Avelo Airlines built its identity on the West Coast, and now it’s walking away from all of it. The budget carrier that launched with so much promise from Hollywood Burbank Airport on April 28, 2021, will exit the region entirely by December 2, 2025. For travelers who booked cheap fares to Salem, Santa Rosa, Redmond, and beyond, the news lands hard.
This post breaks down what happened, why it happened, and what you should do next. Here’s what you’ll learn:
- The financial reasons behind Avelo’s West Coast exit
- Every affected city and the exact date service ends
- How to claim a refund if your route was canceled
- Where Avelo is redeploying its planes next
Why Did Avelo Leave the West Coast?
Avelo left the West Coast because the math stopped working. CEO Andrew Levy told staff and customers the “current operating environment will not deliver adequate financial returns in a highly competitive backdrop.” That’s a direct admission: the routes weren’t paying for themselves.
The numbers back him up. In the first quarter of 2025, Avelo posted a roughly $14 million operating loss, according to U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data via aviation analytics firm Cirium. Average fares fell nearly 20% — even as the airline flew 21% more flights.
Read those two figures together and the problem becomes clear. More flying at lower fares meant Avelo was working harder to lose money. In a market crowded with larger carriers and rival budget airlines, the West Coast base couldn’t generate the returns Avelo needed to keep growing.
The takeaway: this was a business decision driven by losses, not a temporary schedule tweak.
The Major Route Cuts
Avelo is exiting 10 West Coast cities on a staggered timeline that ends in early December. If your route sits on this list, plan around the cutoff date now rather than closer to travel.
Here are all 10 affected cities and the last dates of service:
- Salem / Willamette Valley (SLE) — service ends Aug. 10, 2025
- Santa Rosa / Sonoma County (STS) — service ends Aug. 11, 2025
- Las Vegas / Harry Reid International (LAS) — service ends Aug. 11, 2025
- Kalispell / Glacier Park (FCA) — service ends Aug. 30, 2025
- Eugene (EUG) — service ends Dec. 1, 2025
- Redmond / Bend (RDM) — service ends Dec. 1, 2025
- Eureka / Arcata (ACV) — service ends Dec. 2, 2025
- Pasco / Tri-Cities (PSC) — service ends Dec. 2, 2025
- Medford / Rogue Valley (MFR) — service ends Dec. 2, 2025
- Los Angeles / Hollywood Burbank (BUR) — full exit Dec. 2, 2025
Burbank stings the most. It was Avelo’s very first airport and the home base for the routes it launched in 2021. Some communities lose more than one carrier: Salem (SLE) is left with no scheduled commercial air service at all once Avelo departs, and Eureka (ACV) will be served only by United Airlines.
The takeaway: check your travel date against your city’s cutoff before you assume your flight is safe.
What Passengers Need to Know: Refunds and Options
If you hold a ticket on a canceled route, you are entitled to your money back. Avelo is offering affected customers a full refund to the original payment method, or the equivalent value in Avelo Cash (travel credit for future bookings) if you’d rather keep flying with the airline.
Here’s how to handle it, step by step:
- Confirm your route is affected. Match your departure city and travel date against the cutoff list above.
- Check aveloair.com. Log in to your reservation to see whether your specific flight has been canceled and what refund options appear.
- Choose your refund type. Select a full refund to your original payment method if you want cash back, or Avelo Cash if you plan to fly Avelo from another base.
- Contact Avelo support if needed. If your booking doesn’t show an option or you booked through a third party, reach out to Avelo’s customer support directly.
- Rebook alternate service early. For cities losing Avelo entirely — especially Salem and Eureka — search other carriers or nearby airports as soon as possible, since seats fill fast when a competitor exits.
One practical note: refund to original payment is usually the safer choice unless you’re certain you’ll use Avelo Cash before it expires. Read the terms on the credit before you accept it.
The takeaway: don’t wait for an email — log in to aveloair.com and lock in your refund now.
The Pivot to the East Coast
Avelo isn’t shutting down — it’s relocating its growth. Levy said the airline will “redeploy these BUR aircraft to business areas where we see more efficient longer-term growth prospects, while also building depth and breadth to our East Coast operation.”
That means the planes leaving Burbank are heading east to strengthen Avelo’s existing bases:
- Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) in southern Connecticut
- Wilmington Airport (ILG) in the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley region
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in North Carolina
- Lakeland International Airport (LAL) in Central Florida
Alongside the geographic shift, Avelo is simplifying its fleet to fly exclusively the Boeing 737-800. A single-type fleet — one aircraft model across the whole operation — cuts costs on maintenance, crew training, and spare parts. For a carrier trying to stop the bleeding, that efficiency matters as much as picking the right cities.
The takeaway: if you fly Avelo from an East Coast base, expect more flights and more capacity in the months ahead.
Conclusion: A Shifting Landscape for Budget Airlines
Avelo’s retreat is a snapshot of a harder reality for ultra-low-cost carriers in the U.S. Cheap fares only work when planes fill up at prices that still cover costs — and in crowded markets, that balance is fragile. When average fares drop 20% while flying climbs 21%, even a growing airline can bleed cash fast.
For travelers, the lesson is practical: budget routes to smaller cities can vanish quickly, so build flexibility into your plans and keep an eye on refund policies. If your Avelo route was cut, act now — verify your flight on aveloair.com, claim your refund, and line up backup service before the cutoff date.
And if you’re tracking down a friend or relative in one of these affected cities to coordinate travel or share the news, a reliable people search can help you reconnect quickly and confidently.
is a culinary enthusiast who firmly believes the best way to understand a city is through its kitchen. He travels the coastline hunting down everything from five-star dining experiences to the absolute best casual grouper sandwiches in St. Pete. His honest restaurant guides save travelers from overpriced tourist traps and point them toward authentic local flavors. In his spare time, Julian is an amateur chef constantly trying to perfect his own seafood taco recipe.
