May 30, 2025 • 18 mins
Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) has the most nonstop flights in the region with 26 flights across America.
Join us as we talk to Breeze Airlines—the fastest-growing airline in the world focused on high-quality travel experiences while remaining cost-effective for anyone's budget. Breeze currently offers 4 nonstop flight options to Bentonville: New Orleans, Pensacola, Tampa, and Orlando.
We'll talk about what you can expect when you fly Breeze, secret tips for Visiting Bentonville, and why you should book your ticket today.
For flight information go to flybreeze.com or visitbentonville.com to plan your trip today!
A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn.
You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Natalie Stika (00:10):
Welcome to New American Town.
I'm Natalie with VisitBentonville.
Today's guest isn't justhelping people get from point A
to point B.
She's helping them discoverplaces they didn't even know
they were missing.
They didn't even know they weremissing.
Angela Vargo is the VicePresident of Marketing
Communications and BrandExperience at Breeze Airways,
one of the fastest growingairlines in the country and a
(00:32):
proud partner in helpingtravelers reach Northwest
Arkansas with ease.
In this episode, we talk aboutBreeze's mission to connect
travelers to unique, vibrantdestinations and why Bentonville
is such a perfect fit for theirmodel.
We'll dive into new directflights from Florida, how Breeze
is creating a more joyfulflying experience and why
travelers should put Bentonvilleat the top of their must-visit
list.
Then let's flip the script andtalk all about why you would
(00:54):
visit Bentonville, what youshould plan on your next trip,
and there's no shortage ofreasons to take this direct
flight.
Whether you're a Florida sunseeker, looking for new
adventure or just curious abouthow air travel and tourism are
coming together in fresh andexciting ways, this conversation
is for you, angela.
Welcome to the show.
Thanks for having me.
I'm so excited to talk to you.
(01:14):
To kick it off, do you want tojust tell us a little bit about
yourself and your role at BreezeAirways.
Yeah, sure.
Angela Vargo (01:21):
So I'm the Vice President of marketing and
communications at Breeze.
I joined right before welaunched, so about three months
before we started flying, theygot the phone call that they
needed marketing in a brand kindof had some starts and stops as
(01:41):
far as getting off the ground,literally and figuratively, but
when things started to pick upagain and all the pieces started
to fall into place, I had theopportunity to join and start
building this amazing brand, andI just jumped at it.
So we launched on May 21st 2021and started flying six days
(02:03):
later and it's been a nonstopfreight train ever since Wow.
Natalie Stika (02:11):
That's crazy.
So, for those who aren'tfamiliar yet, what is Breeze
Airways and what sets you apartfrom other airlines?
Angela Vargo (02:18):
Yeah, so Breeze is .
Our tagline is seriously nice.
Well, our tagline is seriouslynice and we are very serious
about it because, you know, wetry to take all of the best
parts of air travel Things likeno change in cancellation fees,
non-stops between awesomedestinations like the one we're
(02:39):
talking about today, a greatonboard experience and kind of
leave out all the things thatyou don't love about travel and
just keep the rest.
And so we exist to connectthese underserved markets who
have been kind of forced toeither fly through hubs and pay
really high fares or justhaven't had enough service.
And there's, you know, there'sthousands of these markets, but
(03:01):
actually Bentonville was one ofour very first.
It's one of the OGs.
We started flying there just acouple of months after we
launched and it's just aterrific market for Breeze and a
great representation of why weexist.
Natalie Stika (03:13):
That's incredible and sign me up.
I just only want to fly likethat.
That sounds so good.
We're here at XNA, or NorthwestArkansas National Airport.
We actually have 26 directflights available, but from your
perspective, what madeBentonville, you know, one of
these first destinations?
Angela Vargo (03:32):
I think the great thing about XNA and about
Bentonville in general is thatit's just.
It's also it's a great place tolive and it's also a great place
to visit, and I think it's oneof those hidden gems that people
have yet to discover.
And I think you know Benville isdefinitely getting put on the
map right now in more ways thanone.
(03:52):
So I like to feel like you know, we knew it was cool before
everyone else, and so you knowwe're kind of.
You know we're kind of coolabout that kind of stuff finding
these great places that peoplewant to visit.
And I think that a market likethis, where it has such an
amazing culture and so manythings to offer, and then giving
that exposure to people wholive in the other destinations
(04:15):
that we serve like from, forexample, a New Orleans or a
Tampa or a Pensacola and saying,hey, have you ever discovered
going here?
