Avelo Airlines Inaugural Flight From Wilmington Airport

What an experience! I feel honored to have been asked to be on the inaugural flight with Avelo Airlines from Wilmington Airport to Orlando! If you have been listening to 94.7 WDSD, you've heard me promote Avelo coming to Wilmington for a month or so now and the day has finally come! I have personally never flown out of ILG, years ago when Frontier had flights from Denver to Wilmington, my family and friends were able to take advantage of the flights for my wedding and we loved the convenience of flying right into Wilmington and the smaller airport with less hassle. A mom of two young daughters myself, I'll admit there is stress when planning to fly - anywhere! My mind instantly goes to driving on I-95 to Philly or Baltimore, parking, getting there in time, how long will the security line be, finding the gate ... etc. The general stress and anxiety of traveling, right? I am happy to tell you, there is NONE of that at Wilmington Airport!

Who doesn't want to go to sunny Florida? Whether you are going for Spring Break ... vacation ... or to visit friends and family, make sure to visit www.aveloair.com to book your flight.

Now to my personal experience ... I was running late, per usual, but I made it there with 'plenty' of time! I pulled into ILG off Route 13 and noticed there is an $8 a day charge to park, but let's be honest, that's better than most airport parking anyway! The gate was open for the inaugural flight, so I was grateful for that, just a note so you know if you plan to drive and park. If you are close enough, it will be easier I am sure to have someone take you and pick you up, verse asking someone to drive you to Philly or Baltimore, right? The airport was pretty packed with media and press for the big day but that didn't slow down the check-in process. The line was not long, I walked right up to the counter, showed my ID and was handed my boarding pass. Literally, less than 2 minutes! From there, I watched the press conference with Avelo staff and state representatives, sharing the excitement of putting Delaware on the map with Avelo.

I proceeded to get in line for security, which was seamless! I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's just like any other airport - of course! TSA was present, you have to take your shoes off ... load your items in the containers and put them on the belt, walk through metal detectors and the whole thing! Once through security, there are vending machines and restrooms. I saw a few families with small children and couldn't help by put myself in their position, traveling with my girls. I feel it will be WAY less stressful then the trek to Philly and Baltimore.

The coolest part of all ... we walked the tarmac to get on the plane! I really did enjoy that part! I know my girls will love that part too!

Once settled on the flight, they actually had to de-ice before we could take off. It put us back a few minutes, but then we were off! I enjoyed catching up with a colleague of mine and taking in the whole experience. There was no in-service beverages or snacks or wi-fi but we didn't mind, it allowed us to really relax. Thanks to Purpose PR Agency, they did provide the media with a boxed lunch for the flight which we totally appreciated! Shout out to Infinite Catering NJ for a wonderful lunch! Follow #chefrashaun #infinitecateringnj

The flight to Orlando was just over two hours, so not bad! Love the Avelo cookies too!

Once we landed in Orlando, I wish I was getting off for vacation! But I knew what I signed up for ... we were turning right back around! I had a chance to run to the gift shop and pick up a few items for my girls, snap a couple pictures of the palm trees and we were right back on the flight home!

The flight home was mainly media, press and local influencers who were there for the inaugural flight like I was so we had the plane to ourselves. I got cozy for a few minutes in my new Avelo blanket, such a nice touch! I can't say I've ever interviewed 40,000 feet in the air before but now I can say I have! It was fun meeting local influencers and Avelo staff and all in all, had a wonderful experience! I can't wait to fly with my family to Florida ... hopefully sometime soon!

Avelo Airlines is now flying out of Wilmington Airport non-stop to five cities in Florida - Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale! Flights start at just $49 and if you book with the code WDSD 20 at www.aveloair.com, you can get an extra $20 off roundtrip!

Shout out to Purpose PR Agency for the invite and hospitality! What a fun experience!!