Allegiant adds 3 new cities in 44-route expansion

Allegiant Air announced 44 new nonstop routes – and three new cities – Tuesday in what the company is calling the largest single expansion in its history. All of the new routes are seasonal.

The new destinations – Boston, Chicago and Houston – represent the boldest move yet by Allegiant into the nation's biggest markets that do not have a traditional beach or warm-weather draw.

The leisure carrier was once known almost exclusively for flying to warm-weather destinations from small towns like Minot, North Dakota; Grand Island, Nebraska; and Plattsburgh, New York. While those routes remain part of Allegiant's DNA, the airline has increasingly turned its focus to larger markets during the past decade.

Austin, Baltimore, Nashville, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and even Newark's busy Liberty International Airport are among the bigger cities that became dots on Allegiant's route map during the 2010s. Now, Tuesday's announcement thrusts Allegiant into three of the nation's biggest markets in one fell swoop.

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Allegiant will serve Chicago from the city's Midway Airport (MDW). The airline's first flights there begin May 14, when Allegiant launches the first of what will be six nonstop routes from the city.

Allegiant will start with four routes from both Boston Logan (beginning May 7) and Houston (May 21). Allegiant's Houston service will be from Hobby Airport (HOU).

All 44 of Allegiant's new routes are scheduled to be seasonal and will start with a schedule of just two flights per week, a strategy which is typical of the carrier.

Beyond the new markets, Allegiant is beefing up several destinations already in its network. Twelve of Allegiant's bases – ranging from Austin and Pittsburgh to Memphis and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – will get at least three new routes each.

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Allegiant's biggest addition comes at its base in Nashville (BNA), which will get nine new seasonal routes in the summer schedule update. The destinations being added there are an eclectic mix, including bigger markets like Pittsburgh and Norfolk, Virginia, and smaller points like Bozeman, Montana, and Peoria, Illinois.

Related:The 10 longest (and 10 shortest) Allegiant Air flights

More broadly, Allegiant's summer schedule adds dozens of big-city connections to smaller markets. Grand Rapids, Michigan – for example – gets twice-weekly service Los Angeles. To the south, airports in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina, both now have nonstop flights to Austin, Boston, Chicago Midway and Houston Hobby.

There are some Allegiant routes announced Tuesday that link the types of markets Allegiant first became known for – such as Elmira, New York, to Myrtle Beach.

But Allegiant does appear to be to trying to capitalize on bigger markets outside beach and sun destinations. Allegiant has already dabbled with such routes – think Cincinnati-Newark, as one example – and new city pairs like Des Moines-Chicago and Grand Rapids-Boston feel like an extension of that strategy.

In announcing the new routes, Allegiant said its goal is "connecting leisure travelers in underserved cities to popular destinations around the country."

Related: Las Vegas' Glitzy New Stadium Now Named for Budget Airline Allegiant

"Most of the 44 new routes are non-competitive, with no other airline providing service between those airports," Allegiant said in its statement.

Along with Spirit and Frontier airlines, Allegiant is one of the nation's three big, fast-growing "ultra low-cost" carriers. Like the others, Allegiant is known for offering cheap base fares but charging extra for nearly everything else, including advance seat assignments and beverages. The airline even charges $5 for printing boarding passes at some of its U.S. airports. Allegiant also runs a leisure-focused schedule, flying many routes with just two to four flights a week— often seasonally.

A full look at Allegiant's new routes are below. All are seasonal with a current schedule of two flights per week.

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NEW ALLEGIANT CITIES

Boston (BOS)

Asheville, North Carolina (AVL): Begins May 8

Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Florida (VPS): Begins May 14

Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR): Begins May 7

Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS): Begins May 8

Chicago Midway (MDW)

Allentown, Pennsylvania (ABE): Begins May 14

Asheville, North Carolina (AVL): Begins May 21

Des Moines, Iowa (DSM): Begins May 21

Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Florida (VPS): Begins June 5

Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS): Begins May 21

Savannah, Georgia (SAV): Begins May 21

Related: Allegiant Air tests premium economy seating on some flights

Houston Hobby (HOU)

Asheville, North Carolina (AVL): Begins May 22

Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Florida (VPS): Begins June 5

Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS): Begins May 21

Savannah, Georgia (SAV): Begins May 28

OTHER AIRPORTS GETTING MULTIPLE ROUTES

Asheville, North Carolina (AVL)

Austin (AUS): Begins May 22

Boston (BOS): Begins May 8

Chicago Midway (MDW): Begins May 21

Houston Hobby (HOU): Begins May 22

Austin (AUS)

Asheville, North Carolina (AVL): Begins May 22

Des Moines, Iowa (DSM): Begins May 21

Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR): Begins May 22

Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS): Begins May 22

Des Moines, Iowa (DSM)

Austin (AUS): Begins May 21

Chicago Midway (MDW): Begins May 21

Memphis (MEM): Begins May 21

Related: Allegiant Air to make Des Moines its latest new aircraft base

Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Florida (VPS)

Boston (BOS): Begins May 14

Chicago Midway (MDW): Begins June 5

Dayton, Ohio (DAY): Begins May 14

Houston Hobby (HOU): Begins June 5

Newburgh/Stewart, New York (SWF): Begins May 21

Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR)

Austin (AUS): Begins May 22

Boston (BOS): Begins May 7

Los Angeles (LAX): Begins June 5

Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS)

Austin (AUS): Begins May 22

Boston (BOS): Begins May 8

Chicago Midway (MDW): Begins May 21

Houston Hobby (HOU): Begins May 21

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR): Begins June 6

Memphis (MEM)

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG): Begins May 22

Des Moines, Iowa (DSM): Begins May 21

Pittsburgh (PIT): Begins May 21

West Palm Beach, Florida (PBI): Begins May 21

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR)

Elmira/Corning, New York (ELM): Begins June 6

Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS): Begins June 6

Providence, Rhode Island (PVD): Begins June 5

Nashville (BNA)

Bozeman, Montana (BZN): Flights begin May 21

Fargo, North Dakota (FAR): Begins June 4

Flint, Michigan (FNT): Begins June 5

Greensboro, North Carolina (GSO): Begins June 5

Norfolk, Virginia (ORF): Flights begin May 22

Peoria, Illinois (PIA): Flights begin June 4

Pittsburgh (PIT): Flights begin May 22

Sioux Falls, South Dakota (FSD): Flights begin May 21

Tulsa, Oklahoma (TUL): Flights begin June 4

Norfolk, Virginia (ORF)

Columbus/Rickenbacker, Ohio (LCK): Begins May 22

Nashville (BNA): Begins May 22

Pittsburgh (PIT): Begins May 21

Pittsburgh (PIT)

Memphis (MEM): Begins May 21

Nashville (BNA): Begins May 22

Norfolk, Virginia (ORF): Begins May 21

Savannah, Georgia (SAV)

Belleville/MidAmerica St. Louis, Illinois (BLV): Begins June 6

Chicago Midway (MDW): Begins May 21

Houston Hobby (HOU): Begins May 28

Newburgh/Stewart, New York (SWF): Begins May 20

Punta Gorda, Florida (PGD): Begins June 6

OTHER NEW ROUTES

Louisville, Kentucky (SDF)-Charleston, South Carolina (CHS)

Begins May 22

Albuquerque (ABQ)-Orlando Sanford (SFB)

Begins June 4