Flying with Avelo Airlines Review 

Avelo Airlines launched its first flight in 2021 and has now positioned itself to fly to over 50 destinations.   

If you’re reading this Avelo Airlines review, it’s probably because you never see many people talking about the airline, as it is still relatively new in the travel community. 

However, part of my job as a travel blogger is to experience things so I can share them with you so you know what to expect when flying with the airline, so here I am!

In this Avelo Airlines review, I’ll break down what my experience was like and tell you whether or not you should go ahead and book your flight. 

Disclaimer: I won a giveaway hosted by Avelo Airlines on Instagram and received two free roundtrip tickets, free luggage, and priority boarding as a result. 

Rest assured, all views in this post are my own, and I was not paid or required to write this review by the airline! 

You may also like my Puerto Rico travel guide!

Avelo Airlines Routes & Destinations 

Avelo is a budget airline company I’ve wanted to fly with since they launched in 2021. 

I remember when they literally only flew to a few airports, one of which was my hometown, Fort Myers, Florida.

Seeing how much they have expanded over the years has been incredible. 

To start this Avelo Airlines Review, it’s great to know where Avelo Airlines flies in and out of, so here is the route map they have placed on their website: 

Avelo is known for its nonstop flights to over 50 destinations and for servicing several airports in the United States, so you have plenty of options.

Booking with Avelo Airlines Review

As I mentioned, I won free flights for two from Avelo Airlines through an Instagram sweepstakes I entered. 

As a result, to redeem my tickets, I had to call the Customer Service line with my voucher number rather than doing it myself online. 

I was a bit nervous about this since calling airlines is not usually the quickest process in the world, but I was pleasantly surprised. 

When I called Avelo Airlines, I was connected to someone almost immediately. Since I already had my desired dates ready, it only took about 10 minutes to book my flight. 

So if you find it easier to call and have a representative book a flight for you, I would say to go for it. 

I will say that for the ILG – SJU route in particular, the only flights available weekly are from Saturday – Wednesday or Wednesday – Saturday.

I’m not sure if this is how it works for various destinations with Avelo, but flexibility was key in making the trip happen as a result.

Checking in at the Airport 

I flew from the Wilmington Airport in Delaware (ILG) to the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan (SJU). 

You can imagine my surprise when I saw that Avelo Airlines was the ONLY airline that flew out of Wilmington Airport! 

It’s also the smallest airport I’ve ever been to, which made traveling easier. 

If I wasn’t traveling with someone, I may have been a bit bored, but time went by pretty fast! 

My friend and I were two of maybe five people there since we arrived early. 

There weren’t any employees in the front yet, as the check-in counter opened two hours before the flight. 

Everyone who came after us seemed very skeptical, but having known about Avelo before this flight, I was not! 

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Exactly two hours before the flight was set to depart, the employees opened the check-in counter.

Check-in was very smooth. 

We were given our boarding passes, checked in our luggage, went through the very small TSA section, and waited to board the flight in a small waiting section that led us directly to the plane. 

Baggage with Avelo Airlines

Personal Item Allowance

Avelo Airlines allows one free personal item per passenger. 

According to their website, the free personal item can’t be larger than 17″L x 13″H x 9″W (43 cm x 33 cm x 22 cm) and must be able to be stowed under a seat. 

Personal items include a purse, briefcase, laptop case, small backpack, etc. 

I had a personal purse and a small camera case/bag and had no issues getting on board. 

Carry-On Item 

You can bring one carry-on bag on flights with Avelo, but there is a fee. 

Avelo charges $50 per carry-on bag each way, so if you want to bring a carry-on bag, you’ll pay $100 in total. 

A carry-on bag must fit into an overhead bin and be no larger than 22” L x 14″H x 9” W (55 cm x 35 cm x 22 cm). 

Checked Bags 

Avelo allows you to check in up to 10 bags, but it costs $47 each way. 

I also recommend reviewing their check bag policy page, as there are some rules and restrictions.

For example, the Avelo Airlines checked bag weight limit is 50 lbs. (22 kg). If you exceed this limit, you must pay an additional $100 fee. Bags over 70 lbs are also not accepted. 

