Is Allegiant a Good Airline? What the Low Fare Leaves Out

You see a $39 fare to Orlando, and you think you just beat the system. Then the bag, the seat, and a charge you have never heard of land on top of it, and you wonder whether the deal was ever a deal at all. It happens to the best of us, and it can make you question everything.

To answer the question: Yes, Allegiant can be a good airline, but in our experience it's one that more often than not should be answered with, "it depends." If you live near a small airport where Allegiant is the only nonstop to a beach town, you pack light, and your dates are firm, it’s often the cheapest way there. If you need flexibility, a carry-on, a cash refund, or a backup flight if things get delayed or canceled, the low fare may not be the lowest after all.

Here, we discuss what the base fare leaves out and also include some useful tips and answers that travelers don't always find online about Allegiant.

Always confirm current prices on allegiantair.com before you book.

Key takeaways

• Allegiant's base fare is only the start: A $22 per-passenger, per-segment charge is built into every web or phone booking, and a carry-on adds $10–$75 per segment.
• Cancel a nonrefundable fare, and your money comes back as Allegiant credit, not cash. The 24-hour free-cancellation window only applies if departure is at least seven days away.
• Of Allegiant's 578 routes, 433 have no nonstop competitor. From many small cities, it’s the only nonstop.
• Allegiant won Best Low-Cost Airline in North America at the 2026 Skytrax awards (third year running) but is not in the J.D. Power 2026 economy top 3 (Southwest, Delta, JetBlue).
• Going does not include Allegiant in its deal alerts because we weigh the flying experience alongside price. Carriers with subpar amenities and high fees typically do not make the cut.

When Allegiant is worth it (and when it isn't)

It's simple: Allegiant is worth it when its model fits your trip. Basically, it can work best for point-to-point nonstops from small and mid-size cities to leisure destinations in Florida, Las Vegas, Arizona, and California as long as you’re flying on the days that the Allegiant route runs.

A family of four flying from a regional airport to Florida with firm dates and one personal item each is Allegiant's sweet spot. A solo traveler flying to a wedding with a checked bag and a firm ticket that can’t be delayed loses on every account.

The one group for whom the fee math makes much more sense is service members, veterans, and their families on the same itinerary. Allegiant Honors gives them up to two free checked bags, a free carry-on, priority boarding, and one free pet in the cabin.

How much does Allegiant really cost once you add bags and a seat?

Allegiant says its "base airfares [are] less than half the cost of the average domestic roundtrip ticket," in its Sun Country acquisition press release, published May 13, 2026. That’s largely a marketing claim. Against it is a harder figure from its 2025 Annual Report: $76.35 in ancillary revenue per passenger in 2025, up from $5.87 in 2004.

Bags: personal item, carry-on, and checked

Your personal item is free, max 8 x 14 x 18 in, and must fit under the seat. A carry-on costs $10–$75 per segment, max 10 x 16 x 22 in, and is cheaper at booking than at the gate. For checked bags, you get up to four per passenger, 50 lb and 80 linear inches, priced by route per segment. 

For overweight bags, you’ll receive an additional surcharge on top of the standard baggage fee. 

• Overweight (51–70 lb): add $50
• Overweight (71–100 lb): add $75
• Oversized (in excess of 80 linear inches): add $75

Check Allegiant’s Optional Services & Fees page for more information. 

→ Insider tip: Measure your carry-on at home with a tape measure, not by eye. A bag that is one inch too big at the gate is the most expensive way to pay for it on Allegiant.

Seats, priority boarding, and bundles

Seat selection runs $0–$80, Priority Access (early boarding) is $11.50–$17.50, and the one comfort upgrade is Allegiant Extra: 7 inches of extra legroom on select flights. Bundles package the carry-on, seat, and sometimes Trip Flex, and Allegiant says they save up to $114 per passenger (How to Allegiant). A bundle beats a la carte when you were going to buy the carry-on and pick a seat anyway, but it doesn’t when you only need a personal item.

The $22 charge you can skip at the airport

Every fare booked on the website or by phone carries an "electronic carrier usage charge" of $22 per passenger per segment, and Allegiant never refunds it.

On a roundtrip for two, that’s $88 before adding bags. Allegiant's Customer Service Plan says online and phone fees do not apply at the airport ticket counter, so buying in person skips the $22. This only really works out if you live close to an airport Allegiant serves. Plus, fares can move before you get there.

For many travelers it might not be worth the gamble, but that’s the one fee you can technically avoid.

