Low-cost Spirit Airlines' Hub in Florida... What's Your Advantage?
Well, Spirit Airlines can get you to the Bahamas ultra cheaply because they operate a hub in Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Florida. JetBlue are their competitor. Below I'm comparing route maps of both carriers.
From Florida it's only about an hour to the Bahamas. My wife and I live on Eleuthera island in the center of the Bahamas. We always enjoy the spectacular views of the shallow sea on the flight from Florida to Eleuthera.
Over 50% of Spirit's flights go to Caribbean islands, the Bahamas and Latin America. Spirit Air's low-cost competitor is JetBlue Airways. JetBlue's home airport is JFK, New York. Below I show you...
... the route maps of both airlines from the US to the Bahamas. That will allow you to choose your best and cheapest route.
And with the KAYAK search tool (shown below) you will find your best possible travel arrangement and hotel, even a rental car. Really, low-cost vacations start with cheap air tickets, a cheap flight to the Bahamas.
What's Important?
When visiting the Bahamas, you can either choose the large tourist destinations -- Nassau the capital and Freeport on Grand Bahama Island -- or the more rustic but friendlier Out-Islands such as Abaco, Exuma, or
Eleuthera.
What would you like better? To get a feel for one of the fascinating Out-Islands of the Bahamas, click on the Eleuthera link just above.
Spirit Airlines' East Coast Route Map
For an updated and full version of Spirit Airlines' US route map, click on the image above.
JetBlue Airways' Route Maps
Now compare Spirit's with JetBlue Airways' route map below. Clicking on the map will bring up an enlarged and updated version. Once on the large map, click on the city dots to see all the outgoing routes.
Cheapest 1-Stop Routes From the US To The Bahamas
Because Spirit Airlines has a hub in Ft. Lauderdale (FLL), Spirit flights from many US destinations go to FLL first. Then on to either Nassau (NAS) or Freeport (FPO) in the Bahamas.
If you travel to a Bahamian Out Islands from Nassau, I would recommend flying Southern Air or
Bahamas Air.
To fly to Eleuthera island we prefer small
Southern Air,
because it's more reliable than Bahamas Air and offers more flights to Eleuthera per day.
Cheap Non-Stop-Routes From the US To Nassau & Freeport
Sometimes you can get extremely low air fares from JetBlue on the routes below, but only from Boston, New York JFK, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale.
Spirit Airlines on the other hand offers non-stop flights from the US to Nassau and Freeport but only from Ft. Lauderdale. The Sprit Air route map above shows it clearly.
The Most User Friendly Airfare Search Tool
Kayak has been called the Google of travel sites because it is so easy to use and it consistently returns the lowest fares. Kayak also redirects you to an airline's site, so you can book directly and collect mileage points.
In short: KAYAK is the most accurate and free search engine out there for lowest air fares.
Getting Low-Cost Accommodation In The Bahamas
How to find one?... Just click the Hotels or Car tab in the KAYAK image just above. Enter the city you want to go to. Fill in the rest and click on Search.
Another option?... Simply google the search string low-cost accommodation bahamas.
Are you interested in a relaxing vacation on Eleuthera island with its
spectacular beaches?
Our charming 2 bedroom cottage is located next to one of Eleuthera's prettiest pink-sand beaches.
Spirit Airlines or JetBlue Airways will bring you to Nassau cheaply. From there it's only 20 min. by SouthernAir to Eleuthera. Here are two
aerial photos of the beach
and the cottage. (This will open a new window. You'll be right back here when you close it.)
Bottom Line: Spirit Airlines or JetBlue usually offer the cheapest air fares to the Bahamas. But double-check with the above KAYAK travel search engine to find other ultra low-cost flights, hotels or rental cars.