And when it's a nonstop flightand those flights start at $39,
one way it inspires people towant to go and try and visit new
places that they may not haveotherwise even known about, and
so I think helping us helppeople discover places like
(04:37):
Bentonville is one of the bestparts of this job.
Natalie Stika (04:40):
Yeah, amazing, yeah, absolutely I think those.
So those three destinations youjust mentioned Pensacola, new
Orleans and Tampa, those are theflights.
Am I missing one?
Angela Vargo (04:53):
Yeah, orlando.
Natalie Stika (04:54):
Okay, orlando.
Yeah, what was the methodbehind those specific ones?
Are you looking to expand thoseand what is Breeze's reasoning?
Angela Vargo (05:03):
Yeah, I mean we're always looking to expand and I
think we've really just kind ofstarted and I think it's going
to have a lot more growth in andout of Bentonville in the
coming years.
But you know, essentially whatwe're looking for is for those
routes that have a lot ofpotential of demand but have no
nonstop.
So 86% of our routes have nodirect nonstop competition on
(05:28):
them.
So meaning we're the onlynonstop game and so that ease of
just being able to get on aplane and, you know, fly nonstop
and get somewhere very quicklyto spend the weekend is, you
know, what we do best and whatwe really are about.
We are primarily a leisurecarrier, so you know we fly on
those peak days when you knowpeople are wanting to travel for
(05:49):
a long weekend or maybe for,you know, a week long vacation.
But you know, being able toconnect the dots between markets
like this where there has notreally ever been that option,
either it would be to drive orit would be to connect through a
hub, which you know isultimately not what people you
know love to do and how theywant to spend their time.
Natalie Stika (06:11):
Yeah.
Yeah, you were talking aboutBreeze's mission and just the
overall experience of positiveflying, and I think that's what
everyone is looking for.
What can you describe whatsomeone?
If they've never flown with youbefore, what would be their
experience and maybe how wouldit separate you?
Angela Vargo (06:31):
Okay, yeah, sure, totally so.
First of all, we have anamazing app, but you don't have
to, obviously, go through theapp.
But we also have a website.
But you know people who go onan ebook for the first time, the
first thing you're going tonotice besides that it's just a
very simple, sleek, easy process.
We believe in transparency, sonot a lot of nickel and diming
(06:51):
or you know kind of what am Igetting here.
But our fairs are well, thefirst fair, the base fair, is
called NoFlex because it's notflexible transparency.
But then the bundles are nice,nicer and nicest and with each
of those you get, you know,added benefits associated with
it.
So you know, if you want achecked bag or you want extra
legroom seat or you want a firstclass seat, you can buy one of
(07:13):
the bundles.
But I think one of the bestthings about Breeze is that we
have this kind of like createyour own adventure style Meaning
if you want to buy a $39 noflex fare because you know when
you're going to go, you don'treally need to take, you know, a
checked bag with you.
But you want to tack on a firstclass seat for a hundred
dollars, you know, be our guest.
Right, it's your decision, it'syour travel and you get to
(07:35):
decide how you want to kind ofcraft that experience.
So there's kind of that a lacarte option.
There's the bundled optionthere's no change or
cancellation fees, which I thinkis awesome.
It takes kind of that scaryfactor away if something were to
happen with a kid or whatever.
And then you know, I just havethese beautiful planes.
So we have a brand new fleet ofA220s that we're taking, you
(07:57):
know, with delivery of one everymonth from Mobile.
So they're made right here,close to where you guys are even
, and they're these gorgeousplanes.
They have huge windows and moodlighting, they're very
comfortable.
We have above average, you know, leg room, for example, and
then we just have really awesomeflight attendants.
You know, everybody reallyenjoys working at this company.
(08:17):
I think we've built a reallycool culture and I think one of
the things I love best is whenI'm flying on us and you see
some experience for the firsttime and they get off and
they're like, wow, that was,that was really nice, you're
right, and that's like the wholepoint.
Natalie Stika (08:29):
So that's incredible.
What has the reaction overallbeen like?
Angela Vargo (08:33):
maybe Amazing, yeah, yeah, I mean the.
I was mentioning the growth um,which has just been phenomenal.
So we started, like I said,four years ago.
Actually, this month, um, may21st, um is our, our birthday.
