Looking to escape the South Florida heat?
Allegiant Airlines is now offering nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to northern Michigan. The flights are currently offered only on Mondays and Fridays. They began on May 17.
Kevin Klein, CEO of Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse, Michigan, said the nonstop flights offer an opportunity for South Florida natives to attend great summertime events like the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, the Traverse City Horse Show and the National Cherry Festival. And he noted in his news release that Fort Lauderdale “offers great sun and fun for all in Northern Michigan.”
Traverse City, at the base of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is nicknamed “the Cherry Capital of the World,” as the area surrounding Grand Traverse Bay is a hot spot for cherry production. The National Cherry Festival, scheduled for June 29 to July 6, is expected to attract about 500,000 visitors.
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Allegiant already offers nonstop service from the northern Michigan airport to three other Florida airports —Sanford/Orlando, Punta Gorda and St. Petersburg/Clearwater.
Allegiant has been increasing its passenger count at Fort Lauderdale. In January and February of this year, more than 160,000 passengers flew into the airport on Allegiant planes, an increase of 7% over the same two months in 2023. The flights will be offered on a year-round basis through at least February 2025.
An airline spokesperson said Allegiant is a low-cost carrier focused 100% on leisure travel. It builds its schedule around vacation seasons “making air travel convenient and affordable.”
One-way flights for $57 from FLL to TVC can be purchased on the Allegiant website.
Mike Diamond is a journalist atThe Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.