Oct 23, 2026 · @ https://x.com/myrtlebeachnews
The new twice-weekly nonstop fills a gap Spirit Airlines left behind — and gives South Jersey travelers a fast, cheap path to the Grand Strand just as the off-season begins.
For travelers in South Jersey, trading one Atlantic Ocean boardwalk for another just got a lot cheaper. Breeze Airways launched nonstop service between Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) and Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) on Thursday, Oct. 22, with one-way fares advertised from $79. The flights operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. This exciting announcement, titled ‘Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach,’ provides an affordable travel option to Atlantic City for tourists and locals.
On its face, it’s a simple fare deal. But the route sits at the intersection of three bigger stories: the collapse of Spirit Airlines, which left both airports scrambling; Breeze’s aggressive push to become the dominant carrier on the Grand Strand; and Myrtle Beach’s ongoing effort to draw visitors outside the summer peak. For anyone planning a trip south this fall or winter, understanding those forces helps explain why the fare exists — and how to get the most out of it.
To understand why Atlantic City travelers suddenly have a direct line to Myrtle Beach, start with what they lost. Spirit Airlines ran nearly every flight out of Atlantic City International in 2025 — about 99 percent of them, by one industry tally [The Points Guy, 2026]. When Spirit shut down in early May 2026, the South Jersey airport was left with only two remaining carriers, Breeze and Allegiant [Press of Atlantic City via CDC Gaming Reports, 2026].
Breeze moved fast. Within days of the shutdown, it announced four new routes from ACY — Orlando, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach and Myrtle Beach — all destinations Spirit had previously served [The Points Guy, 2026]. The Myrtle Beach route was scheduled from the start to begin Oct. 22 [Press of Atlantic City via CDC Gaming Reports, 2026]. The airline had only just arrived in Atlantic City, having announced its entry in January and begun flying to Charleston in early May [Atlantic City International Airport, 2026].
The loss cut both ways. Spirit had also been a major presence at Myrtle Beach International, and Breeze’s Atlantic City announcement came right on the heels of that departure [MyHorryNews, 2026]. In other words, this isn’t a brand-new connection so much as a rebuilt bridge between two beach towns that already had an established travel relationship.
Early birds who booked in May got an even better deal: Breeze’s introductory fare started at $49 one-way, but only for reservations made through May 11 [Visit Atlantic City, 2026]. That window closed months ago, which makes today’s $79 starting fare the realistic benchmark for anyone booking now.
That history matters for travelers because it shapes expectations. Routes launched to fill a competitor’s void can be hugely popular — or quietly trimmed if demand doesn’t materialize. The fare is a signal that Breeze wants to fill seats quickly and establish the route as a habit.
With the backstory in place, the practical question for visitors is what the fare buys. Breeze flies a fleet of Airbus A220-300 jets and markets features such as free family seating, onboard Wi-Fi and preferred seating options [DownBeach, 2026]. The airline positions itself as a premium leisure carrier offering affordable flights from underserved markets [Visit Atlantic City, 2026].
Still, “from $79” is a starting point, not a guarantee. Breeze’s lowest fares carry restrictions; under the earlier $49 promotion on this same route, for example, any change to a booking triggered fare repricing and blackout dates could apply [MyHorryNews, 2026]. Travelers should read the fare rules before buying and budget for extras such as checked bags and seat selection, which commonly push low-cost tickets well above the headline price.
The twice-weekly schedule is the other thing to plan around, and it may actually work in a visitor’s favor. A Thursday-out, Sunday-back trip creates a natural three-night long weekend. Flipping it — flying down Sunday and returning Thursday — creates a four-night midweek stay, when Grand Strand hotel rates are often softer and attractions less crowded. What the schedule doesn’t allow is flexibility: miss your flight or decide to stay an extra day, and the next nonstop may be several days away.
There’s also the time savings. Driving from Atlantic City to Myrtle Beach eats up most of a day each way. A short nonstop flight turns that into a few hours door to door, which can make a quick off-season getaway practical in a way it simply isn’t by car.
The Atlantic City route is part of a much larger strategy, and that strategy could reshape how tourists reach Myrtle Beach. Just a week before the Atlantic City launch, Breeze announced 11 new nonstop routes to MYR for 2027, bringing its total network at the airport to 25 destinations [ABC News 4/WPDE, 2026]. The new list includes Boston, Albany, Burlington, Portland (Maine) and several other Northeast cities [Post and Courier, 2026].
