The first tickets go on sale tomorrow for direct service to Orlando, Tampa and Fort Meyers, Florida, on Spirit Airlines. Flights begin January 15th.
Flights to Fort Lauderdale, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Las Vegas start a few weeks later, with Los Angeles and Myrtle Beach added in April.
"At Spirit, we compete on one thing, and that’s price," said airline spokesman Paul Berry. He said exact ticket prices from Cleveland won’t be available until sales start tomorrow, but they’re generally 40 to 50 percent lower than major carriers.’
Those fares only include a personal item that can fit under a seat. Berry said the idea is to offer cheap, bare-bones service, then charge separately for optional add-ons.
Those include carry-on bags in the overhead bin, which will cost you a minimum of $35.
"If you’re saving $250 on a flight, paying $35 for a checked bag or overhead bag in the bin, you know, most people are willing to do that, if they know they’re saving that kind of money," Berry said.
The Spirit flights will make up only a small portion of service lost when United Airlines cut Cleveland’s hub status earlier this year. An airport spokeswoman said the expansion of ultra-low-cost offerings should drive down all ticket prices at the airport.