Allegiant Air to add Fort Lauderdale flight

Allegiant will add South Florida to its Portsmouth destinations. (Courtesy photo)

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - Good news for area South Florida travelers.

Allegiant Airlines, which operates out of Portsmouth, N.H., to Sanford and seasonally to Fort Myers in Florida, will begin twice-weekly flights to and from Fort Lauderdale in October.

The new route means for the first time in many years Seacoast residents will be able to travel to South Florida directly from Portsmouth, where airport parking is free unlike Mancester, N.H., which charges $10 a day.

Bargain rates in October and parts of November are just $74.

Allegiant began seasonal service to Fort Myers (Punta Gorda) in February 2013. They have flights to Sanford, Fla., yearround.

All of Allegiant's Florida flights are nonstop unlike most of Southwest's flights out of Manchester.