The initial flight from Niagara Falls, N.Y., marked the return of commercial air service into Charlotte County Airport since April 2008 when Skybus Airlines went out of business. The discount airline Direct Air is flying direct routes to Punta Gorda, Fla., from Niagara Falls, N.Y.; Allentown, Pa.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; Plattsburgh, N.Y.; Toledo, Ohio; Worcester, Mass.; Chicago/Rockford, Illinois; and from Direct Air’s headquarters city, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Direct Air: Fly in Style to Punta Gorda, Florida
Airfares are discounted (fares begin at $99 per person) but Direct Air passengers will fly in style aboard the Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft leased from Virgin America. The planes are equipped with plasma television, satellite radio and telephone, computer connectivity, touch service screens, leather seats, and staffed by Virgin America crew. Seating is available in first class and coach.
Flights to and from the before mentioned cities are not offered on a daily basis and in some cases, offered twice a week. Direct Air is ideal for vacationers looking for a week-long retreat from the cold, blustery winter of the Northeast or for visiting family and/or friends in sunny Florida over a long weekend.
Direct Air: Discounted Airline to Florida
The airline also flies from Kalamazoo and Worcester into the Orlando Sanford International Airport. In order to keep airfares affordable, Direct Air charges minimal fees for various services. These include:
- $2 service fee for booking the flight through the airline’s toll-free reservation number (Tel: (877) 432-3473; fee waived if booked through the airline’s Website)
- $5 for securing an advance seat assignment, per flight segment
- $20 per bag, one-way, up to two bags
- $75 per pet in a carrier in the cabin, one-way
- $25 per infant under 2, being held in the lap of an adult, one-way
- $50 unaccompanied minor, one-way
Things to do in and Around Punta Gorda, Florida
Having accolades such as one of the top 10 places to sail by SAIL magazine and named one of the top five places to live and play golf by Golf Digest, visitors to Punta Gorda will find a relaxing retreat. The historic downtown welcomes travelers with galleries, shops, and independently owned restaurants specializing in tantalizing taste buds. Fishermen’s Village is a popular waterfront mall with shopping, dining, and boating excursions.
Babcock Wilderness Adventures offers swamp buggy tours on a working cattle ranch, and nearby is Englewood, ranked by TripAdvisor as one of the top 10 places to visit in 2009. Come February 2009, the Tampa Bay Rays will call neighboring Port Charlotte their spring training home. Fishing, kayaking, and being lazy on the beach, are some of the things visitors to the area, collectively called Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf Islands, enjoy.
Punta Gorda and the Charlotte County Airport: Conveniently Located
Located on Southwest Florida’s Gulf coast, Punta Gorda is conveniently located less than an hour’s drive north of Fort Myers and Sanibel, and an hour’s drive south of Sarasota, Siesta Key, and Longboat Key. When searching for Punta Gorda on the Direct Air Website, it’s listed as “Ft. Myers/Punta Gorda.” The Charlotte County Airport (airport code PGD) in Punta Gorda is located off I-75 at exit 161.
Jennifer Huber - A 20-year veteran of the tourism industry, Jennifer's career path began during college when she followed the hiking path in Yellowstone ...
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