So, coming up four years, whichis hard to believe um, and now
we're in 72 cities and 32 states.
(08:55):
So we are, um, probably, if notone or maybe, the world's
fastest growing airline.
Wow, last year alone, we flew 6million guests.
We call them guests, notcustomers, and it's just.
It blows my mind to think about.
You know how fast this journeyhas been.
But a lot of that has beenfueled by just people's desire
(09:17):
for this type of travel.
And you know, I think,especially after pandemic,
people are just like, they wantexperiences, right, they want
adventure, and that's you knowwhy I love highlighting things
like what goes on in Bentonville, which gives you so many
options for so much adventureand discovery, and you know,
getting that in front of people,and people are just soaking it
up.
They really want to go and seeand do more than they ever have
(09:39):
before.
Natalie Stika (09:40):
Yeah, absolutely here at Visit Bentonville, we
are so passionate abouthospitality and Breeze is the
same way.
So partnering with airlinesthat care about that, and so
people are delivered here happyand they're excited about their
journey and they're excited toexplore someplace that they've
maybe never heard about.
It's so cool that we can be apart of people's journeys.
(10:01):
I would love to talk a littlebit more about Bentonville
specifically, and you weresaying how you guys like to
partner with unique destinationsand ones that typically don't
have direct flights.
Is there anything specific thatyou remember hearing about
Bentonville that made you belike, oh yeah, that city's the
city that is going to, you know,be on the map.
(10:22):
You feel like you heard aboutit before.
It was big.
Tell me more.
Angela Vargo (10:25):
Yeah, I mean, I think people have always kind of
acclimated, you know, with someof the big corporations right
that are out there, but there'sso much more to it that we
learned.
So one thing that my team doesis we really spend a lot of time
tapping into kind of the spiritof the communities that we
serve and getting to know themand kind of tap into the
heartbeat of those so that wecan market them and promote them
(10:46):
Right and and get to know them.
And you know, the thing thatreally impressed me the most
about this region is number onethe massive like bike community
slash, outdoor culture, um, andhow insane that is, um, and I'm
learning more about it all thetime, which I think is really
cool, um, but also just like themuseums or the outdoor concerts
(11:10):
and just the whole vibe of thecity just seems to be, um,
something that is, I think, oneof the best kept secrets right
now in America, and I'm notjoking.
That's why I feel like we'rekind of like the cool kids who
found out early that this wascool, because we're going to say
that we were there and thatwe're going to grow with it.
But it's just pretty, it'spretty awesome to watch.
(11:32):
And then the airport's beenreally, you know, cool to work
with and they're making allthese improvements and it just
feels like everybody is just,you know, really kind of like
gelling and we're just there tohelp tell the story and get
people there quickly and, youknow, affordably.
Natalie Stika (11:47):
Yeah, and it's so imperative in us telling our
story that we can have visitorscome here and actually
experience it.
I love picking people up fromthe airport and then bringing
them into Bentonville and themnot realizing how close
Bentonville actually is to XNA,because it honestly looks like
you're in the country right nowand so you're just driving
(12:09):
through this beautiful sceneryand then you get to Bentonville
and it's just this amazing gemwith, you know, crystal Bridges
Museum, this world-renowned artmuseum and mountain biking
capital of the world, thisamazing gem with, you know,
crystal Bridges Museum, thisworld-renowned art museum and
mountain biking capital of theworld, and local incredible
culinary taste.
That could only happen by thesupport of our community that we
have and it's amazing that wehave, you know, locals and
(12:31):
visitors that support thateffort.
Angela Vargo (12:34):
Yeah, yeah, it's um, it's pretty cool and I, I
think, um number one.
I'm I'm looking forward tospending a lot more time there,
um, starting this summer andgetting to know it a lot better.
Um, and, you know, hoping tofind a lot more partnerships and
ways to even support some ofthe local arts in the community
out there as we grow and as we,you know, we get bigger and have
(12:57):
the resources to do that.
Um, that's really important forus, um, and then to be able to
promote those, like I said, toaudiences that you know haven't
learned about this yet, right,and doing what you're doing,
which is calling attention to it, um, and you know, showing them
, just like, how amazing it is,and you know how, I think, how
the role we get to play in allof that is, um pretty important,
(13:20):
right.
