There are discount airlines and then there are deep discount airlines – and Piedmont Triad International Airport just landed a very deep discount airline that, starting in June, will be offering nonstop flights to Orlando, Florida and Hartford, Connecticut.

Breeze Airways announced this week that, beginning on Friday, June 6 this year, the carrier will begin daily nonstop service from Piedmont Triad International Airport to both of those cities.

PTI is constantly trying to add new flights and new airlines – and one slot of air travel it likes to see filled is the discount airline spot.

Therefore, Executive Director of Piedmont Triad Airport Authority Kevin Baker was of course delighted with the addition of a new very low-cost provider. One of the knocks against PTI is that, when compared to the airports in Raleigh and Durham, fares from PTI are higher.

 “We are pleased to welcome Breeze as a new airline at PTI and to have nonstop service to Hartford and Orlando,” Baker said in the wake of the announcement, “which adds to the other 14 nonstop destinations offered by carriers at PTI.”

Airport Authority Chairman Paul Mengert also expressed his excitement over the announcement of Breeze coming to PTI.

He also said he wants people in the area to try to book some Breeze flights.

“We encourage the community to take advantage of this new service and visit these new destinations,” Mengert said.

While tickets on Breeze are dirt cheap, flyers should know that this is a no-frills airline where you will end up paying for everything like checked luggage, drinks and snacks.  Many people fly Breeze and have a terrific low-cost experience, but the airline also has some very harsh reviews online.

The last time PTI had a very low-cost airline, it didn’t stick around long: Silver Airways, which began its service for PTI Airport with great fanfare last summer – including a water cannon salute for the inaugural flight from Orlando – later shut down operations and flights from the airport.

In early November,, Silver Airways’ website suddenly, with no explanation, stopped including any option for flying to or from PTIA and it soon became evident there would not be any more new Silver Airways flights in or out of PTI.

At that time, PTIA provided a brief statement to the Rhino Times which noted that airport officials were in the dark to a large extent, just as passengers were, as to why Silver Airways stopped service.

“We were as surprised as everyone else,” the statement read. “We’ve been told only that they were stopping the service because of operational issues. During their tenure here, they had a number of cancellations and late operations. We don’t know the reason for those issues.”

Silver Airways offered PTIA roundtrip flights to and from Orlando and Nashville and did so at much lower rates than other airlines.  For instance, a round-trip ticket to Nashville costs about $100 – while they lasted.

However, despite problems with several low-cost providers for PTI in the past, everyone is optimistic and upbeat about the arrival of Breeze, a very new airline that’s been expanding at a good clip.

David Neeleman, the founder and CEO of Breeze, said after the announcement that the airline is getting a lot of passengers.

“We continue to see strong demand for Breeze’s unique, premium service to and from the Carolinas, and we’re excited to add GSO to our growing network in the region,” he said. “With convenient airports outside of the larger hub cities, the Piedmont Triad is another great example of a market where we see Breeze’s business model thriving, with convenient, nonstop service on our premium product.”

Starting this week, Piedmont Triad travelers can book Breeze nonstop from Piedmont Triad International Airport to the two destinations.

Fights include:

  • Hartford, Connecticut (summer seasonal, Mondays and Fridays, starting June 6,) from $49 one-way with restrictions.
  • Orlando, Florida (Mondays and Fridays, beginning June 6, from $39 one way).

Here are the flight times:

  • Depart PTI for Orlando at 9:51 pm and arrive at 11:39 p.m.
  • Depart Hartford for PTI at 1:27 pm and arrive in Greensboro at 3:15 p.m.
  • Depart PTI for Hartford at 4:30 pm and arrive at 6:16 p.m.
  • Depart Hartford for PTI at 6:56 pm and arrive at 8:51 p.m.

Tickets are available at www.flybreeze.com

Breeze Airways operates more than 275 year-round and seasonal routes to 69 cities in 31 states.

It was founded in May of 2021 in an attempt to bring air service to secondary markets using its fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft. Breeze has been named a top 5 “Best Domestic Airline” by Travel + Leisure for three consecutive years and was named “Best Seat Comfort in North America” by Airline Passenger Experience,

In 2024. Breeze was the first U.S. domestic airline to be certified by Autism Double Checked, and it’s the official airline of Make-a-Wish Utah.

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