Montana is awesome in so many ways. I mean, that's why you live here, right? One thing that's always been not-so-awesome is the lack of affordable direct flights to, well, just about anywhere. Out-of-state friends or relatives lament the lack of cheap airfare to Big Sky Country and Montanans often complain about the same thing when searching for affordable airfare.

In a 2/9 press release, Allegiant airlines announced some fun new routes that should make getting into and out of Montana a little less expensive to a couple of fun places. With introductory fares starting well under $100 each way, this spring you'll be able to fly to new places from Montana. Drew Wells, Allegiant's senior VP of revenue said,

As summer approaches, we expect a lot of pent-up demand for travel, especially for places where people can hike, fish, camp or visit the beach. With this expansion, we've added even more service to destinations known for their outdoor appeal. Now, with Allegiant's low-cost, nonstop service, travelers will have easy, affordable access to the cities they want to visit.

New Montana Allegiant routes are:

  • Billings and Missoula to Portland - begins May 7th.
  • Bozeman to San Diego - begins June 3rd.
  • Kalispell to San Diego - begins May 28th.
  • Bozeman to Austin - begins May 27th.
  • Bozeman to Oakland - begins May 28th.
  • Bozeman to San Diego - begins June 3rd.

Direct flights (various airlines) are available from Billings to Denver, Salt Lake, Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, Mesa/Phoenix and Minneapolis. Here are a few ideas about places to go and see with just one flight out of Billings.

LOOK: 12 Places to Visit With Direct Flights From Billings

While people in Montana may find it hard to travel anywhere from Billings because it usually requires flights with multiples stops, we found great opportunities just in the cities where Billings flies direct.

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