Is Breeze a Good Airline? Full Review + Expert Guide

Key takeaways

• Breeze Airways offers low-cost, nonstop flights to underserved cities, providing a quality experience at lower prices compared to legacy carriers.
• Breeze operates over 70 routes to 28 airports, focusing on underserved markets, often offering the only nonstop flights on many routes.
• Friendly service, comfortable seats with up to 39-inch pitch for extra legroom, and modest snacks and drinks for purchase are common on Breeze. There is no inflight entertainment, but plans for Wifi are in development.
• Affordable fares, friendly service, and good legroom are standout features on Breeze. However, limited routes, small overhead bins, and no inflight entertainment can be drawbacks.
• While Going's standard is to not provide deals for ULCCs, we do occasionally send our members deals on Breeze when the price is right. Moreover, a Going membership ensures you get the lowest possible deals on full service airlines, such as Delta, American, United, and much more, meaning you always get the highest quality service at the lowest price. 

There has always been this idea that if something is cheap there is a little to no quality behind the product. We obviously don't believe that here at Going. Our whole mission is to help travelers score quality cheap flights and we know that sometimes paying more doesn't mean a better experience. That's also the case with Breeze Airways, which offers a quality product at lower cost than the legacy carriers covering the same routes.

Going experts’ Breeze Airways review & score

Breeze Airways, launched in 2021 by aviation veteran David Neeleman, offers a fresh take on low-cost travel, focusing on nonstop routes between underserved cities. With a fleet primarily composed of Embraer 190 and 195 aircraft, Breeze connects passengers to destinations often overlooked by major carriers.

Booking a flight with Breeze is straightforward, thanks to their user-friendly website and mobile app. The airline offers three fare classes: "Nice," "Nicer," and "Nicest." The base "Nice" fare includes only a personal item, with additional fees for carry-on bags, checked luggage, and seat selection. Upgrading to "Nicer" adds benefits like a carry-on bag, checked bag, extra legroom seat, priority boarding, and in-flight refreshments. The top-tier "Nicest" fare, Breeze's first-class option, includes two checked bags and a higher accrual of BreezePoints. While add-ons can increase the total cost, Breeze's fees remain reasonable compared to other budget airlines.

On the ground, Breeze operates from smaller airports, which often translates to shorter lines and a more relaxed pre-flight experience. The mobile app provides real-time flight updates and digital boarding passes, streamlining the check-in process. However, travelers should be aware that Breeze's limited flight schedule means that delays or cancellations could significantly impact travel plans, as alternative flights may not be readily available.

In the air, Breeze's cabins are clean and comfortable, with standard seats offering a 32-inch pitch, which is generous for a low-cost carrier. "Nicer" and "Nicest" fares provide seats with a 39-inch pitch, offering additional comfort. While the airline does not currently offer in-flight entertainment or Wi-Fi, passengers can bring their own devices and entertainment for the journey.

Overall, Breeze Airways delivers a compelling option for travelers seeking affordable, nonstop flights to secondary markets. The airline's transparent pricing, reasonable fees, and focus on underserved routes make it a valuable addition to the domestic travel landscape. However, potential passengers should consider the limited flight frequencies and lack of in-flight amenities when planning their trips.

Expert Score: ⭐7.5/10

What’s Breeze Airways?

Breeze Airways is another one of the newest low-cost point-to-point airlines to take off in 2021 alongside Avelo Airlines. The company was first founded as Moxy Airways in 2018 but has been operating as Breeze Airways since May 27, 2021. The company was founded by David Neelemen and a crew of industry executives with their hands in the successes of many other airlines like Air Canada, JetBlue, and United. 

Currently, Breeze has 14 aircrafts in their fleet; most of which are Embraer 190s and 195s, and one Airbus A220.

Where does Breeze fly? 

Breeze’s focus is on underserved cities that tend not to be directly connected by other airlines. They currently operate more than 70 different routes and fly to 28 airports. On top of that, all of their current routes are nonstop.

