Gone are the days when you need to pay an arm and a leg to ship home your wine purchases when visiting Sonoma or Napa Valley vineyards. Kicking off on National Wine Day this coming May 25th, Avelo Airlines welcomes customers to check a case of wine for free when departing Sonoma County Airport.
Of-age travelers will be able to check one case of wine (a single box containing up to 12 bottles, 50 pounds or less) for free as part of their checked baggage allowance on flights departing specifically from Sonoma County Airport. Naturally, fliers who take advantage of this new allowance will need to adhere to the airline’s packaging guidelines, ensuring their cases are securely packed with bubble wrap, cardboard liners, or Styrofoam—no one wants a cracked bottle after all. Before going through security, passengers will need to hand off their case of wine to an Avelo Crewmember at the ticket counter during the check-in process.
Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO Andrew Levy commented on the new policy, stating, “It is our hope Avelo’s new Wine Travels Free program will make our Customers’ trips to California Wine Country that much more enjoyable and memorable.” With over 425 wineries in Sonoma County alone, it’s a hard sell not to come home with some memorabilia in tow, and this new policy makes it easier than ever to travel home with a bottle or 12 without worrying about bottles breaking in your luggage or pricey shipping charges.
Currently, Avelo Airlines offers nonstop flights from the California-based airport to Portland/Salem, Boise, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Kalispell, and Bend/Redmond. So while not all routes across the US are currently available, those traveling on the West Coast can take advantage of their oenophile status soon.