The scale is significant. Breeze says its seat count at Myrtle Beach will jump by roughly 70 percent next year [Boston.com, 2026], and the airline expects to lead every carrier at the airport in both destinations and seats by the second quarter of 2027 [WMBF News, 2026]. Since arriving at MYR in February 2024, Breeze has already more than doubled its seats and flights there [ABC News 4/WPDE, 2026]. Horry County’s airports director, Judi Olmstead, called the expansion a huge moment for the airport and the community [ABC News 4/WPDE, 2026].
For visitors, more routes generally mean more choices and more fare competition. Breeze also runs “BreezeThru” service — one stop with no change of plane — such as a Boston–Myrtle Beach flight that continues to Akron-Canton [Boston.com, 2026], which opens up more one-stop combinations through MYR.
There’s a flip side worth watching, though. When a single airline becomes the biggest player at an airport, it gains more influence over pricing. Today’s promotional fares are designed to build loyalty in a market Breeze is still growing. Whether those prices hold once the airline is firmly in the lead is an open question — and a good reason to lock in deals while carriers are still competing for passengers.
Timing may be the most underrated part of this story. Breeze’s original promotion on the route covered travel from Oct. 22, 2026, through March 23, 2027 [Visit Atlantic City, 2026], and local coverage described the service as seasonal [WMBF News, 2026]. Put simply, this route appears to be built around the cooler months — exactly when Myrtle Beach is at its most relaxed.
The destination gives visitors plenty to work with. Myrtle Beach draws more than 17 million travelers a year, with about 60 miles of beaches, roughly 90 golf courses and a 1.2-mile oceanfront boardwalk, according to the region’s tourism bureau as cited by Boston.com [Boston.com, 2026]. Fall and early spring are prime golf seasons, and quieter beaches make for a different kind of trip than the packed summer months.
The launch also lines up neatly with Halloween. Downtown Myrtle Beach is hosting Fright Nights across five weekends through Nov. 1, and Murrells Inlet’s MarshWalk holds an annual Halloween celebration where waterfront restaurants join in with costumes and specials [BreakingAC, 2026]. For South Jersey families, a long weekend in late October could fit right into the school calendar.
The route runs both ways, too. Grand Strand residents and snowbirds wintering in South Carolina gain a direct link to what the Post and Courier dubbed the “Las Vegas of the East Coast” [Post and Courier, 2026] — useful for casino weekends or visiting family up north.
The immediate question for travelers is how long the $79 fare will last. Breeze’s “from” prices typically apply to a limited number of seats, and the earlier $49 deal had a firm booking cutoff [Visit Atlantic City, 2026]. Anyone eyeing a November golf trip or a Thanksgiving getaway should check prices sooner rather than later.
Travelers should also confirm the schedule before planning a spring or summer trip. Because the route was introduced as seasonal and its promotional travel window ended in late March 2027 [Visit Atlantic City, 2026], it’s not yet clear whether service will continue into next summer. Breeze’s broader 2027 expansion at MYR begins in May [Boston.com, 2026], which may offer more clues about how the airline plans to deploy its aircraft.
Longer term, the bigger story is Breeze’s grip on the Grand Strand. If the Atlantic City route performs well, travelers may see more frequent flights. If it struggles, it could become a winter-only option. Either way, the arrival of low fares from a market that just lost its main airline is good news for visitors — as long as they book with eyes open to the fine print.
Fares and schedules can be checked at flybreeze.com or through the Breeze Airways app [WMBF News, 2026].
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – WMBF News (2026): Breeze airlines launches new nonstop from Myrtle Beach International Airport
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – Post and Courier, via Yahoo Travel (2026): Breeze Airways adds direct flight to Atlantic City as part of Myrtle Beach expansion
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – ABC News 4/WPDE (2026): Breeze Airways announces 11 new nonstop flights to MYR next year
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – Boston.com (2026): Breeze Airways is adding 4 new destinations in 2027, including Boston
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – The Points Guy (2026): Breeze unveils big 11-route expansion, begins to fill Spirit’s void in Atlantic City
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – Press of Atlantic City via CDC Gaming Reports (2026): In the wake of Spirit’s shutdown, Breeze Airways to offer four new routes from Atlantic City
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – Visit Atlantic City (2026): Breeze announces four new nonstop routes from Atlantic City
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – MyHorryNews (2026): Breeze Airways announces new nonstop flights to Atlantic City
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – Atlantic City International Airport (2026): Breeze Airways is arriving at Atlantic City International Airport
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – DownBeach (2026): Breeze Airways bringing four new routes to ACY
Breeze Offers $79 Flights to Myrtle Beach – BreakingAC (2026): Breeze Airways adds new destinations from Atlantic City this month
