I’ve Flown Breeze Airways 4 Times: My Unfiltered Thoughts

When I first saw that Breeze had an oddly specific direct flight from a secondary airport in California to a random Midwest city for under $50, I was excited but hesitant.

What’s the catch? Why does this direct flight even exist? Who the heck is Breeze Airways? Will I die?

Well, I booked that flight, which saved me both a layover and hundreds of dollars.

I had a good experience, and I’ve since flown Breeze three more times.

I’ll Be Sharing The Pros, The Cons, and My Best Tips for Getting The Most Out of a Breeze Airways Flight

But before we get into the nitty-gritty of the seats, the entertainment, the booking, and the destinations, let’s cover the basics.

My Quick Summary of Breeze

• Breeze is a typical budget airline in terms of its model: the base fare is cheap, and everything is extra. This is great news for me because I always travel with just a backpack. If you check bags and like fancy things when flying, Breeze probably isn’t the airline for you.
• They fly direct to seemingly random destinations, so every now and then it’s the only direct flight option. If it’s serving your starting and final destination directly, it’s probably your best choice. This is how they compete with the big airlines. They fly underserved routes. I hate layovers, so this is a win.
• For a budget airline, it’s pretty comfortable. The seat legroom is good. The seats themselves aren’t great, though. They have entertainment available on your phone for free. I got to watch Happy Feet. Huge win.
• The staff on the plane are exceptionally nice. The staff you can’t reach on the ground are a different story. The Breeze flight attendants are always chill. It reminds me of the feeling of having a cool substitute teacher who’s like, “screw it, let’s just watch one movie.” Customer service off the plane is the weakest part of this airline, and I’ve given it its own section below.

Okay, that may be enough for you to know, but if you want to go deeper, I’ll take you through the whole Breeze Airways experience.

Breeze After the Spirit Shutdown: What Changed in 2026

I wrote most of this review in 2024. One of its competitors, Spirit, shut down. Breeze has circled the water’s of Spirit’s demise.

The routes Breeze picked up

The clearest example is Atlantic City International (ACY). Last year Spirit operated about 99% of all flights out of that airport. Breeze had already scheduled its ACY debut for early May, and within days of Spirit going dark it announced four more routes, all of them ones Spirit used to fly:

• Atlantic City to Orlando (MCO) – daily, started July 3
• Atlantic City to Myrtle Beach (MYR) – Thursdays and Sundays, starts October 22
• Atlantic City to Fort Myers (RSW) – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, starts October 22
• Atlantic City to Palm Beach (PBI) – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, starts December 17

Those four came as part of an 11-route announcement that also pushed Breeze further into Mexico and the Caribbean. You can now get from Pittsburgh and Richmond to Cancún, Columbus and Pittsburgh to Punta Cana, Tampa to Cancún, Tampa to St. Thomas (Breeze’s first time serving the U.S. Virgin Islands), and Pittsburgh to Vero Beach. Most of the international ones are seasonal and start in December and January.

Less Budget Supply Means Higher Prices

Some econ 101 here. With more budget airlines competing on price, that’s good for people like you and me looking for the best deal. With Spirit gone, it’s one less airline the others need to compete with.

It’s hard to say exactly how it’ll shake out, and will depend on the route. On a route where Breeze is the only nonstop, it’s still the easy answer. On a route where Spirit used to undercut everyone, compare before you assume.

When It Makes Sense to Fly Breeze Airways (and When It Doesn’t)

As I mentioned, Breeze Airways has direct flights from one minor airport to another. I flew them from Connecticut to Virginia Beach, from Orange County to Columbus, and Connecticut to Jacksonville, Florida. (The last one is a long story, don’t ask but it involves a blizzard in the northeast.)

They’re not a good airline for flying from New York to Chicago, but they are a good airline for flying New Orleans to Pittsburgh. It makes sense to Fly Breeze when one of their direct flights can save you a layover. So Breeze really depends on where you’re flying to and from.

Layovers Suck.

I hate them. I hate how they take up my whole day. I hate that it doubles my personal carbon emissions, as I talk about in my article on why I’m flying less. I hate that it often means I’ll spend more money.

Breeze direct flights are often $50-$100, which is a tough price to beat.

Great Airline for Light Travelers

I also hate checking bags. It’s expensive on any airline these days, but it’s also a pain to wait at baggage claim. I always travel with a backpack, which means I can get the best deal on airlines like Breeze.

