Allegiant Airlines Review (2026): Is Allegiant a Good Airline? My Take After Flying It and Breeze the Same Weekend
Today I’m sharing my Allegiant Airlines review after finally flying Allegiant again. This past weekend I jumped on a last minute flight from Orange County (SNA) to Provo for a quick weekend in Utah. This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.
If you read my Breeze Airways review, you know I have been wary of Allegiant for a long time. The canceled Allegiant flight I wrote about there ended with a $300 last-minute Delta ticket just to try and get my sister to the west coast when I was having a baby. So when I was planning this trip and Allegiant had the flight time that worked best on the way out, I booked it with fingers crossed (and knowing there was a later Breeze flight that night in case they cancelled).
I flew out on Friday on Allegiant and I flew Breeze home to California two days later. I could not have planned a better side-by-side test if I tried. Same route in opposite directions, two days apart, with the same carry-on.
So the real question: is Allegiant a good airline, or is that cheap fare a trap?
Short answer: for a short, direct flight, Allegiant was perfectly fine. It was on time, the crew was pleasant, and I got exactly what I paid for. It pushed a lot of add-ons during booking, the seat did not recline, and there was not a free snack in sight. Here’s the full breakdown.
My Allegiant Flight at a Glance
- Route: John Wayne Airport (SNA) to Provo (PVU), one way
- When: A Friday afternoon flight, just under two hours in the air
- Total paid: $202.00 (base fare $114.05)
- What I added: A $42 bundle that covered a carry-on and my seat. My personal item was free.
- Seat: 15A, a window seat in the main cabin
- Priority boarding: No
- On time? Yes. We left on time and landed a few minutes early.
- Who flew: Just me (a solo flight as a mom of four is its own kind of vacation)
What Is Allegiant Air?
Allegiant is an ultra-low-cost airline based in Las Vegas. Its whole model is nonstop flights from smaller and mid-size airports to vacation spots. Many of its routes don’t run every day and pool around weekend trips. That is why Allegiant shows up in places like Provo, where the big airlines have a limited presence.
Two pieces of 2026 news are worth knowing. First, Allegiant completed its merger with Sun Country Airlines in May 2026, and for now the two airlines are still operating separately. Second, Allegiant ended its service at LAX in early 2026.
How Much Did My Allegiant Flight Really Cost?
The first fare isn’t always what you pay. Here’s a breakdown of what I paid. When I was looking a the website the price listed was the airfare plus the taxes, security fees, and carrier usage charge (so everything besides the bundle I added).
- Airfare: $114.05
- Federal excise tax, segment tax, passenger facility charge, and September 11th security fee: $23.95 combined
- Bundle (carry-on and seat selection included): $42.00
- Carrier Usage Charge: $22.00
- Total: $202.00
Everything on top of the base fare added up to $87.95, or about 77% more than the fare itself.
The $22 Carrier Usage Charge
The fee that surprised me most was the Carrier Usage Charge, which Allegiant adds when you book on its website or by phone. On a round trip that is $44 per person, and for a family of six that adds up fast. Allegiant has historically skipped this fee for tickets bought in person at an airport ticket counter, which is why you’ll see people asking whether it is cheaper to buy Allegiant tickets at the airport. Counter hours are limited and I have not tried it myself, so call or check Allegiant’s site before you plan a trip to the airport around it.
The Add-On Gauntlet
Booking on the Allegiant website meant clicking past screen after screen of add-ons. I bought the most basic fare and added one carry-on, since I was gone for the weekend and didn’t want to stress about packing in a personal item (although we recommend this backpack if you’re flying Allegiant or Breeze and want to get the most out of your personal item). I did not pay extra to choose a seat initially but the carry-on bundle included seat selection later on in the booking process.
Bundle note: If you know you need a carry-on, compare the bundle price against the bag alone before you check out.
Booking and Check-In
I booked and checked in on the Allegiant website, then downloaded the app so I could use it for my boarding pass. If the app experience matters to you, Breeze still has the edge here (more on that below).
Allegiant Seats and Legroom: Are Allegiant Flights Comfortable?
The seat did not recline, and it was not particularly comfortable. It was perfectly fine for a two-hour flight and I had nothing to complain about.
Allegiant’s seats are fixed-back, so nobody reclines into your lap (which is nice) but it means you can’t recline either. Seat pitch runs roughly 28 to 31 inches in most of the cabin depending on the plane and row, which is typical for an ultra-low-cost airline. I would not have loved this seat on a six-hour cross-country flight. For a two-hour hop to Utah, it didn’t matter.
My first impression walking on was that this was an older airplane. I usually fly Breeze for this route, and the Allegiant plane felt less updated
The one thing that surprised me in a good way: the aisle was very wide. Navigating my carry-on down it to row 15 was very easy. If you’ve ever dragged a suitcase down a narrow aisle while a line backs up behind you, you get this. I remember trying to carry a carseat over my shoulder while managing a carryone while wearing a baby … this is the kind of aisle I would have wished for.
Does Allegiant Have Snacks? Free Water, Paid Everything Else
There are no free snacks on Allegiant. There is a menu of snacks and drinks to buy, and that’s it.
