travel" I'm talking about.
The Passenger as Guinea Pig
Here’s what really boils my blood: the constant experimentation with passengers as unwitting guinea pigs. Avelo launches a route, sees if it sticks, and if it doesn't, poof, it's gone. No apologies, no refunds, just a shrug and a "sorry for the inconvenience."
And don’t even get me started on the whole "membership program" thing. Another way to squeeze a few extra bucks out of already-struggling travelers.
Then again, maybe I'm just being cynical. Maybe Avelo really is onto something. Maybe these smaller airports are the future of air travel. Maybe pigs will fly.