If you don’t travel light, though, the costs will add up fast.

Suddenly, what seems like a great deal will just not make as much sense.

Better If Your Travel Dates Are Flexible

Another downside of Breeze is most of their routes are not daily. They’re often three days per week, as this example route is.

So even if the route is perfect, if the days don’t work out, you’re out of luck with Breeze.

Again, I’m a huge fan of traveling flexibly, as it’s also the way to get the best deal.

I’ve also noticed that the weekdays are much cheaper. So if you can only fly on weekends, you’ll likely pay more. This is true across most airlines, though.

Packing light and building in flexibility is what makes those $50 Breeze fares work. Those are two of the five tips I teach in this free five-day email course.

If You’re Good at Planning Ahead

Snacks are extra on Breeze. (Although as I’ll mention, I like their snacks.) So just make sure you get your snacks and food if it’s a long flight, before you get on.

The Breeze Booking Experience

With other budget airlines like Avianca, I’ve written about how their website sucks. Breeze actually has a great website that’s super easy to use.

I like that it lists the direct flight destinations.

I also like that it’s easy to see the different prices based on the day. Based on this, I obviously, I would leave on the Tuesday.

Simple, Clear Upgrades

It clearly shows what you get with the upgrades. And frankly, the upgrades are more reasonably priced on Breeze than on most other budget airlines.

One other note about their website and general service. I was able to cancel (even with the “No Flex Fare”) and redeem it for flight credit very easily.

As someone who travels a lot, this is often good enough for me, so I don’t buy the upgrade for free cancellation.

If you want to get the best price possible on Breeze or any budget airline, check out my article on how to skip the extras.

The Breeze Inflight Experience

The in-flight experience is just good enough in some ways, but delightful with in others.

The Seats Are… Just Okay

Okay first let’s look at the legroom.

It’s fine. It’s actually better than American and United’s worst seats by far.

However, the armrests and back of the seats aren’t very comfortable.

The tray table is standard, which is more than I could say for Spirit (rest in peace). I like how it has a smaller tray table designed for your phone, which brings me to entertainment.

The Entertainment is Easy and a Pretty Good Selection

It’s cool when airlines have TV screens. But sometimes they make you buy old-school headphones which is just so archaic.

A workaround for budget airlines is to have the movies and TV shows available online with their wifi, for free.

So you’ll have plenty of free movies and TV shows to choose from to watch on your phone.

Oh, and games, if that’s your thing. I could see myself doing this at the peak of boredom.

Messaging is Also Free In Economy or “Nice”

You can also use iMessage and WhatsApp without buying wifi, which is really nice.

Wifi You Can Purchase

If you want wifi, you can buy it. I’ve never bought it, so I can’t speak to its usefulness or reliability. If you have bought their wifi, let me know in the comments!

The Staff Are My Favorite Part of Breeze

The Breeze staff don’t have overly formal uniforms, and I think they’re on the younger side.

Generally, this also makes them cooler.

On my latest Breeze flight, my girlfriend and I went to buy a snack and he said, “It’s my last flight of the day, just take them.” What a legend.

In general, they’re laid back and not stuck up like flight attendants on many other airlines.

The Snacks You Gotta Buy, But At Least They’re Good

However, one thing they’re not is cheap. $4.50 for peanut M&Ms?? You’re still better off stocking up on snacks before you get to the airport.

Breeze Airways Customer Service: Not “Nice”

I’ve flown Breeze four times without needing to contact them. So, this is informed by you all, my dear readers, who told me about your bad experiences.

There is no phone line

Breeze is text-first by design. The number is (501) 273-3931, and you text it, you don’t call it. Agents are available 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern, seven days a week. When it works, it’s fast, often a few minutes.

When it doesn’t work, there’s no other options. You may be stuck with auto-replies, canned policy language, and no way to reach a human who can override anything.

The refund policy is strict

I often say that if you fly budget airlines, don’t expect a refund. If you mess up, that’s it. Take the L.

That’s going to be true here too, so when you book, make sure it’s what you want.

If you cancel a Breeze flight, expect, in BreezePoints credit, not United States dollars.

Overall, Breeze Is Nice. It May Even Be Nicer. It’s Not The Nicest.

I’ll fly them anytime there’s a direct flight that makes logistical sense for me. If the destinations work for you, and you don’t mind the typical drawbacks of budget airlines, then I think you’ll have a perfectly satisfactory experience.