I mean to to be able to exposeaudiences to something like this
and then to be able to say, hey, it's it's, it's affordable and
it's easy to get there and umbe life-changing and it is
life-changing.
Natalie Stika (13:31):
Yes, it's huge.
Yeah, um, so you're coming herein June, right?
Yep?
How are you planning your triphere?
Do you have any plans yet, orare you still trying to decide?
Angela Vargo (13:42):
No, I'm starting to get them together.
So luckily I know a few people,so I'm getting insider
information for sure.
But I've already been pokingaround quite a bit and I have a
lot of people who are eveninside my inner circle, who know
the area really well and reallyjust want to learn about a lot
of the events and stuff that arehappening too.
(14:03):
I know there's like a bigmountain biking event that
happens every year and there's alot of outdoor concerts that
are happening with what is theCrystal Bridges, but it's also
the Momentary.
Natalie Stika (14:16):
Yeah, they have a the momentary green, which is
an outdoor concert venue space,and they also have an indoor
smaller venue called theroadhouse um, and they are doing
, you know, festivals and showsall year long, no matter the
weather.
It's really fabulous how muchour music scene has grown here
yeah, yeah.
Angela Vargo (14:35):
So yeah, I'm my.
My plans are not solidified yet, but I am going to align it,
hopefully to hit up some ofthose types of things,
especially like a concert.
Um, obviously go to the museum,um, and I'm sure I'll have a
pretty packed itinerary by.
Oh yeah the food, oh my goshyeah, the restaurants, that
restaurants that are highlightedon your website.
Natalie Stika (15:00):
One of my favorite things about
Bentonville is just thewalkability that people are
always shocked by, and a lot ofpeople don't know this and I
feel like I have to tell you.
You can walk from the square toCrystal Bridges Museum via the
Greenway.
So you go through the ComptonGarden trails and then you go
through the art trails, becauseCrystal Bridges has this huge
(15:21):
urban forest with public artmixed throughout.
It's all paved trails and yeah,so you can literally pretty
much walk the whole entiredowntown if you're comfortable
with walking.
It's a one of a kind experience, and we always encourage people
to rent a bike or have a bikeat least one day, because you
see a whole nother side of ourcity that you never would have
(15:42):
seen before had you not been ona bike, even an e-bike.
It's really fun, so I hope youget to experience it that way.
Angela Vargo (15:49):
Yeah, yeah, definitely Me too.
I would be happy to jump on abike and just make my way around
and get to see all of it.
Natalie Stika (15:57):
Yeah Well, speaking of events, last thing
I'll say one of our most popularparts of our website,
visitbentonvillecom has anevents calendar tab.
It's one of our most popularparts of our website.
Visit Bentonvillecom has anevents calendar tab.
It's one of our most visitedpages and we also have a whole
blog that talks about thisweekend in Bentonville, what's
going on, what you need to knowabout, and that event calendar
will be your one-stop shop tosee all of the big events coming
(16:19):
, small events coming and youcan plan your trip around it
perfectly Love it.
Angela Vargo (16:24):
That's awesome.
I love that.
I love that we can help promotethose types of resources as
well, and that's where I thinkthe magic happens right.
It's when you have great airservice and you have a great
destination, and the two ofthose kind of linked together
can be pretty powerful.
So it's exciting times for youguys.
I know there's been a lot ofreally awesome coverage and a
(16:45):
lot of features that arehappening, and definitely
getting you guys on the map ispart of our job too.
Natalie Stika (16:50):
Yeah, you too, exciting for you.
Oh, my goodness, this is socool.
I've loved sharing timetogether.
Is there anything you want totell our audience about how they
can get connected with you?
Your website, maybe socialmedia?
Angela Vargo (17:04):
Yeah, I mean you can find us.
Our website is flybreezecom andwe're also on, you know,
instagram and LinkedIn andFacebook and TikTok and all the
things, so you can connect withus on social media as well and
get to know us a little bit.
And yeah, I think the bestthing is just to encourage
people to just book that tripand, you know, just get on
(17:25):
Breeze and get out there and youknow, just let you know, let
the weekend take you where itwill.
I think it's so much todiscover and do and I'm just
excited to continue doing whatwe do to make that happen.
Natalie Stika (17:37):
Yeah, you've really broken the cost barrier
down, down, and it's amazing howmany more people we're seeing
come just because a flight isnot making them or a drive is
not making them unable to visitour destination.
