This Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier Has New Routes to the US
If you are a penny-pinching traveler, you now have a new budget option to fly in the US.
Swoop, the new ultra-low-cost carrier from Canada, announced its first destinations in the American market on Thursday. The airline is planning seven new routes in the US to five different airports beginning this fall.
As of October 11, Swoop will serve Las Vegas (LAS), and by the end of October, it will operate routes from Canada to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), Phoenix-Mesa (AZA) and Tampa (TPA).
The new routes are as follows:
Las Vegas-Abbotsford, British Columbia: 3 flights a week (Monday, Thursday, Sunday) beginning Oct. 11
Las Vegas-Hamilton, Ontario: 4 flights a week (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday) beginning Oct. 26
Las Vegas-Edmonton: 11 flights a week (daily) beginning Oct. 11
Phoenix/Mesa, Arizona-Edmonton: 2 flights a week (Wednesday, Saturday) beginning Oct. 27
Fort Lauderdale-Hamilton, Ontario: 2 flights a week (Friday, Saturday) beginning Oct. 26
Orlando-Hamilton, Ontario: 3 flights a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday) beginning Oct. 17
Tampa-Hamilton, Ontario: 3 flights a week (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday) beginning Oct. 20
Frontier, Allegiant and Spirit Airlines currently corner the ultra-low-cost market in the US. The ULCC model offers super low base fares, but charges for everything else, from seat selection to water and overhead bin space. But Swoop sees more potential to grow the bare-bones model in America — a model that has been growing in popularity and one that mainstream carriers have been emulating with the explosion of basic economy.
"Swoop's success in the Canadian ULCC space combined with the evident success of ULCCs in the U.S. affirms that North American travelers are ready for an airline to open up the border to ultra-low-cost air travel," Steven Greenway, Swoop's president, says in a statement.
If you've never heard of Swoop, that wouldn't be a surprise. It just started flying in June and is a subsidiary of low-cost carrier, and Canada's second largest airline, WestJet. Swoop serves five Canadian destinations (Abbotsford, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton and Winnipeg), and flies a fleet of six Boeing 737s. As it expands its route network, the carrier will add three more of the narrow-bodies by October, with four more coming by 2019.
Swoop has alluded to the fact that when it gets its fleet up to 10 aircraft, it could possibly further expand into the US or Caribbean.
H/T: USA Today
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.