• Budget airline Allegiant Air announced 44 new routes to smaller cities across the US.
• The expansion aligns with Allegiant's strategy to serve underserved communities.
• Allegiant's new routes may pressure major airlines to lower prices on competing routes.

Lesser-known budget airline Allegiant Air announced 44 new routes to smaller cities across the US.

These routes aren't necessarily flashy, but they'll likely help rural communities seeking better nonstop connections to more cities across the US.

For example, residents of Colorado Springs will be able to connect to Phoenix, Orange County, California, and St. Petersburg, Florida, on Allegiant instead of driving 72 miles to Denver or requiring a one-stop connection from the small town's local airport.

This strategy follows Allegiant's yearslong leisure-focused business model, which capitalizes on strong demand during peak periods, such as the holidays, summer, and school breaks.

"Our research shows that customers increasingly want affordability and convenience when they fly," Allegiant CCO Drew Wells said in a press release. The company said the large network expansion was driven by Allegiant's "commitment to providing ultra-low-cost airfare to underserved communities with limited or no air service."

Breeze Airways' CEO David Neeleman told Business Insider in November that overlapping too many routes has been a pitfall of budget rivals Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines.

These airlines have overhauled their businesses this year to better meet flyer expectations and have largely focused on bigger markets to compete with mainline airlines. However, Neeleman said they should seek more business in underserved areas — like Breeze and Allegiant do.

New routes could help drive down mainline prices

While most of Allegiant's nearly four dozen new routes have no competition, a handful will share a market.

For example, some of the carrier's new routes will compete with United Airlines in Washington Dulles and American Airlines and Southwest Airlines in Phoenix.

Allegiant's newly introduced low fares may pressure the mainlines to drop their prices to compete.

For example, Allegiant's new route between Dulles and Knoxville, Tennessee, costs $139 roundtrip in late May, not including any extras. Adding a carry-on and an assigned seat takes that to $245.

United's basic economy roundtrip fare, which also doesn't include a carry-on, on the same route during the same dates is $347. With carry-on luggage, the price is about $500.

Allegiant's flights aren't daily like United's, however — a common practice for the ultra-low-cost airline.

Still, Allegiant is likely banking that customers find the money savings worth its lesser frequencies and cabin experience. The airline boasts the classic no-frills budget business model where everything — including water — costs extra.

Here's a closer look at Allegiant's 44 new routes:

• Phoenix Sky Harbor to Pittsburgh: beginning February 7, 2025
• Colorado Springs to Phoenix-Mesa: beginning February 12, 2025
• Colorado Springs to Orange County: beginning February 13, 2025
• Colorado Springs to St. Petersburg: beginning February 14, 2025
• Chattanooga to Fort Myers, Florida: beginning February 13, 2025
• Sarasota to Greenville, South Carolina: beginning February 13, 2025
• Sarasota to Moline, Illinois: beginning February 13, 2025
• Sarasota to Albany: beginning February 14, 2025
• Sarasota to Elmira, New York: beginning February 14, 2025
• Sarasota to Omaha: beginning February 14, 2025
• Sarasota to Roanoke, Virginia: beginning February 14, 2025
• Sarasota to Knoxville: beginning February 14, 2025
• Sarasota to Lexington, Kentucky: beginning April 3, 2025
• Columbia, South Carolina, to Daytona Beach: beginning May 15, 2025
• Columbia, South Carolina, to Fort Lauderdale: beginning May 22, 2025
• Huntington, West Virginia, to Fort Lauderdale: beginning May 15, 2022
• Myrtle Beach to Plattsburgh, New York: beginning May 15, 2025
• Myrtle Beach to Grand Rapids, Michigan: beginning May 22, 2025
• Myrtle Beach to Niagara Falls: beginning May 22, 2025
• Gulf Shores to Knoxville: beginning May 21, 2025
• Gulf Shores to Cincinnati: beginning May 22, 2025
• Gulf Shores to Houston Hobby: beginning May 22, 2025
• Gulf Shores to Bentonville, Arkansas: beginning May 22, 2025
• Gulf Shores to Belleville, Illinois: beginning May 23, 2025
• Gulf Shores to Kansas City, Missouri: beginning May 24, 2025
• Jacksonville to Grand Rapids: beginning May 23, 2025
• Jacksonville to Des Moines, Iowa: beginning May 22, 2025
• Jacksonville to Akron, Ohio: beginning May 23, 2025
• Nashville to Shreveport, Louisiana: beginning May 22, 2025
• Boston to Savannah, Georgia: beginning May 22, 2025
• Boston to Des Moines: beginning May 23, 2025
• Denver to Idaho Falls: beginning May 22, 2025
• Denver to Stockton, California: beginning May 22, 2025
• Portland, Oregon, to Fresno, California: beginning May 22, 2025
• Portland, Oregon, to Cincinnati: beginning May 23, 2025
• Portland, Oregon, to Flint, Michigan: beginning May 23, 2025
• Portland, Oregon, to Indianapolis: beginning May 23, 2025
• Washington Dulles to Savannah: beginning May 22, 2025
• Washington Dulles to Knoxville: beginning May 23, 2025
• Washington Dulles to Destin, Florida: beginning May 24, 2025
• Washington Dulles to Asheville, North Carolina: beginning June 20, 2025
• Akron to Destin: beginning May 24, 2025
• Newark Liberty to Flint: beginning May 23, 2025
• Los Angeles to Spokane, Washington: beginning May 23, 2025