airline
Avelo Airlines
Avelo Airlines is a US ULCC founded in 2018 and commercially launched in April 2021 by Andrew Levy (former Allegiant president and former United CFO). Avelo focuses on small and mid-sized cities and underserved point-to-point routes - mostly leisure-oriented, mostly secondary airports that legacy carriers fly to once a day or skip entirely. After a 2025-2026 network simplification, Avelo's current operating bases are New Haven CT (HVN, headquarters), Philadelphia/Delaware Valley at Wilmington (ILG), Charlotte/Concord NC (JQF), and Lakeland/Central Florida (LAL). A fifth base at McKinney/North Dallas (TKI) is slated to open late 2026. Avelo closed its Burbank (BUR) base and exited the West Coast in mid-2025, then in January 2026 closed its Mesa (AZA), Raleigh-Durham (RDU), and Wilmington NC (ILM) bases as part of a balance-sheet recapitalization. Many of the closed-base markets continue as point-to-point service from the four remaining bases.
Avelo runs two parallel programs and they don't look anything like a traditional airline program.
Avelo Rewards is a card-tied points / "Avelo Cash" program launched January 27, 2026 with the Avelo Airlines World Elite Mastercard. The card is issued by First Electronic Bank and offered through Cardless - Avelo bills itself as the first US domestic airline co-brand on Cardless's digital-first card infrastructure. Earn 5% in Avelo Cash on Avelo purchases (5 points per dollar) and 2% on everything else (2 points per dollar). One point equals $0.01 in Avelo Cash, which redeems on Avelo flights and ancillaries. There is no flying-based earn track outside the card.
Avelo PLUS is a paid annual membership ($59 first year, $99 each year after) launched October 1, 2025. It's a travel-perk subscription, not a points program: free priority boarding, member-only fares, and a $50 Avelo Cash bonus on renewal. Benefits extend to up to 9 travel companions on the same booking, which is unusually generous for a paid airline membership.
There's no alliance, no codeshare partners, no lounges, no traditional elite tiers earned by flying, and no transfer partners from Amex MR, Chase UR, Citi TYP, Capital One Miles, or Bilt. The closest equivalent to "status" is whether you hold the Avelo PLUS membership.
Award chart
The actual numbers. Get your nerd on, memorize the cheap ones.
The cheat sheet.
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Award chart
The actual numbers. Get your nerd on, memorize the cheap ones.
The cheat sheet.
Avelo Rewards redemption structure (no chart)
Avelo's program is fixed-value, not chart-based. Avelo Cash redeems at 1 cent per point against any Avelo cash price.
| Item | Cost in Avelo Cash | Cost in dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Any Avelo flight | (cash price) | (cash price) |
| Bag fees | (cash price) | (cash price) |
| Seat selection | (cash price) | (cash price) |
| Other Avelo purchases | (cash price) | (cash price) |
Conversion: 1 point = $0.01 in Avelo Cash. Avelo automatically converts points into Avelo Cash when posted, so the user-facing balance is in dollars.
Earn rates (Avelo Airlines World Elite Mastercard, the only Avelo Rewards earn path):
- 5 points per $1 (5%) on Avelo Airlines purchases
- 2 points per $1 (2%) on all other purchases
- 25,000-point welcome bonus ($250 in Avelo Cash) after $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days
No partner award redemptions - Avelo Cash only redeems on Avelo. No alliance, no codeshare partners.
Avelo PLUS membership (separate, paid):
- $59 first year, $99 each year after
- Auto-renews unless canceled
- Free priority boarding, member-only fares
- $50 Avelo Cash bonus at renewal
- Benefits extend to up to 9 travel companions on the same booking
Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
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Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
- The "no chart" sweet spot is straightforward: 5% back on Avelo flights with the card. That is the highest published earn rate of any US airline co-brand on flights to/from that airline.