Traveler Tip: You can save money on the bags by prepaying for them when purchasing your ticket or before checking in. 

Avelo’s Pet Policy 

In case you have a furry friend you’d like to take along with you; I thought I’d include information about pets in this Avelo Airlines review. 

Avelo allows you to bring pets for $125 each way, which you can keep under the seat in front of you. 

You can read more about Avelo’s pet policy on this page. 

On The Flight with Avelo 

Priority Boarding 

Priority boarding allows you to board the airplane before regular boarding begins. 

Priority boarding was included with my winning ticket from the giveaway, so I was able to experience this for free. 

However, it costs $15 as an add-on to your ticket. 

When flying from Wilmington to San Juan, an announcement was made that those with priority boarding could use the ramp up to the plane, while those who did not had to board through the back using the stairs.

This was interesting, to say the least. 

However, in the name of exclusivity and trying to make a distinction to justify the add-on, I can see why this is done, but it didn’t leave me with the greatest feeling. 

Thankfully, it was also announced that those who didn’t feel comfortable using the stairs could take the ramp as well.

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I love getting settled into my seat without the chaos of everyone else trying to do the same, so I like priority boarding. 

However, with Avelo, I don’t think it’s necessary to pay an extra $15 because of how fast boarding was. 

We barely got to enjoy getting settled before the plane was already filled. 

Seating 

With seating on Avelo Airlines, you can pay for a seat with more legroom. 

The seats that you can pay extra for range include seats with 2”, 5”, and 8” of more legroom and the cost ranges from $24 – $63. 

If this doesn’t sound enticing, you can skip the option, and a seat will be assigned to you. 

Legroom 

I sat in a standard seat, and the legroom was standard. It is what you can expect from any flight experience. 

Entertainment 

As expected for a budget airline and short flight, there isn’t any in-flight entertainment, so you have to provide your own. 

There were also no plugs on the plane, so be sure to bring your portable charger(s) or charge them up before your flight! 

I expected this and brought a book, an assignment I was working on my laptop, and downloaded music and shows to keep me busy on my flight. 

Complimentary Snacks 

I did not expect to receive any snacks on my Avelo Airlines flight, so it surprised me when the flight attendants came walking down the aisles with complimentary plantain chips and water bottles served. 

There weren’t any other snack options or items available for purchase, but again, I didn’t expect there to be, so manage your expectations, prepare, and you’ll be fine!

Cleanliness 

The plane was pretty clean for the most part, with the bathroom well-kept. 

However, on my way back from San Juan, the pocket in front of me had a bit of trash inside. 

I know this falls mainly on the previous passenger, but it would also be nice if the seats and pockets were checked for trash prior to having new passengers board. 

I did notice that as soon as the plane pulled up to the gate, the passengers exited, and the pilot and flight attendant boarded, leaving almost no time for any of this. 

Hopefully, this can be implemented in the future. 

Flight Delay 

When leaving Wilmington, we also experienced a 30-minute delay due to needing fuel and the airport being short-staffed that day.

However, the pilot communicated well every step of the way, which was refreshing. 

I think it made a big difference in the time passing faster and everyone remaining patient and calm. 

I would love to see this more from more pilots. 

Final Thoughts on Avelo Airlines Review 

Overall, I can say that I had a great experience flying with Avelo Airlines!

The customer service from the time I booked my flight to the time I landed in San Juan, my final destination, was incredible.

As a budget airline, I found the prices to be extremely impressive, and I found the rates to be high enough to pay myself moving forward.

Although flying out of a small airport was a bit of a shock to me at first, as it was my first time flying out of Wilmington, I actually think that this is part of the airline’s allure. 

It makes traveling a lot less stressful and hassle-free. 

There are a few things that you may have to prepare for, like having your own snacks and your own entertainment in-flight and at smaller airports, but those things are also not unique to just Avelo and can be applied to many other airlines in the country.

I hope this Avelo Airlines review was helpful. 

Let me know you have any questions, or if I convinced you to give Avelo Airlines in the comments below!