In the ever-evolving landscape of air travel, Breeze Airways has emerged as a promising new player, offering travelers a fresh perspective on low-cost flying. Founded by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, who also co-founded JetBlue Airways, Breeze takes a customer-centric approach to air travel, seeking to address pain points and create a seamless and enjoyable experience for passengers.
The Vision of Breeze Airways:
Breeze Airways aims to connect underserved markets and provide convenient, nonstop flights between destinations that are often overlooked by larger airlines. By focusing on smaller cities and secondary airports, Breeze aims to provide a more direct and efficient travel experience for passengers who would otherwise face multiple layovers or inconvenient connections.
The “Seriously Nice” Experience:
At the core of Breeze’s philosophy is the belief in providing exceptional customer service. The airline strives to create a “Seriously Nice” atmosphere for its passengers, where friendly staff, thoughtful amenities, and transparent pricing set the tone for a stress-free journey. With a fleet of Embraer E190 and E195 aircraft, Breeze offers a comfortable and modern travel experience while maintaining a focus on cost-effectiveness.
Unique Routes and Flexible Schedules:
Breeze Airways differentiates itself from other low-cost carriers by curating a route network that includes less-traveled destinations. By tapping into underutilized markets, the airline offers travelers convenient options that can save time and hassle. Additionally, Breeze aims to adapt its schedules to accommodate the needs of its customers, promoting a more personalized travel experience.
Neeleman’s History of Success:
David Neeleman, the mastermind behind Breeze Airways, has a proven track record of success in the aviation industry. Having co-founded multiple successful airlines, including JetBlue Airways and Azul Brazilian Airlines, Neeleman brings a wealth of experience and innovation to Breeze Airways. His vision for the airline is to fill the gaps in the market and provide a reliable and affordable alternative to travelers.
Pandemic Challenges and Adaptations:
Like all airlines, Breeze Airways faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the airline has shown resilience and flexibility, adjusting its operations to meet the changing demands of travelers and adhering to strict safety protocols. As the travel industry rebounds, Breeze remains dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable travel experience for its passengers.
Environmental Initiatives:
In line with the growing focus on sustainability in the aviation industry, Breeze Airways has also expressed its commitment to minimizing its environmental impact. While the airline’s fleet comprises regional jets, Breeze actively explores opportunities to adopt greener technologies and practices to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future for air travel.
Looking Ahead:
Breeze Airways has quickly gained attention as an innovative and customer-focused airline. With its emphasis on underserved markets, personalized schedules, and a friendly travel experience, the airline has the potential to carve out a unique niche in the competitive airline industry. As it continues to grow its route network and adapt to the changing needs of travelers, Breeze Airways looks set to chart a successful course in the years to come.
To that end, Breeze Airways is a promising addition to the world of low-cost travel, offering travelers a “Seriously Nice” experience that focuses on convenience, customer service, and unique routes. With David Neeleman’s leadership and a commitment to sustainability, the airline has set its sights on becoming a force to be reckoned with in the aviation industry. Whether you’re a frequent flyer or planning your next adventure, Breeze Airways might just be the breath of fresh air you’ve been looking for in your travels.
Breeze Airways’ fleet: According to Planespotters.net, Breeze Airways has thirty two (32) aircraft in their fleet as of August 10, 2023. . https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Breeze-Airways
- Airbus A220: Breeze Airways operates with fifteen (15) Airbus A220 aircraft. The A220 is a state-of-the-art narrow-body jet known for its fuel efficiency, advanced technology, and passenger comfort. Breeze Airways utilizes these modern aircraft to offer a comfortable travel experience to its passengers.
- Embraer ERJ-190: Breeze Airways also has a fleet of seventeen (17) Embraer ERJ-190 planes. The ERJ-190 is a regional jet that can accommodate a moderate number of passengers. With these aircraft, Breeze Airways can efficiently operate short to medium-haul flights.
NOW, after learning about Breeze Airways’ commitments and aspirations, the crucial question emerges: How effectively does Breeze Airways uphold their promises?
