If you live north of Dallas, getting away for the weekend is about to look a little different.
McKinney National Airport is opening its new commercial passenger terminal this November, and Avelo Airlines has announced nine nonstop destinations from McKinney. Nine! That immediately got my attention.
As much as I love traveling, there is nothing particularly magical about starting a three-day getaway by fighting traffic all the way to DFW. For travelers in McKinney, Frisco, Prosper, Allen and the surrounding North Dallas area, this gives us another option—and some of these routes are practically begging to become long weekends.
The first flights begin November 11, 2026, with service to Fort Myers, followed by Las Vegas and Orlando on November 12, then Fort Lauderdale and Tampa on November 19. In December, the airport adds Denver and Atlanta on December 16, followed by Nashville and New Orleans on December 17.
Avelo plans to operate from McKinney Wednesday through Monday. So naturally, I started planning imaginary weekends. Here are the nine nonstop trips you can now book from McKinney—and what I’d actually do with each one.
First: Why McKinney National Airport Is Such a Big Deal
If you live in Dallas proper, DFW and Love Field aren’t going anywhere, but North Texas is enormous. For someone living farther north, the airport you choose can change the beginning and end of the entire trip.
McKinney National Airport is positioning its new passenger experience around something much smaller and simpler than our giant international airports: easier parking, shorter lines and a more streamlined airport experience. The airport is roughly 30 miles north of Dallas, so the biggest advantage is really for travelers already living in Collin County and North Dallas.
That’s the part I’m watching because for a weekend trip, convenience matters. If I’m leaving Friday and coming home Sunday or Monday, I don’t want getting to the airport to feel like the first leg of an expedition.
Travel Advisor Note
I wouldn’t automatically choose McKinney just because it’s smaller.
I’d compare: flight times + airfare + baggage/seat fees + drive time + parking + how much vacation time I’m actually getting. A $50 cheaper flight isn’t necessarily the better option if the schedule costs you half of your Saturday. For a weekend escape, I’m paying almost as much attention to the schedule as the fare.
Now let’s go somewhere.
1. Fort Myers, Florida
I’d book it for: The soft-adventure beach weekend
Of all nine routes, this may be the one that feels the most Siren Shores. Avelo’s first scheduled commercial flight from McKinney is to Fort Myers on November 11. However, I wouldn’t necessarily spend my entire weekend in Fort Myers.
I’d use it as my doorway to Sanibel and Captiva. Now we’re talking. Sanibel is known for its shell-covered beaches, while Captiva gives you white sand, Gulf sunsets, kayaking, paddleboarding, boating and that wonderful feeling that your schedule suddenly isn’t very important anymore.
Siren’s Pick
Best for: couples, solo travelers and girls who need three days near the water.
Main character moment: collecting shells on Sanibel before breakfast.
I’d stay: somewhere small and coastal on Sanibel or Captiva rather than automatically choosing a big Fort Myers hotel.
2. Las Vegas, Nevada
I’d book it for: Vegas without making the entire trip about the Strip
Hear me out. Vegas can absolutely be a soft-adventure weekend. You just have to leave the casino. Avelo’s McKinney-to-Las Vegas service begins November 12.
If I were planning this one, I’d give myself one classic Vegas night and then go looking for the version of the city people don’t always put on the itinerary.
The 18b Arts District has galleries, vintage stores, restaurants, murals, independent businesses and creative spaces spread through Downtown Las Vegas.
That’s much more my speed. I’d thrift. I’d find coffee. I’d browse art. I’d probably find a bookstore. Then I’d balance the city with some desert.
Siren’s Pick
Best for: a girls’ weekend that wants cocktails and something besides casinos.
Main character moment: vintage shopping in the Arts District before getting dressed up for dinner.
I’d add: one desert experience outside the city if the flight schedule gives us enough time.
Vegas doesn’t have to mean 48 straight hours under casino lights.
3. Orlando, Florida
I’d book it for: The Orlando trip without a theme-park itinerary
I know. Orlando without Disney? Stay with me. Flights from McKinney begin November 12. If your goal is Disney or Universal, obviously go enjoy every second of it. On the other hand, I’ve become increasingly interested in trips that ask: What else is here?
For me, that means heading toward Winter Park. Park Avenue gives you restaurants, independent shopping, museums and a much slower atmosphere, while the surrounding Chain of Lakes adds an outdoor element that people don’t necessarily associate with an Orlando getaway.