So, yeah, amazing.
For anyone else listening thatwants to learn more about Visit
Bentonville, you can go tovisitbentonvillecom and find
(18:00):
everything you need to knowabout visiting our destination
and having a wonderful time.
Follow us on social media atVisit Bentonville and we will
see you in the next episode.
Thanks,
Welcome to New American Town.
I'm Natalie with VisitBentonville.
Today's guest isn't justhelping people get from point A
to point B.
She's helping them discoverplaces they didn't even know
they were missing.
They didn't even know they weremissing.
Angela Vargo is the VicePresident of Marketing
Communications and BrandExperience at Breeze Airways,
one of the fastest growingairlines in the country and a
(00:32):
proud partner in helpingtravelers reach Northwest
Arkansas with ease.
In this episode, we talk aboutBreeze's mission to connect
travelers to unique, vibrantdestinations and why Bentonville
is such a perfect fit for theirmodel.
We'll dive into new directflights from Florida, how Breeze
is creating a more joyfulflying experience and why
travelers should put Bentonvilleat the top of their must-visit
list.
Then let's flip the script andtalk all about why you would
(00:54):
visit Bentonville, what youshould plan on your next trip,
and there's no shortage ofreasons to take this direct
flight.
Whether you're a Florida sunseeker, looking for new
adventure or just curious abouthow air travel and tourism are
coming together in fresh andexciting ways, this conversation
is for you, angela.
Welcome to the show.
Thanks for having me.
I'm so excited to talk to you.
(01:14):
To kick it off, do you want tojust tell us a little bit about
yourself and your role at BreezeAirways.
Yeah, sure.
Angela Vargo (01:21):
So I'm the Vice President of marketing and
communications at Breeze.
I joined right before welaunched, so about three months
before we started flying, theygot the phone call that they
needed marketing in a brand kindof had some starts and stops as
(01:41):
far as getting off the ground,literally and figuratively, but
when things started to pick upagain and all the pieces started
to fall into place, I had theopportunity to join and start
building this amazing brand, andI just jumped at it.
So we launched on May 21st 2021and started flying six days
(02:03):
later and it's been a nonstopfreight train ever since Wow.
Natalie Stika (02:11):
That's crazy.
So, for those who aren'tfamiliar yet, what is Breeze
Airways and what sets you apartfrom other airlines?
Angela Vargo (02:18):
Yeah, so Breeze is .
Our tagline is seriously nice.
Well, our tagline is seriouslynice and we are very serious
about it because, you know, wetry to take all of the best
parts of air travel Things likeno change in cancellation fees,
non-stops between awesomedestinations like the one we're
(02:39):
talking about today, a greatonboard experience and kind of
leave out all the things thatyou don't love about travel and
just keep the rest.
And so we exist to connectthese underserved markets who
have been kind of forced toeither fly through hubs and pay
really high fares or justhaven't had enough service.
And there's, you know, there'sthousands of these markets, but
(03:01):
actually Bentonville was one ofour very first.
It's one of the OGs.
We started flying there just acouple of months after we
launched and it's just aterrific market for Breeze and a
great representation of why weexist.
Natalie Stika (03:13):
That's incredible and sign me up.
I just only want to fly likethat.
That sounds so good.
We're here at XNA, or NorthwestArkansas National Airport.
We actually have 26 directflights available, but from your
perspective, what madeBentonville, you know, one of
these first destinations?
Angela Vargo (03:32):
I think the great thing about XNA and about
Bentonville in general is thatit's just.
It's also it's a great place tolive and it's also a great place
to visit, and I think it's oneof those hidden gems that people
have yet to discover.
And I think you know Benville isdefinitely getting put on the
map right now in more ways thanone.
(03:52):
So I like to feel like you know, we knew it was cool before
everyone else, and so you knowwe're kind of.
You know we're kind of coolabout that kind of stuff finding
these great places that peoplewant to visit.
And I think that a market likethis, where it has such an
amazing culture and so manythings to offer, and then giving
that exposure to people wholive in the other destinations
(04:15):
that we serve like from, forexample, a New Orleans or a
Tampa or a Pensacola and saying,hey, have you ever discovered
going here?
And when it's a nonstop flightand those flights start at $39,
one way it inspires people towant to go and try and visit new
places that they may not haveotherwise even known about, and
so I think helping us helppeople discover places like
(04:37):
Bentonville is one of the bestparts of this job.