My experience(s) with Breeze Airways: To ease the suspense you are experiencing anticipating my final evaluations of Breeze Airways, I can say without hesitation that once you are onboard a Breeze Airways aircraft, the experience is quite pleasant and comfortable. Unfortunately, actually stepping onboard a Breeze airplane has proven to be complicated, frustrating, and in one experience – void, since it never took place.
Why do we fly? Dumb question I know, and the simple answer is that we fly so that we can go somewhere different than where we are. Unless you are an aviation enthusiast like myself (aka, aviation geek) and fly different airlines just for the experience of flying the airline, you most likely have a purpose for your chosen destination (i.e. work, vacation, etc.) As basic and simple as it sounds, we fly to from point A to point B in exchange for the money we give the airline. Unfortunately, some airlines appear to be more and more absentminded as to their purpose and indifferent to the real-life consequences of their business decisions to: (1) drastically change the time of a particular flight, (2) change the dates of a particular flight, or worse (3) cancel a particular flight. With that said, I am certainly not describing the airline’s responsibilities and duties to make those aforementioned decisions when it comes to acts that are beyond their control such as inclement weather and/or a mechanical malfunction on an aircraft that would endanger the safety of any passenger. None of us wish to fly on a broken plane or in severe weather that could ultimately be dangerous or even fatal. To be clear, I am discussing the decisions of any airline making radical changes to a confirmed reservation (not related to safety) simply because it is better for them as a company. Magically, that somehow segues into my experiences with Breeze Airways.
First Bookings with Breeze Airways: As a reviewer of airlines, I am genuinely excited when I launch into the booking process for a flight with an airline I have never experienced. Quite honestly, my first impressions of an airline begin with the booking process and I am looking for the ease of booking, clarity of options for selecting flights and seats, and explanation of their baggage policies when evaluating any given airline. In my experiences, the Breeze Airways app boasts a sleek design that is incredibly user-friendly. Booking flights through app is truly a breeze
Booking dates: 9/27/2022 (MCO) to (CHS), and 9/30/22 (CHS) to (TPA)
November 25, 2022- depart Orlando, Florida (MCO) @ 2:10 PM and arrive at Charleston, South Carolina (CHS) @ 3:29 – Price $41.00
Original Booking 9/27/22
SIX (6) HOUR CONNECTION TIME IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
November 25, 2022 – depart Charleston, South Carolina (CHS) @ 9:35 PM and arrive at Tampa International Airport (TPA) @ 10:55 PM. Price $55.00
Original booking 9/30/22
Since I was flying Breeze Airways for the purpose of a flight review, and I was not staying or visiting Charleston, South Carolina, so I purchased a separate, return flight on Breeze Airways from Charleston, South Carolina to Tampa, Florida for the same day, November 25, 2022. As a frequent air traveler, I certainly anticipate delay possibilities of all types when booking flights, and I thought that arriving at 3:29 PM in Charleston, South Carolina and then departing Charleston, at 9:35 PM provided sufficient time for any typical delay.
On October 12, 2022, Breeze Airways sent me an e-mail stating that my scheduled flight: Note: the red squares were added by me to show the change that was made by Breeze Airways. Double note: notice that Breeze Airways not only changed my flight time, they COMPLETELY changed the flight date to the following day.
After I received the notification from Breeze Airways that they changed my entire flight to a different day, I then reached out to the airline on October 13, 2022 with the following e-mail:
Breeze Airways did refund both of my flights as I requested due to their change in my original booking. (Of course, Breeze Airways had no idea that I had to make several other changes to other flights due to their distressing modifications of my itinerary.
SO, that was my first experience in booking air travel with Breeze Airways. And as the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression!” However, I still wanted to fly and review one of the newest airlines in the United States, so I decided to give Breeze Airways another shot.