If you do take them, let me know how it goes here in the comments!

Breeze Airways FAQ: The Questions You Keep Asking Me

These are the questions readers have left in the comments on this post. Here are the answers, with the caveat that Breeze changes fees more often than they announce them, so verify at checkout.

Can I fly with a pet on Breeze, and what happens if there are multiple pets in one row?

Yes. Breeze allows small cats and dogs at least eight weeks old, with pet and carrier weighing under 25 pounds combined. The in-cabin fee runs roughly $75 to $99 each way, cheaper than most legacy carriers. Your soft-sided carrier counts as your personal item and must fit under the seat in front of you, so it needs to be under about 17 x 8 x 13 inches. Breeze caps it at five pets per flight and one pet per passenger. You can’t sit in a bulkhead or exit row with a pet.

Andrew G. (thank you Andrew for chiming in) was booked into a three-seat row with two other passengers who also had cats. Three people, three seats, three cats. Breeze’s booking system doesn’t appear to prevent this.

He also notes you can’t fit a carrier under the Ascent (first class) seats. I’d like to fly its first class and review it for myself.

Can I bring a car seat on Breeze?

 One stroller and one car seat or booster per child can be checked at no charge, either at the ticket counter or at the gate. Breeze also lets you gate-check a foldable child wagon in place of a stroller.

Two catches. If you’re carrying a car seat or stroller but not traveling with a child, normal bag fees apply. And if your baby is a lap infant without their own ticket, the car seat can’t come into the cabin. It gets gate-checked, free.

Can I bring sporting equipment on Breeze?

Yes, and Breeze seems reasonable about it. Golf bags, ski bags, and hockey bags each count as one of your checked bags, and Breeze waives the oversize fee as long as the item stays under 50 pounds and 80 linear inches. A hockey bag plus two sticks wrapped together counts as a single item. Go over 50 pounds and the standard overweight fee applies. Go over 80 linear inches and you’re into oversize territory, which runs about $50.

For a weekend hockey tournament, this means you’re paying a normal checked bag fee, not a specialty fee. That’s better than most airlines.

What are the personal item dimensions on Breeze?

17 x 13 x 8 inches, free on every fare including the cheapest one. It has to fit under the seat in front of you.

A reader asked whether a small rolling bag counts. Almost certainly not. If it has wheels and a handle it won’t fit under the seat, which means it becomes a carry-on and you’ll need the “Nice” bundle or a paid carry-on to bring it.

Rolling carry-ons are just a bad life choice in general.

How much is a carry-on or checked bag on Breeze?

A full-size carry-on for the overhead bin runs around $35 if you’re buying it à la carte, or it’s included in the “Nice” bundle and above. Checked bags start around $35 for the first and $45 for the second, with a 50-pound and 62-linear-inch limit.

Prices vary by route and Breeze doesn’t discount for prepaying, so use their bag price checker for your specific flight. This is exactly the kind of math I break down in my guide to how budget airlines actually make their money.

Do Breeze seats recline?

Yes. Breeze economy seats on the A220 recline with a button. They aren’t the fixed or pre-reclined shells you get on some ultra-low-cost carriers. The recline is limited compared to the Ascent seats up front, and the last row doesn’t recline at all because of the galley wall behind it. Extra Legroom rows recline the same amount as standard rows, you just get more space in front of you.

Is Breeze WiFi reliable, and how much is it?

WiFi is included free on “Nicer” and “Nicest” fares and costs around $8 on a “Nice” fare. It’s Viasat satellite service on the A220s, but that’s only some of their route.

As always, I would never bank on airline wifi.

The free entertainment portal and free messaging on iMessage and WhatsApp work without buying WiFi. That’s most of what I’d want it for anyway.

If you need to do actual work, download as much as you can of it before you board.

How do BreezePoints and the Barclays credit card work?

BreezePoints are worth a flat one cent each, and you can spend them on fares, taxes, fees, seats, bags, and pet fees. No award charts, no blackout dates, no transfer partners. Simple, and simple is the point.

The Breeze Easy Visa from Barclays earns up to 10x on Nicer and Nicest bundles (5x when you book, 5x when you fly), 2x on groceries and restaurants, 1x everywhere else, plus a 7,500-point anniversary bonus. Points don’t expire while you hold the card.

This is not financial advice, but do you really want all of your credit card spending to only go to, checks notes, BreezePoints? I sure don’t. I’ll stick with my Bilt card.

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