Natalie Stika (04:40):
Yeah, amazing, yeah, absolutely I think those.
So those three destinations youjust mentioned Pensacola, new
Orleans and Tampa, those are theflights.
Am I missing one?
Angela Vargo (04:53):
Yeah, orlando.
Natalie Stika (04:54):
Okay, orlando.
Yeah, what was the methodbehind those specific ones?
Are you looking to expand thoseand what is Breeze's reasoning?
Angela Vargo (05:03):
Yeah, I mean we're always looking to expand and I
think we've really just kind ofstarted and I think it's going
to have a lot more growth in andout of Bentonville in the
coming years.
But you know, essentially whatwe're looking for is for those
routes that have a lot ofpotential of demand but have no
nonstop.
So 86% of our routes have nodirect nonstop competition on
(05:28):
them.
So meaning we're the onlynonstop game and so that ease of
just being able to get on aplane and, you know, fly nonstop
and get somewhere very quicklyto spend the weekend is, you
know, what we do best and whatwe really are about.
We are primarily a leisurecarrier, so you know we fly on
those peak days when you knowpeople are wanting to travel for
(05:49):
a long weekend or maybe for,you know, a week long vacation.
But you know, being able toconnect the dots between markets
like this where there has notreally ever been that option,
either it would be to drive orit would be to connect through a
hub, which you know isultimately not what people you
know love to do and how theywant to spend their time.
Natalie Stika (06:11):
Yeah.
Yeah, you were talking aboutBreeze's mission and just the
overall experience of positiveflying, and I think that's what
everyone is looking for.
What can you describe whatsomeone?
If they've never flown with youbefore, what would be their
experience and maybe how wouldit separate you?
Angela Vargo (06:31):
Okay, yeah, sure, totally so.
First of all, we have anamazing app, but you don't have
to, obviously, go through theapp.
But we also have a website.
But you know people who go onan ebook for the first time, the
first thing you're going tonotice besides that it's just a
very simple, sleek, easy process.
We believe in transparency, sonot a lot of nickel and diming
(06:51):
or you know kind of what am Igetting here.
But our fairs are well, thefirst fair, the base fair, is
called NoFlex because it's notflexible transparency.
But then the bundles are nice,nicer and nicest and with each
of those you get, you know,added benefits associated with
it.
So you know, if you want achecked bag or you want extra
legroom seat or you want a firstclass seat, you can buy one of
(07:13):
the bundles.
But I think one of the bestthings about Breeze is that we
have this kind of like createyour own adventure style Meaning
if you want to buy a $39 noflex fare because you know when
you're going to go, you don'treally need to take, you know, a
checked bag with you.
But you want to tack on a firstclass seat for a hundred
dollars, you know, be our guest.
Right, it's your decision, it'syour travel and you get to
(07:35):
decide how you want to kind ofcraft that experience.
So there's kind of that a lacarte option.
There's the bundled optionthere's no change or
cancellation fees, which I thinkis awesome.
It takes kind of that scaryfactor away if something were to
happen with a kid or whatever.
And then you know, I just havethese beautiful planes.
So we have a brand new fleet ofA220s that we're taking, you
(07:57):
know, with delivery of one everymonth from Mobile.
So they're made right here,close to where you guys are even
, and they're these gorgeousplanes.
They have huge windows and moodlighting, they're very
comfortable.
We have above average, you know, leg room, for example, and
then we just have really awesomeflight attendants.
You know, everybody reallyenjoys working at this company.
(08:17):
I think we've built a reallycool culture and I think one of
the things I love best is whenI'm flying on us and you see
some experience for the firsttime and they get off and
they're like, wow, that was,that was really nice, you're
right, and that's like the wholepoint.
Natalie Stika (08:29):
So that's incredible.
What has the reaction overallbeen like?
Angela Vargo (08:33):
maybe Amazing, yeah, yeah, I mean the.
I was mentioning the growth um,which has just been phenomenal.
So we started, like I said,four years ago.
Actually, this month, um, may21st, um is our, our birthday.
So, coming up four years, whichis hard to believe um, and now
we're in 72 cities and 32 states.
(08:55):
So we are, um, probably, if notone or maybe, the world's
fastest growing airline.
Wow, last year alone, we flew 6million guests.
We call them guests, notcustomers, and it's just.