As I was researching my next attempts to fly with Breeze Airways, I learned that another new airline in the U.S. (AVELO AIRLINES) was advertising an inaugural flight from Mobile, Alabama to Orlando, Florida. And being the aviation enthusiast/geek that I am, I figured that an inaugural flight would most likely depart and arrive on-time (since the airline invites and expects media coverage of the occasion) and then I could re-book a Breeze Airways flight from Orlando, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina, as I originally intended back in September of 2022.
Therefore, on March 8, 2023, I booked the inaugural flight with Avelo Airlines (more on Avelo Airlines in a separate post)
Also, on March 8, 2023, I booked a Breeze Airways flight after I knew that I would be arriving in Orlando, Florida (MCO) at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, after flying Avelo Airlines Inaugural flight from Mobile, Alabama (BFM) to Orlando, Florida (MCO). Therefore, when I booked my Breeze Airways flight for the May 31, 2023 date, I chose the 8:35 PM Breeze flight from Orlando, Florida (MCO) which would land in Charleston, South Carolina (CHS) at 9:57 PM on May 31, 2023.
So then, I was all set on March 8, 2023, with the following itinerary: Avelo Airlines inaugural flight on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, departing Mobile, Alabama (BFM) at 11:30 AM – – arriving in Orlando, Florida (MCO) at 2:00 PM. I would then have six + hours connecting time in Orlando, Florida in the event of an unforeseen delay before the Breeze Airways flight at 8:35 PM on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 to Charleston. AND THEN I GET THE EMAIL FROM BREEZE ON APRIL 4, 2023. This time, Breeze Airways opted to MOVE UP my scheduled departure flight to 2:50 PM vs. 8:35 PM as originally scheduled. So now, I was booked on Avelo Airlines inaugural flight that was scheduled to land in Orlando at 2:00 PM and Breeze took away my 6.5 hour layover time in Orlando and made the decision to move an entire flight departure 6 hours ahead of when I originally booked.
Naturally, the day I learned of my scheduled flight being moved UP six hours, I made the following inquiry to Breeze Airways:
Much to my surprise, on April 6, 2023, Breeze Airways actually responded to my request for an explanation of the flight departure time change of 6 hours with the following completely unsatisfactory explanation:
As you can read from Breeze’s written response to my inquiry, Breeze clearly made a business decision that benefited them as a company and without any regard for how it could affect passengers and the schedules of passengers. And, it is not as though we are talking about a flight change of a few minutes or a hour or so, but six (6) plus hours of moving up the scheduled departure time was a significant change. But, I shouldn’t say Breeze did not have any regard for how their decisions affect passengers, because in all fairness, the above e-mail does say, “We know this has impacted your plans, and for that, we sincerely apologize.” That was such a kind and genuine response from Breeze and it certainly made the whole situation completely okay and understandable! NOT!
May 31, 2023, arrived and I made the drive to Mobile, Alabama’s new downtown airport (BFM) for the inaugural flight of Avelo Airlines. After the cake, speeches, and celebrations welcoming Avelo Airlines to Mobile, Alabama, I boarded the Avelo airplane for an on-time departure to Orlando, Florida. The Avelo Airlines flight to Orlando, Florida arrived 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival time of 2:00 PM, which was much appreciated since I was going to have to make a run for the Breeze Airways flight that was scheduled to depart at 2:50 PM. You can watch the review of the inaugural flight on Avelo Airlines on my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFFmKOoQ8mkVefDORc2v1DA
You do not want to be in Orlando International Airport if you have a tight connection between flights. In fact, in my well-traveled opinion, it is probably the absolute worst airport to have a domestic connecting flight. And don’t even ask about transferring to an international flight. If you have a tight connection for an international flight, you can be almost guaranteed that you will not make that flight. But enough of Orlando’s airport, they certainly receive enough attention for their airport’s misgivings. So, I quickly deplaned Avelo’s airplane in Orlando and ran past the delicious-looking welcome cookies and cake that awaited the passengers on our flight, and sprinted to my Breeze Airways gate in hopes of finally getting the opportunity to finally fly on Breeze Airways. As I nervously waited in the security line at Orlando’s Airport, (Yes, you have to go through security again if you are going out of the other domestic terminal) I was all but certain I was not going to make it on-time for the 2:50 Breeze departure. But, as I briskly made my way to Breeze Airways-Gate 30 for my long-awaited flight to Charleston, South Carolina, you will be shocked to know that my flight was then delayed. (I can’t even make this up if I tried) 3:50 PM was the new departure time from Orlando, Florida.