- Avelo PLUS for group travel - the $99 annual fee unlocks priority boarding and member fares for up to 9 travel companions on the same booking. If you fly Avelo with family or a regular travel group at least 2-3 times a year, the math typically favors PLUS over a la carte priority boarding upgrades.
- $50 Avelo Cash on renewal - the PLUS membership renewal bonus is functionally a $50 rebate on the $99 ongoing renewal, taking the effective cost down to $49/year if you actually use Avelo.
- No flying-only earn - if you do not hold the Avelo Airlines World Elite Mastercard, the Avelo Rewards program is effectively inaccessible. The "sweet spot" decision for non-cardholders is whether to add the card or buy Avelo PLUS - the two programs serve different purposes and you can hold both.
Lounge access
Where to vanish before takeoff. Your status (or ticket) opens which doors.
Who gets in, who doesn't, and the carve-outs.
See the rules →
Lounge access
Where to vanish before takeoff. Your status (or ticket) opens which doors.
Who gets in, who doesn't, and the carve-outs.
Avelo does not operate any of its own airport lounges. Avelo is not a member of any alliance (oneworld, SkyTeam, Star Alliance) and has no lounge-access reciprocity with other carriers.
If you are flying Avelo out of an airport that has a third-party lounge program (Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Capital One Lounges, Amex Centurion, Chase Sapphire Lounges, Delta Sky Club through co-brand cards, etc.), access depends on the lounge's entry rules and your card or membership - not on your Avelo Rewards or Avelo PLUS standing, because neither program confers any third-party lounge benefits.
The closest equivalent to a status-based airport perk is priority boarding, which is a benefit of both the Avelo Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Avelo PLUS membership. Neither is a lounge.
How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
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How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
- Avelo flights - any route, any date, any fare. Avelo Cash redeems at 1 cent per point against the cash price.
- Bag fees, seat selection, other Avelo purchases - Avelo Cash covers them at 1 cent per point.
- Cash + Avelo Cash combos - mix dollars and points on a single booking.
- No partner redemptions - Avelo Cash only redeems on Avelo. No alliance, no codeshare partners, no transfers out to other programs.
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
Spill the gotchas →
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
- Avelo Cash earned via the Avelo Airlines World Elite Mastercard does not expire as long as your Avelo account remains open and active.
- Avelo Cash issued from disruptions/cancellations has a separate validity window (typically 1 year for customer-initiated changes or minor disruptions, up to 5 years for major delays/diversions/cancellations). These rules are different from the rewards program.
- No flying-based earn outside the card. Without the Avelo Airlines World Elite Mastercard, Avelo Rewards is effectively inaccessible.
- No traditional elite tiers. The closest analogue to status is the paid Avelo PLUS membership.
- No family pooling is part of the public program.
- Avelo PLUS perks share with up to 9 travel companions on the same booking - useful for family or group travel.
- Avelo PLUS auto-renews at $99/year unless canceled before the renewal date.
- No alliance, no codeshares, no lounges.
- Stopover and open-jaw rules are not relevant since Avelo flies point-to-point and Avelo Cash redeems at the cash price.
- 2024 industry recognition: Avelo ranked #1 in US on-time performance and posted the industry's lowest cancellation rate (per Anuvu aviation data, used by the Wall Street Journal).
- Embraer E195-E2 order: up to 100 E195-E2 aircraft (50 firm + 50 option, ~$4.4B list value), with first delivery anticipated in H1 2027 - Avelo will be the first US carrier to operate the type.
- Avelo PLUS launched October 1, 2025 at a $49 introductory price; current pricing is $59 first year / $99 each year after, with a $50 Avelo Cash bonus credited on each renewal.
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Last reviewed: May 2026
Loyalty programs change rules, fees, transfer ratios, and award pricing all the time — sometimes without warning. We do our best to keep these pages current, but the program's own site is always the final word. Always confirm specifics directly with Avelo Airlines before transferring miles or booking an award. Treat anything on this page as a starting point, not a guarantee. Crazy4Points is not responsible for actions taken based on information here — see our Terms of Service for full details.