Breeze Airways doubles down on Ohio with 11th crew base: Akron-Canton Airport
Breeze Airways is doubling down on the Buckeye State: The Salt Lake City-based low-cost carrier on Monday announced Ohio’s Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) will soon become its 11th crew base.
The announcement would seem to set the stage for new nonstop destinations for the airport, which is about an hour south of Cleveland in northeastern Ohio.
“The Akron-Canton community continues to show high demand for Breeze’s premium, convenient service, so establishing a base in the community is a natural fit,” Breeze founder and CEO David Neeleman said in a statement announcing the news.
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No new routes ... yet
To be clear, there are no new Breeze routes or destinations to tell you about just yet. Think of this as Breeze putting its staffing and infrastructure in place for a potential expansion down the road.
Past Breeze crew base announcements have been followed by new routes, though, with many of the carrier’s bases serving as minihubs of sorts for a dozen or more nonstop routes.

As part of the new Ohio base, the carrier will bring 61 pilot, flight attendant and maintenance jobs to the region over the next three years — a plan that helped the startup airline secure a tax credit deal with Ohio lawmakers as part of the move.
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A sizable presence at CAK already
Breeze has already maintained a substantial presence at Akron-Canton for close to four years, since the early days of its operations in 2021. Come June, the carrier will serve nine nonstop destinations ranging from the Carolinas to Florida — along with West Coast service to Las Vegas and Los Angeles, as shown on the below map from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

(Not shown above: Breeze's nonstop service to Sarasota, Florida, offered during the winter months.)
No airline flew from CAK with as many seats as Breeze in 2024, per Cirium data — though American Airlines offered far more departures (albeit with smaller jets).
Breeze is one of two low-cost carriers serving CAK; Allegiant Air is the other. It's worth noting, though, that Frontier Airlines has a growing presence some 50 miles to the north at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).
Bottom line
Breeze expects its Akron-Canton crew base to launch sometime this summer. It’ll mark the latest expansion for the startup airline, which continues to grow its national footprint with new routes, bases and aircraft — namely, its fleet of Airbus A220 jets. The carrier also hopes to announce its first international flights by spring, Neeleman told me in December.
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- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.