Naturally, you may inquire as to the cause for the delay and that would be entirely reasonable. You may ask, “Was there inclement weather that caused a delay?” I would respond and politely say, “No.” Instinctively then you may question, “Was there a mechanical issue with your plane?” And oddly enough, I would have had to answer, “No” in response to that question as well. So what gives? The answer: the most unbelievable, unpredictable, unluckiest, unforeseen, crazy explanation is…. there was a Breeze Airways inaugural flight that was scheduled to depart Orlando near the same time as my flight departure, but the actual inaugural flight plane did have a mechanical issue (you will remember I mentioned earlier the media presence and priority of inaugural flights because of the invited attention by the airline) and because of the mechanical issue, Breeze Airways again made the business decision to swap out aircraft and stick my crew with the broken plane, therefore permitting the inaugural flight to arrive on-time and in style to their media-blitzed destination.
After several more incremental delays awaiting maintenance to repair the aircraft, the passengers on Breeze Airways flight #261 finally began to board at 4:50 PM. The boarding process was without complications and as I stepped onboard my first Breeze Airways airplane, I was pleasantly surprised of the cleanliness and apparent modernization of the aircraft. The Embraer 195 (registration N145BZ) was a 14 year-old aircraft and I anticipated an older interior similar to other low-cost airlines who have not yet updated the interior of their planes. However, you can certainly notice former JetBlue co-founder and current CEO of Breeze Airways, David Neeleman’s influences with the Breeze Airways sleek interior. The seats onboard flight #261 were comfortable (although a little tight in legroom) and modern with moveable armrests between the seats.
Breeze Airways offers a variety of soft drinks and juices for purchase ($5.00) as well as a variety of liquor, beer, and wine ($9.00). Additionally, Breeze offers a limited selection of snacks (chips, popcorn, M+M’s, cookies) that are also available for purchase ($4.50) along with premium snacks that include a meat and cheese pack ($9.00) and the Breeze Snack Box ($10.00) which includes Olive Oil & Sea Salt Crackers, Sea Salt Roasted Almonds, White Cheddar Cheese Spread, Beef Snack Stick, Seasoned Snack Olives, Apple & Bananas Fruit Bar, and Gummi Bears.
Our flight ultimately left the grounds of Orlando International Airport at 5:22 PM for the very short, 50 minute flight to Charleston, South Carolina. Arrival at 6:13 PM.
FINAL THOUGHTS: For an airline that commenced operations in 2021, Breeze Airways remains in the early stages of developing their brand as a low-cost airline in an already crowded and competitive industry. Air travelers in 2023 now have low-cost airline options between Allegiant Air, Avelo Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Northern Pacific Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines and now, Breeze Airways. Because of the abundance of low-cost airline options, it is imperative that Breeze Airways focus on building a reputation as an efficient and reliable air travel option for budget-conscious travelers. As with any start-up business, there are going to be growing pains that arise especially when emerging into a fiercely competitive market. However, consistency and reliability cannot be overlooked or undervalued. Passengers demand reliability and is of paramount importance as it directly impacts passenger safety, punctuality, and overall travel experience. A reliable airline ensures that flights operate on schedule, reducing travel disruptions and inconveniences. Moreover, it fosters trust among passengers, which is essential for maintaining a positive reputation and encouraging repeat business. Consistent reliability also contributes to the efficient functioning of transportation networks and tourism industries, benefiting both individuals and economies. All the pieces are there for Breeze to emerge as a serious contender in the low-cost aviation sector. With the experienced leadership navigating the path for Breeze Airways, boundless possibilities await.
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