By Abigail Abesamis Demarest
Making your 30A vacation dreams a reality is becoming increasingly accessible as airlines like American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Allegiant Airlines expand their direct flight offerings to the area’s nearby airports – Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) and Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS). You may already know about major hubs like Atlanta (ATL) with multiple direct flights to and from the area, but what about Charlotte (CLT) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)?
Below, we’ve detailed the cities where airlines are offering direct flights to airports located just a short drive to the 30A area.
For clarity, flight routes have been organized by airport, then airline. For those looking to fly private (or get a feel for what pricing looks like), we’ve included that information at the end of this story.
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. Photo credit: iflybeaches.com via Facebook
Located just 20 minutes from Panama City Beach and about a half-hour drive to Rosemary Beach, this tiny but mighty airport with just seven gates (five with jet bridges and two on ramp level for regional aircrafts) offers non-stop service to Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and more.
Details on the airlines that service ECP can be found here, and updated information on current safety procedures in response to the pandemic can be found here.
“We take pride in the cleanliness of our facilities, and to further strengthen our commitment to the health and safety of our passengers and team, ECP has implemented additional measures to keep the airport sanitary,” Parker McClellan, ECP Executive Director said in a release. “Among other actions like reminding staff to stay home if they feel unwell, we have increased cleaning frequency, request the use of facial masks, placed floor decals to encourage social distancing and installed plexiglass panels for protection in addition to installing hand sanitizer dispensers at numerous locations throughout the terminal.”
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX
Washington, D.C.
Atlanta, GA
Austin, TX
Baltimore, MD
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX
Denver, CO
Houston, TX
Kansas City, MO
Nashville, TN
St. Louis, MO
Washington, D.C.
Chicago, IL
Houston, TX
Photo courtesy: flyvps.com via Facebook
Serving the region from Pensacola to Panama City, Florida, this airport in the heart of the Emerald Coast is an approximately 35 to 60-minute drive to Miramar Beach depending on traffic.
They typically offer 50 non-stop flights daily to primary hub cities across the U.S. including Boston, Columbus, Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, Newark, and more.
Information on the airlines that service VPS can be found here, and COVID-19 updates can be found here. VPS does not provide service for private aircraft due to its location on Eglin Air Force Base.
All Allegiant flights are non-stop; they do not offer one-stop or connecting flights. Some routes may be seasonal.
Austin, TX
Belleville, IL / St. Louis, MO
Bloomington, IL
Boston (Logan), MA
Chicago (Midway), IL
Cincinnati, OH
Cleveland, OH
Columbus (Rickenbacker), OH
Concord / Charlotte, NC
Dayton, OH
Des Moines, IA
Evansville, IN
Houston (Hobby), TX
Huntington (Tri-State), WV
Indianapolis, IN
Kansas City, MO
Knoxville, TN
Lexington, KY
Little Rock, AR
Louisville, KY
Memphis, TN
Nashville, TN
New York City, NY / Newark, NJ
Newburgh (Stewart), NY
Northwest Arkansas, AR
Oklahoma City, OK
Omaha, NE
Peoria, IL
Pittsburgh, PA
Rockford, IL
Shreveport, LA
Springfield / Branson, MO
Tulsa, OK
Washington D.C. / Baltimore, MD
Wichita, KS
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX
Washington, D.C.
Atlanta, GA
Chicago, IL
Denver, CO
Houston, TX
Orlando, FL
At the south end of Okaloosa County, about a 15 to 30-minute drive to Miramar Beach, Destin Executive Airport is described as a “community airport that serves general aviation.”
Small regional airlines like Southern Airways Express offer direct flights from Memphis and Tampa on weekends.
Alternatively, you can charter a private flight through companies like evoJets (pricing starting at $4,500 for a one-way flight for 6-8 people from Tampa) and Luxury Aircraft Solutions (pricing starting at $2,500 for a one-way flight for six people from Atlanta).
Abigail Abesamis is a writer, editor and former New Yorker based in sunny Panama City Beach, Florida. Her writing has been featured in HuffPost Food & Drink, Forbes.com, Insider, Business Insider, Apartment Therapy and more. When she’s not writing she’s reading up on the latest wellness trends, teaching Zumba classes, or reading a book on the beach.
