Allegiant Air Review: Things to Know Before You Fly

If you’re from the United States, chances are you’ve heard of Allegiant Air. The budget airline is known for its cheap airfares from cities across the US to popular vacation destinations such as Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Las Vegas. Allegiant Air flights are often under $100 round-trip and they often have sale fares that are just $36 each way.

In 2018, Allegiant Air made headlines after reports revealed that the budget airline’s safety records may not be up to par. 60 Minutes even did a report on the airline’s safety issues, generating an even bigger buzz. Many of the airline’s safety issues were attributed to the airline’s fleet of aging MD-80 aircraft; however, as of December 2018, the airline’s fleet is made up entirely of modern Airbus aircraft.

Are you tempted by Allegiant Air’s super low fares? You’re not alone – it can be hard to resist a flight that’s under $100 round-trip! Keep reading for some things to know before flying Allegiant Air as well as a review of my experience with the budget airline.

NOTE: I was NOT sponsored or compensated by Allegiant Air for this post. All opinions are my own. This post was first published in January 2019 and was last updated in September 2021.

A World in Reach contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you! Read my full disclosure here.

Understand Allegiant’s Baggage Policy

When flying with Allegiant Air, it’s important that you fully understand their baggage policy so that you don’t end up paying more than you have to.

Each passenger is allowed to bring one free personal item. This is something small like a minimalist travel backpack or a purse that can fit under the seat in front of you. The maximum size permitted is 7 inches by 15 inches by 16 inches. For a short trip, this may be all you need.

If you’re planning on bringing a carry-on suitcase or checking a bag, fees will apply. Baggage fees vary by airport so make sure to check the fee chart for the most accurate pricing.

Bringing a carry-on bag (maximum dimensions: 9 inches x 14 inches x 22 inches) will cost between $10 and $75 each way, depending on if you pay for your bag when you book your flight or at the airport. I booked my carry-on after booking but before arriving at the airport and it was $15 each way. Had I waited until I got to the airport, it would’ve been $50!

Checking a bag (maximum dimensions: 80 linear inches, maximum of 40 pounds) will cost between $25 and $50 each way. Again, the cost will depend on when you pay for your bags. To get the cheapest price, reserve your bag when you’re booking your flight! Also, make sure to weigh your bag before your flight to ensure that it’s not overweight. Allegiant’s overweight bag fees range from $50-$75 depending on how many pounds the bag is overweight.

Even after adding bags, Allegiant can still be cheaper than other airlines. The cash price of my non-stop flight to Savannah, including adding a carry-on each way, was $125. In comparison, an American Airlines flight to Savannah for the same dates would have been $215, and it wasn’t non-stop!

Bring Snacks and a Drink

Unfortunately, Allegiant doesn’t offer a free Coke and a bag of peanuts like most of the other US-based airlines. You have to pay for drinks and snacks.

Can’t fly without a snack and a drink? Bring some from home to save money. Since you can’t bring liquids through security, I recommend bringing an empty water bottle and filling it up after you go through the security line.

You could buy snacks and drinks from the airport, but this would probably cost just as much or more than buying them on the plane.

Print Your Boarding Pass at Home

Like bags and snacks, Allegiant Air also charges $5 to print your boarding pass at the airport. Luckily, there are two easy ways around this!

If you have a printer, you can print your boarding pass at home and bring it to the airport. Or, if you’re like me and your printer has been out of ink for over a year, you can download Allegiant’s app to check in online and get a mobile boarding pass. This is the option I recommend since it can be hard to find a printer while traveling. Plus, it’s more environmentally friendly!

Don’t Pay to Choose Your Seats

Unless you’re traveling with kids or otherwise really need to sit with your travel companions, I don’t recommend paying to choose your seat (yep, Allegiant charges for that too). Most of Allegiant’s flights are relatively short, so I’m sure you’ll survive if you aren’t able to talk to your boyfriend for the two-hour duration of the flight.

Check out Allegiant’s Bundle Options

Like I mentioned before, Allegiant charges individually for things like bringing a carry-on bag, checking a bag, and choosing a seat. If you’re in need of one or more of these things (plus a few other things that the airline charges for), it’s worth looking into one of their bundle options.

There are three different bundles:

Allegiant Basic is the standard option that you get when booking any Allegiant flight. This option is the price of your regular fare and only includes a personal item that fits underneath the seat in front of you (backpack, purse, etc.). If you’re in need of just one extra (like adding a carry-on), choosing the basic fare and adding just your carry-on bag will be the cheapest option.

Allegiant Bonus is the next step up. This bundle includes a carry-on bag, seat selection, and Trip Flex, which lets you change your itinerary or cancel it without paying change fees.

Allegiant Total includes everything that comes with Allegiant Bonus as well as a checked bag and priority access, which lets you board the plane first.

Prices for these bundles vary based on the route you’re flying. I recommend pricing out what you need to add individually and then comparing to the bundle prices to see if purchasing a bundle is worth it.

My Experience With Allegiant Air

I’m not going to lie: I was expecting the worst before my Allegiant flight from Lexington, Kentucky to Savannah, Georgia.

I flew with Allegiant in July 2018, which wasn’t long after the scathing 60 Minutes report. I was flying thanks to some vouchers my mom gave me, which she had because her Allegiant flight was delayed for over five hours.

Had I paid cash for the flights, they would have been $95 each round-trip. Even after paying for bags, I don’t think I could have beat this price for a non-stop flight to Savannah.

My outgoing flight from Lexington to Savannah took off on-time, and I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort and service of the airline. My boyfriend and I did not elect to pay to choose a seat, and we both ended up in window seats with my boyfriend directly behind me. The flight was just a little over an hour, so we weren’t worried about not being able to talk to each other during the flight.

Since the flight was so short, we also decided not to purchase any snacks or drinks during the flight. I was impressed with the comfort of the seats (they weren’t rock hard like Frontier’s, a similar US-based budget airline) and my 6-foot-5 boyfriend was happy with his leg room.

Coming home, our flight was delayed about 30 minutes, which wasn’t a big deal – I’ve faced similar delays (and even longer ones) on other airlines like Delta and United.

Overall, my flights with Allegiant Air were very average, which in my opinion is a good thing. The flight was short and sweet, we didn’t have any crazy delays, the flight attendants were friendly, and we arrived at our destination safe and sound.

Should You Fly Allegiant Air?

Despite the reports about the airline’s safety records and frequent complaints to the BBB about delays, I would fly Allegiant Air again. I’d also recommend it to others looking for a cheap, no-frills flight to their favorite destination.

At the time of writing, you can fly from my home city to Orlando for just $80 – perfect for those wanting to explore Universal Studios or take their family to Walt Disney World! Even after adding bags, that’s an insane price! Airlines like Allegiant help make vacations an affordable reality for many families.

Have you flown Allegiant Air? What was your experience like?