It blows my mind to think about.
You know how fast this journeyhas been.
But a lot of that has beenfueled by just people's desire
(09:17):
for this type of travel.
And you know, I think,especially after pandemic,
people are just like, they wantexperiences, right, they want
adventure, and that's you knowwhy I love highlighting things
like what goes on in Bentonville, which gives you so many
options for so much adventureand discovery, and you know,
getting that in front of people,and people are just soaking it
up.
They really want to go and seeand do more than they ever have
(09:39):
before.
Natalie Stika (09:40):
Yeah, absolutely here at Visit Bentonville, we
are so passionate abouthospitality and Breeze is the
same way.
So partnering with airlinesthat care about that, and so
people are delivered here happyand they're excited about their
journey and they're excited toexplore someplace that they've
maybe never heard about.
It's so cool that we can be apart of people's journeys.
(10:01):
I would love to talk a littlebit more about Bentonville
specifically, and you weresaying how you guys like to
partner with unique destinationsand ones that typically don't
have direct flights.
Is there anything specific thatyou remember hearing about
Bentonville that made you belike, oh yeah, that city's the
city that is going to, you know,be on the map.
(10:22):
You feel like you heard aboutit before.
It was big.
Tell me more.
Angela Vargo (10:25):
Yeah, I mean, I think people have always kind of
acclimated, you know, with someof the big corporations right
that are out there, but there'sso much more to it that we
learned.
So one thing that my team doesis we really spend a lot of time
tapping into kind of the spiritof the communities that we
serve and getting to know themand kind of tap into the
heartbeat of those so that wecan market them and promote them
(10:46):
Right and and get to know them.
And you know, the thing thatreally impressed me the most
about this region is number onethe massive like bike community
slash, outdoor culture, um, andhow insane that is, um, and I'm
learning more about it all thetime, which I think is really
cool, um, but also just like themuseums or the outdoor concerts
(11:10):
and just the whole vibe of thecity just seems to be, um,
something that is, I think, oneof the best kept secrets right
now in America, and I'm notjoking.
That's why I feel like we'rekind of like the cool kids who
found out early that this wascool, because we're going to say
that we were there and thatwe're going to grow with it.
But it's just pretty, it'spretty awesome to watch.
(11:32):
And then the airport's beenreally, you know, cool to work
with and they're making allthese improvements and it just
feels like everybody is just,you know, really kind of like
gelling and we're just there tohelp tell the story and get
people there quickly and, youknow, affordably.
Natalie Stika (11:47):
Yeah, and it's so imperative in us telling our
story that we can have visitorscome here and actually
experience it.
I love picking people up fromthe airport and then bringing
them into Bentonville and themnot realizing how close
Bentonville actually is to XNA,because it honestly looks like
you're in the country right nowand so you're just driving
(12:09):
through this beautiful sceneryand then you get to Bentonville
and it's just this amazing gemwith, you know, crystal Bridges
Museum, this world-renowned artmuseum and mountain biking
capital of the world, thisamazing gem with, you know,
crystal Bridges Museum, thisworld-renowned art museum and
mountain biking capital of theworld, and local incredible
culinary taste.
That could only happen by thesupport of our community that we
have and it's amazing that wehave, you know, locals and
(12:31):
visitors that support thateffort.
Angela Vargo (12:34):
Yeah, yeah, it's um, it's pretty cool and I, I
think, um number one.
I'm I'm looking forward tospending a lot more time there,
um, starting this summer andgetting to know it a lot better.
Um, and, you know, hoping tofind a lot more partnerships and
ways to even support some ofthe local arts in the community
out there as we grow and as we,you know, we get bigger and have
(12:57):
the resources to do that.
Um, that's really important forus, um, and then to be able to
promote those, like I said, toaudiences that you know haven't
learned about this yet, right,and doing what you're doing,
which is calling attention to it, um, and you know, showing them
, just like, how amazing it is,and you know how, I think, how
the role we get to play in allof that is, um pretty important,
(13:20):
right.
I mean to to be able to exposeaudiences to something like this
and then to be able to say, hey, it's it's, it's affordable and
it's easy to get there and umbe life-changing and it is
life-changing.
Natalie Stika (13:31):
Yes, it's huge.
Yeah, um, so you're coming herein June, right?
Yep?
How are you planning your triphere?
Do you have any plans yet, orare you still trying to decide?