They serve the following cities: 

• Akron, OH
• Charleston, SC
• Charleston, WV
• Cincinnati, OH
• Columbus, OH
• Fayetteville, AR
• Fort Meyers, FL
• Gulfport, MS
• Hartford, CT
• Huntsville, AL
• Islip, NY
• Jacksonville, FL
• Las Vegas, NV
• Los Angeles, CA
• Louisville, KY
• New Orleans, LA
• Norfolk, VA
• Orange Count, CA
• Orlando, FL
• Phoenix, AZ
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Plattsburgh, NY
• Portland, ME
• Providence, RI
• Provo, UT
• Raleigh, NC
• Richmond, VA
• San Bernardino, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Sarasota, FL
• Savannah, GA
• Springfield, IL
• Syracuse, NY
• Tampa, FL
• Tulsa, OK
• Vero Beach, FL
• West Palm Beach, FL
• White Plaines, NY

Never overpay for a short trip again! Discover how to find cheap domestic flights and fly smarter.

Previous deals Going has found on Breeze

• New Orleans nonstop to Charleston for $58 roundtrip 
• Tulsa nonstop to Tampa for $62 roundtrip
• Akron nonstop to West Palm Beach for $118 roundtrip
• Los Angeles nonstop to Savannah for $198 roundtrip
• San Francisco nonstop to Charleston for $398 roundtrip in business class

Want to score the best flight deals? Learn expert tips on how to find cheap flights and save big on your next trip.

Booking a Breeze flight

The booking process is very straightforward. On the website, Breeze will prompt you to make an account and will take you through your selections. If you’re booking from your phone, the mobile app is very user-friendly as well. 

The base fare class is called the “Nice” class. Like on many budget airlines there will be upsell opportunities that will include extra fees. There are extra fees for seat selection, including an option for an extra leg room seat (though the normal seats have plenty of space for this 5’11 male). They also have a modest pet fee of $75 if you’re planning on bringing a furry friend.

Finally, if you want to bring more than a small personal item (like a backpack that fits under the seat) you’ll need to pay $25 for a carryon or $29 for a checked bag (each way) if you book in advance (it costs more if you add those later). Breeze does wrap all of these upsell opportunities into their “Nicer” fare class which includes an extra legroom seat, a carryon, one checked bag, a soft drink, a snack, priority boarding, and 4% of the base fare added to your BreezePoints account. There is also a brand new “Nicest” fare class, Breeze’s first class option, which includes the same options as the previous fare class but includes two checked bags and 6% of the base fare added to your BreezePoints account.

We flew nonstop to Charleston from Columbus and our tickets came out to $72 roundtrip per person with a personal item, if we both added a full sized carryon we’d each pay an additional $25 each way. This same route on the legacy carriers are more expensive and more often than not are not nonstop. 

Timing is everything! Find out the best time to book a cheap flight and score the lowest fares.

The Breeze experience on the ground

If you download the app, it will display the flight status and the boarding pass along with any add-ons you may have, like TSA Precheck. With only a few flights from any given Breeze location in the day it’s safe to assume that checking in in-person probably won’t be too cumbersome either. 

Because Breeze usually only has one gate, it can be easy to miss, so be sure to double check as you’re looking around. On our flight down to Charleston our plane was delayed and this fact was overcommunicated in the best sense of the word. Texts, emails, app notifications, and verbal announcements all came together to make sure we knew of any change. Once the plane arrived the turnaround was lightning fast and our boarding was even quicker. 

The Breeze in-flight experience

On both legs of our journey (to and from Charleston) we were met with very friendly flight attendants and a pretty quick boarding process. On the way there, the plane was at about half capacity and on the way back it was about 75%. 