I did get a free cup of water. I’d seen other Allegiant reviews say they don’t give you water, but on my flight the flight attendant offered me a cup and asked whether I wanted it with ice or no ice. I really wish there had been some kind of snack. There was not.
The tray tables are also very small (that is a small cocktail napkin and regular size cup in the picture above).
Tip: Pack your own snacks. Allegiant also has no wifi and no seatback entertainment, so download whatever you want to watch or listen to before you board.
Allegiant Crew and Gate Agents
The gate agents and flight attendants were perfectly pleasant. It was a normal, uneventful flight. Nothing really to report there.
Is Allegiant Reliable?
This flight was reliable and unremarkable (which is great). We left on time and landed a few minutes early. There were no delays, no gate changes, and no bag problems.
But one good flight does not erase the bad one. The canceled flight from my Breeze review is the reason I avoided Allegiant for so long, and our family has felt firsthand the complaint you’ll see in so many Allegiant reviews: a last-minute cancellation with no easy backup. Because many Allegiant routes don’t fly every day, a cancellation can mean waiting a day or more for the next flight, or paying for a ticket on another airline the way we did.
My takeaway is this: Allegiant is a fine choice when a delay would be annoying, and a risky one when a delay would be a disaster. I wouldn’t book Allegiant for a wedding, a birth, or anything where showing up a day late is not an option. For this particular trip I was flying for a funeral but I checked and there was a Breeze flight later on Friday that would get me there if the Allegiant flight got cancelled).
Allegiant vs Breeze: How They Compared on the Same Trip
Flying both airlines on the same weekend made the differences easy to see.
Where Allegiant won:
- Schedule: Allegiant’s flight time worked better for my trip (I wanted to get in for the cousin get-together that evening).
- The aisle: Wide and easy with a carry-on.
- On-time performance this trip: We landed early.
Where Breeze won:
- The plane: Breeze’s planes are newer, more comfortable seats with a recline, and charging stations.
- Legroom: Breeze offers 31 inches of legroom in its standard seats.
- The app: I called the Breeze app phenomenal in my Breeze review.
- Entertainment: Breeze has free streaming entertainment, and Allegiant has none.
My verdict: I prefer Breeze when the price and flight times are similar. When Allegiant’s schedule works better, as it did for me this weekend, I’ll book Allegiant again.
Allegiant Airlines Review: What I Love and What to Know
What I love:
- On-time departure and an early arrival
- A wide aisle that made getting my carry-on to my seat easy
- Free cup of water with ice
- Pleasant, friendly crew and gate agents
What to know:
- The $22 Carrier Usage Charge on online bookings
- Lots of add-ons pushed during booking
- Seats don’t recline and aren’t as comfortable as other airlines
- No free snacks, no wifi, no seatback entertainment
- Older planes that feel smaller than Breeze
- A cancellation can leave you without a same-day backup
Tips for Flying Allegiant
- Use Allegiant for shorter flights. Two hours in a non-reclining seat was fine. Six would be a different story.
- Do the bundle math. If you need a carry-on, check whether a bundle costs less than adding the bag alone.
- Pack snacks and download entertainment. Nothing is free except water.
- Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking in the airport and standing in line to board. My favorite travel sandals for walking all day are what I reach for.
- Don’t book Allegiant when the date can’t move. Save it for trips with some wiggle room.
- If you’re flying with little kids, a compact stroller that folds fast makes budget airlines so much easier. Here is my travel stroller review.
Conclusion: Will I Fly Allegiant Again?
Yes, I would fly Allegiant again. This flight was a perfectly fine, on-time budget flight, and it did a lot to soften my old opinion of the airline. I still prefer Breeze when the price and times are close, because the planes are newer and bigger. But when Allegiant has the better schedule, I’ll book it, add a carry-on bundle, pack a snack, and not think twice.
If you’re flying into Orange County on Allegiant, make a day of it. My Carlsbad Flower Fields tips and my Laguna Beach birthday lunch are good places to start.
Allegiant FAQ
For short, direct leisure flights, yes. Allegiant gets you there for less, but you pay for nearly every extra and have fewer backup options if a flight is canceled.
Allegiant is an FAA-certificated U.S. airline held to the same safety regulations as every other U.S. carrier. It faced criticism for maintenance problems years ago and has since retired its older MD-80 jets in favor of Airbus and Boeing 737 MAX planes.
No free snacks. On my flight, the flight attendant offered a free cup of water with or without ice. Snacks and other drinks are available to buy.
No. Allegiant does not offer wifi or seatback entertainment, so download shows, books, or podcasts before your flight.
No. Allegiant’s seats are fixed-back and do not recline.
Allegiant keeps base fares low and charges separately for carry-ons, seat selection, priority boarding, snacks, and booking online. My $114 base fare became $202 once taxes, a bundle, and the Carrier Usage Charge were added.
Yes. I flew Allegiant from Orange County (SNA) to Provo (PVU). Routes change seasonally and many don’t fly daily, so check Allegiant’s schedule for current days.