Allegiant fees at a glance (as of September 29, 2026)

Here is how those add-ons stack on a roundtrip for one passenger, using the fee ranges above. This is an example, not a real quote. Low end: two $22 carrier charges ($44), carry-on at $10 per segment ($20), and a free seat for $64 on top of the standard fare. High end: two $22 carrier charges ($44), carry-on at $75 per segment ($150), and a seat at $80 per segment ($160) for $354 on top of the fare. 

The same advertised fare can cost $64–$354 more, and most of that difference depends on your bag and seat preferences, not the flight itself.

What happens if your Allegiant flight is canceled?

This is where Allegiant's model can really trip travelers up. 

When you cancel

The 24-hour free-cancellation rule is narrower than it sounds. You get a full refund within 24 hours of booking only if departure was at least seven days away and the booking is not an air-plus-ground package, per the Customer Service Plan. Missing that window and canceling without Trip Flex costs $25 per passenger per segment (a fee Allegiant says is "temporarily reduced"). The refund comes back as nonrefundable Allegiant credit, not cash. For no-shows or cancellations within seven days of departure, no credit is given. Trip Flex, at $29–$43 per person per segment, lets you change or cancel once for a full credit. Carrier charges are never refunded.

What about Allegiant cancels?

If Allegiant cancels or delays for a reason in its control, the Customer Service Plan says it will rebook you on the next Allegiant flight (possibly from a nearby airport) or give you a full refund including fees. Overnight delays get you a hotel, while delays of three-plus hours get you a meal voucher.

This one matters more on Allegiant than on, say, Delta or Southwest because of how frequently the airline runs routes. On a route that operates twice a week, a Saturday cancellation can leave you stranded until Tuesday. Allegiant doesn’t have partners to rebook you on.

Where Allegiant flies and how to book it

Allegiant flies 578 routes to 126 cities (current as of February 1, 2026), and 433 of those routes have no nonstop competitor, per its 2025 Annual Report. From many small US cities, Allegiant is the only nonstop to the beach. It sells almost entirely on its own website and avoids OTAs, so you often will not see its fares on Expedia, Kayak, or Google Flights. To find Allegiant deals or compare it against other airlines, you need to search on allegiantair.com.

Allegiant also closed its Sun Country acquisition on May 13, 2026, but so far brands, bookings, and loyalty programs stay separate, per Allegiant's press release. Nothing changes for your booking today.

Our guide to finding cheap domestic flights has a more in-depth playbook.

Is Allegiant reliable? On-time and cancellation record

Allegiant's own 2025 Annual Report reports a 99.9% controllable completion rate, zero involuntary denied boardings and 65% repeat customers, and claims it is #1 for the fewest cancellations.

But read those as company figures, not as neutral facts. If punctuality is your deciding factor, check the DOT ATCR and BTS annual rankings.

What it's like to fly Allegiant

Allegiant doesn't offer the perks you usually get from its competitors. They have single-class cabins, no lounges, and nothing complimentary. Food and drinks run $2–$7 per item, and the fee page states: "We do not provide any free catered items."

The fleet as of February 1, 2026, was 106 Airbus A320-family plus 16 Boeing 737 MAX, per the 2025 Annual Report. The only paid comfort upgrade is Allegiant Extra, with seven inches of extra legroom on select flights. 

Allegiant reviews and ratings: what the surveys say

Allegiant was named Best Low-Cost Airline in North America at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards for the third consecutive year. In the J.D. Power 2026 study, the economy top 3 are Southwest, Delta, and JetBlue. Allegiant is not among them.

Allways Rewards and the Allegiant credit card

Allways Rewards is spend-based, not miles. You earn 1 point per $1 (2 per $1 on itineraries of $500-plus), no points on taxes and fees, and each point is worth $0.01, so about 1% back, redeemable only on Allegiant. Points expire after 24 months of inactivity. 

The Allways Rewards Visa adds priority boarding and one free drink per flight. Its companion-fare perk, BOGO airfare, only applies with four-plus hotel nights or seven-plus rental-car days, booked by phone.

How to fly Allegiant without overpaying

1. Measure your carry-on and personal item at home. Personal item: max 8 x 14 x 18 in; carry-on: max 10 x 16 x 22 in.
2. Price the bundle against buying the carry-on and seat a la carte. If you were going to buy both anyway, the bundle usually wins.
3. Compare that all-in total with the next best option on allegiantair.com as Allegiant's fares rarely appear on OTAs.
4. Add bags when you book, not at the gate.
5. Buy Trip Flex only if your dates may move.
6. Screenshot your itinerary and know what the Customer Service Plan owes you if Allegiant cancels.

If you would rather catch a legacy-carrier fare when it drops than pay Allegiant add-ons, that is what our deal alerts are for.

For our take on another low-cost carrier, see our guide: Is Frontier a good airline?