Angela Vargo (13:42):
No, I'm starting to get them together.
So luckily I know a few people,so I'm getting insider
information for sure.
But I've already been pokingaround quite a bit and I have a
lot of people who are eveninside my inner circle, who know
the area really well and reallyjust want to learn about a lot
of the events and stuff that arehappening too.
(14:03):
I know there's like a bigmountain biking event that
happens every year and there's alot of outdoor concerts that
are happening with what is theCrystal Bridges, but it's also
the Momentary.
Natalie Stika (14:16):
Yeah, they have a the momentary green, which is
an outdoor concert venue space,and they also have an indoor
smaller venue called theroadhouse um, and they are doing
, you know, festivals and showsall year long, no matter the
weather.
It's really fabulous how muchour music scene has grown here
yeah, yeah.
Angela Vargo (14:35):
So yeah, I'm my.
My plans are not solidified yet, but I am going to align it,
hopefully to hit up some ofthose types of things,
especially like a concert.
Um, obviously go to the museum,um, and I'm sure I'll have a
pretty packed itinerary by.
Oh yeah the food, oh my goshyeah, the restaurants, that
restaurants that are highlightedon your website.
Natalie Stika (15:00):
One of my favorite things about
Bentonville is just thewalkability that people are
always shocked by, and a lot ofpeople don't know this and I
feel like I have to tell you.
You can walk from the square toCrystal Bridges Museum via the
Greenway.
So you go through the ComptonGarden trails and then you go
through the art trails, becauseCrystal Bridges has this huge
(15:21):
urban forest with public artmixed throughout.
It's all paved trails and yeah,so you can literally pretty
much walk the whole entiredowntown if you're comfortable
with walking.
It's a one of a kind experience, and we always encourage people
to rent a bike or have a bikeat least one day, because you
see a whole nother side of ourcity that you never would have
(15:42):
seen before had you not been ona bike, even an e-bike.
It's really fun, so I hope youget to experience it that way.
Angela Vargo (15:49):
Yeah, yeah, definitely Me too.
I would be happy to jump on abike and just make my way around
and get to see all of it.
Natalie Stika (15:57):
Yeah Well, speaking of events, last thing
I'll say one of our most popularparts of our website,
visitbentonvillecom has anevents calendar tab.
It's one of our most popularparts of our website.
Visit Bentonvillecom has anevents calendar tab.
It's one of our most visitedpages and we also have a whole
blog that talks about thisweekend in Bentonville, what's
going on, what you need to knowabout, and that event calendar
will be your one-stop shop tosee all of the big events coming
(16:19):
, small events coming and youcan plan your trip around it
perfectly Love it.
Angela Vargo (16:24):
That's awesome.
I love that.
I love that we can help promotethose types of resources as
well, and that's where I thinkthe magic happens right.
It's when you have great airservice and you have a great
destination, and the two ofthose kind of linked together
can be pretty powerful.
So it's exciting times for youguys.
I know there's been a lot ofreally awesome coverage and a
(16:45):
lot of features that arehappening, and definitely
getting you guys on the map ispart of our job too.
Natalie Stika (16:50):
Yeah, you too, exciting for you.
Oh, my goodness, this is socool.
I've loved sharing timetogether.
Is there anything you want totell our audience about how they
can get connected with you?
Your website, maybe socialmedia?
Angela Vargo (17:04):
Yeah, I mean you can find us.
Our website is flybreezecom andwe're also on, you know,
instagram and LinkedIn andFacebook and TikTok and all the
things, so you can connect withus on social media as well and
get to know us a little bit.
And yeah, I think the bestthing is just to encourage
people to just book that tripand, you know, just get on
(17:25):
Breeze and get out there and youknow, just let you know, let
the weekend take you where itwill.
I think it's so much todiscover and do and I'm just
excited to continue doing whatwe do to make that happen.
Natalie Stika (17:37):
Yeah, you've really broken the cost barrier
down, down, and it's amazing howmany more people we're seeing
come just because a flight isnot making them or a drive is
not making them unable to visitour destination.
So, yeah, amazing.
For anyone else listening thatwants to learn more about Visit
Bentonville, you can go tovisitbentonvillecom and find
(18:00):
everything you need to knowabout visiting our destination
and having a wonderful time.
Follow us on social media atVisit Bentonville and we will
see you in the next episode.
Thanks,
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