Allegiant Air Lands at Fort Myers with Three New Routes
Allegiant Air will touch down at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) this fall, marking the discount carrier's first foray into Fort Myers and its 12th Florida airport. Beginning November 13, Allegiant will launch twice-weekly service to Allentown, Pennsylvania, followed eight days later by flights to Des Moines, Iowa, and Appleton, Wisconsin. The move shifts some of Allegiant's Gulf Coast growth away from its long-time Punta Gorda base and introduces the only nonstop options on two of the three routes.
Key Points
- Why it matters: Fort Myers gains first Allegiant flights and two exclusive nonstop links to the Midwest and Northeast.
- Launch dates: Allentown Nov. 13; Des Moines and Appleton Nov. 21, twice weekly.
- Market exclusivity: Allegiant will be sole carrier on Allentown and Des Moines routes.
- RSW footprint: Carrier becomes airport's 19th scheduled airline and 12th in Florida portfolio.
Snapshot
Allegiant's point-to-point model focuses on leisure traffic that prefers nonstop convenience over daily frequency. At RSW the airline will fly Airbus A320 family jets twice a week, typically on Monday/Friday or Thursday/Sunday patterns that create four-night getaway windows. Promotional one-way fares start at $69 USD and include mandatory taxes but not seat selection or carry-on bags. Allentown passengers gain their first nonstop to Southwest Florida, while Des Moines travelers swap hub connections for a direct two-hour hop. Appleton already sees seasonal Sun Country flights, yet Allegiant's earlier start extends the window for Midwestern snowbirds before peak holiday demand.
Background
Until now Allegiant has funneled all of its Southwest Florida flying through Punta Gorda Airport (PGD), twenty-five miles north of downtown Fort Myers. The no-frills gateway suits Allegiant's low cost structure, but it lacks the jet bridges, rental-car inventory, and connecting options of Southwest Florida International. RSW handled 11.1 million passengers in 2024, ranking as the nation's 44th-busiest airport, and has invested nearly $800 million in a terminal expansion slated for completion in 2027. Allegiant becomes the nineteenth scheduled carrier at the field, joining fellow ULCCs Frontier and Spirit as well as mainline giants Delta and American. The new routes lift Allegiant's Sunshine State network to a dozen airports, second only to Spirit among U.S. carriers, and illustrate its strategy of layering larger airports onto an existing Florida footprint rather than abandoning legacy secondary markets. For wider context on the carrier's autumn expansion, see Allegiant Adds Seven Seasonal Routes, Debuts Fort Myers Station.
Latest Developments
Promotional fares and booking windows
Introductory tickets went on sale July 28, with fares advertised from $69 USD one-way for travel through February 10, 2026, when purchased by August 1. Allegiant's pricing excludes bags and seat assignments, which can add $20-$55 per segment, yet historical load factors above 85 percent suggest travelers accept the ancillary-fee trade-off. The carrier has not filed third-party ticketing with global distribution systems, so flights are bookable only on Allegiant's website or mobile app. According to Cirium schedules, each route will operate Mondays and Fridays using 177-seat A320s, providing 1 062 weekly seats inbound to the Gulf Coast, about one percent of RSW's winter capacity but a meaningful boost for mid-sized origin markets. Allentown's Lehigh Valley International (ABE) will see departures at 7:40 a.m., arriving in Fort Myers before noon, enabling same-day cruise embarkations at nearby Port Everglades. DSM and ATW schedules mirror that timing.
Competitive landscape at RSW
Although ultra-low-cost competitors Frontier and Spirit already fly from RSW, neither connects the airport to Allentown or Des Moines, and Sun Country's Appleton service runs only January to early April. That leaves Allegiant a four-month monopoly on all three city pairs, permitting it to fill planes with winter sun-seekers before seasonal overlap emerges. Airport executives note that RSW's catchment overlaps with PGD, yet believe added choice will expand the total market rather than cannibalize it. Airlines have historically moved capacity away from PGD when fuel prices climb because the smaller field cannot accommodate Airbus-class fuel trucks, a constraint Allegiant sidesteps at RSW. The move also diversifies Allegiant's hurricane-prone Florida portfolio, giving the airline a second Gulf Coast base with hardened infrastructure and a taller elevation.
Analysis (220-300 words)
Allegiant's strategic pivot toward larger commercial airports mirrors a broader ULCC evolution from purely secondary airfields toward a mix that balances cost savings with wider market appeal. By adding RSW, the airline gains access to more than 70 car-rental counters, jet bridges that enable faster turns during Florida's frequent summer thunderstorms, and a marketing designation more recognizable to national advertisers than Punta Gorda. The trade-off is higher landing fees, yet Allegiant's aircraft-utilization-times-ancillary-revenue equation depends more on load factor and upsold extras than on a few dollars of airport cost. In practice the carrier typically negotiates volume-based rebates, mitigating fee differentials.
RSW also plugs a gap in Allegiant's portfolio: nonstop access to the Fort Myers-Naples retirement corridor for Midwestern snowbirds unwilling to drive two hours south after arriving at St. Pete-Clearwater (PIE). Bureau of Transportation Statistics T-100 data show that in the twelve months ending May 2025, more than 55 000 passengers flew between Des Moines and South Florida via hubs, paying an average $232 one-way. Even if half of that traffic diverts to Allegiant, the carrier can fill two weekly flights at sub-$100 base fares while still collecting premium baggage and seat fees.
Finally, the RSW move positions Allegiant for future Florida growth options. Construction delays at PGD's terminal expansion mean gate availability may remain tight through 2026. Establishing RSW now provides operational redundancy ahead of a potentially record hurricane season forecast for 2026. Investors will view the Fort Myers entrée as another measured step in Allegiant's post-Max fleet strategy, which relies on up-gauged 186-seat A320s to boost revenue per departure without increasing frequencies.
Final Thoughts
Allegiant's debut at Fort Myers underscores the carrier's willingness to layer selective midsize markets onto a Florida network already blanketing the state. Should bookings match internal forecasts, RSW could see additional northern spokes as early as next summer, giving Midwestern travelers more chances to access Gulf Coast beaches without a hub connection. For now, the three twice-weekly options offer a low-cost alternative to holiday-season fares that regularly exceed $400 on mainline rivals. Travelers willing to pack light and act early stand to benefit most from Allegiant Fort Myers flights and could persuade the airline to base aircraft in Lee County down the line.