Though there was a decent amount of overhead bins for the passengers to use, the bins themselves aren’t massive and if you have a carry-on that’s pushing the limit size wise, we’d suggest opting for a checked bag. None of the flight attendants on either flight seemed to be monitoring who was supposed to have a carry-on and who wasn’t but as always it’s a risk you’ll have to weigh for yourself.

Seats on Breeze

The seats are very comfortable and on short haul flights there are only two seats in each row on either side of the aisle so no one is stuck with the middle seat. There is decent legroom in the normal fare class but there is an option to pay more for extra legroom which does provide a bit of a difference—but not a life changing one—for such a short flight. For many carriers the standard seat pitch is anywhere from 29 to 32 inches and Breeze’s standard seats have a pitch of 32 inches. For the extra legroom seats the pitch is 39 inches with some additional padding.  The First class seats have a 39 inch pitch and fully recline. On the plane the sections are separated by color to distinguish the fare classes/seat types:

Red= Extra Legroom 
Yellow= Standard Seat
Blue= First Class

If you pay to select in advance, the standard seat will be $10 to $30 extra each way and the extra legroom seat will be $20 to $50 each way. Otherwise, you’re assigned a seat at check in.

Food and drink on Breeze

Every passenger gets water on the flight. If you are part of the “Nice” fare class, you will have the option to purchase beverages and snacks at $3.50 and $4.50 each respectively, snack boxes at $8.50 each, and bundles for $10-$22. All beverage options are soft drinks and the snacks are your typical light snacks including chips, nuts, and candy. If you are part of the “Nicer” or “Nicest” fare classes one drink and snack of your choice is included. In the future, Breeze plans to expand to include alcoholic beverages for purchase.

Entertainment on Breeze

Breeze doesn’t currently offer wifi or inflight entertainment so you’ll have to load up on your favorites before you take off. The seat backs do have a handy stand perfect for holding a phone or tablet at your eye level for inflight Netflix binging. As Breeze expands to the A220s they are aiming to add inflight wifi at no extra cost.

Breeze In-Flight Service 

Is Breeze Airways reliable? Based on our experience, the answer is yes. Breeze’s tagline is “Seriously Nice” and we found that to be accurate. The service and staff at both the Columbus Airport (CMH) and the Charleston Airport (CHS) were top notch. Everyone we came into contact with was extremely friendly and happy to answer any questions for these first-time customers. We didn’t deal with any issues regarding masks and for a few people whose masks were damaged, they were promptly given replacements.

Summary

What’s great about Breeze:

• You are extremely unlikely to find a cheaper price on the routes Breeze serves, and in many cases Breeze is the only nonstop option for these routes.
• Friendly staff and service
• Above average legroom in economy class
• Great city selection if planning road trips or open-jaw with other airline flights

What’s not so great about Breeze: 

• Flight routes and schedules may be a limiting factor
• No inflight entertainment
• Small overhead space
• Point-to-point network and limited planes in service means delays can pile up 

Breeze is the perfect counter example to the thought that if something is cheap there is a little to no quality behind the product. So, is Breeze Airways a good airline?While their route network isn’t as extensive as some other carriers, they serve a good range of spots. Their one-way pricing is straightforward (you don’t pay more to fly one-way) so you could combine a Breeze one-way flight to one city with another one-way to/from a major city nearby and road trip between the two. 

As we’ve said with many point-to-point airlines, it’s best to fly earlier in the day, if possible, to avoid rolling delays for departures later in the day. And of course, you’ll get the most value from the airline if you avoid add-ons, but even then, Breeze’s fees are reasonable, as noted in many Breeze Airways reviews. 

So... how is Breeze Airways? With great service, fees that don’t feel like price-gouging, and excellent fares, Breeze is an airline that definitely passes our Bestie Test. 

Read more about some of the lesser-known airlines we find great cheap flights on: 

• Condor
• Avelo
• Etihad
• Frenchbee
• JSX
• PLAY
• Silver Airways
• TAP Air Portugal
• WestJet
• Air Serbia
• Zipair