This is Orlando for the traveler who would rather have brunch, wander shops and get on the water than spend twelve hours racing between rides.
Siren’s Pick
Best for: mother-daughter weekends, solo escapes and an easy girls’ getaway.
Main character moment: a slow morning around Park Avenue.
I’d skip: forcing yourself into the parks just because you’re in Orlando. You are allowed to visit Orlando and never buy a pair of mouse ears.
4. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
I’d book it for: The chic beach weekend
Service to Fort Lauderdale begins November 19. This is the Florida route I’d look at when I want the weekend to feel a little more polished.
Beach in the morning. Cute outfit at lunch. A little shopping. Cocktails later. Back near the water before sunset.
What I especially like about flying into Fort Lauderdale is that it gives you choices. You can make Fort Lauderdale itself the trip, use it as a jumping-off point for the surrounding coast, or build a longer South Florida trip around it.
For a quick weekend, though, I wouldn’t overcomplicate it. Pick a good hotel (you know I love my boutique stays). Stay near the things you actually want to do. Let the beach be the activity.
Siren’s Pick
Best for: girls’ trips and the I need sunshine but I also want to dress cute for dinner crowd.
Main character moment: coffee first, beach second, absolutely no alarm clock.
I’d stay: at a smaller beachside or design-forward hotel where the property feels like part of the getaway.
5. Tampa, Florida
I’d book it for: The city + water weekend
Tampa is probably the Florida route I’d choose when I don’t want a full beach vacation. Flights from McKinney begin November 19. The Tampa Riverwalk stretches 2.6 miles along the waterfront and connects parks, museums, restaurants and places like Armature Works and Sparkman Wharf.
Then there’s Ybor City. Its history is tied to immigration and Tampa’s cigar industry, and the neighborhood gives you a completely different experience from the newer waterfront areas. That’s what makes Tampa interesting to me. You can have the water without making the entire trip about lying on a beach.
Siren’s Pick
Best for: travelers who want food, history and outdoor time in the same weekend.
Main character moment: sunset along the Riverwalk before dinner.
I’d do: Riverwalk one day, Ybor the next, and leave some room for whatever we discover between them.
6. Denver, Colorado
I’d book it for: The soft-adventure girls’ trip
This one immediately went on my list. McKinney-to-Denver service begins December 16. Denver works because you can choose your level of adventure. You don’t have to spend three days proving something to a mountain.
Maybe your version of Colorado is a beautiful trail followed by a brewery. Maybe it’s art, coffee and a scenic drive. Maybe it’s snow outside while you’re inside somewhere with a fireplace and a book. All valid.
Siren’s Pick
Best for: girls’ trips, outdoorsy beginners and anyone who wants mountains without turning the weekend into an endurance challenge.
Main character moment: coming back from a chilly morning outside and finding somewhere cozy for coffee.
I’d stay: somewhere with character rather than treating the hotel as simply a place to sleep.
7. Atlanta, Georgia
I’d book it for: The food + neighborhoods weekend
Atlanta starts December 16. This is the route I think could surprise people. Atlanta isn’t one giant downtown itinerary.
Its neighborhoods give you completely different versions of the city, from Midtown’s arts-and-park energy to the creative areas around the Eastside and BeltLine.
A recent three-day itinerary from Discover Atlanta even builds a grown-up weekend around coffee, culture, Inman Park, the BeltLine, rooftop views and chef-driven restaurants. That’s the Atlanta weekend I want.
Siren’s Pick
Best for: food-focused girls’ weekends and travelers who love exploring neighborhoods.
Main character moment: coffee in hand before a morning walk along the BeltLine.
I’d plan around: where we want to eat almost as much as what we want to see.
8. Nashville, Tennessee
I’d book it for: The girls’ trip that doesn’t need a bachelorette sash
Nashville service begins December 17. Yes, Broadway exists. Yes, I would probably (most defiantly) go. Nashville has neighborhoods with completely different personalities: walkable 12South, food-focused Germantown, polished Gulch, creative East Nashville and quieter areas around Midtown.
That’s what I’d build around. Give me one night of live music, one really good dinner, a neighborhood to wander, a little shopping and a slow morning.
If we happen to end up singing very loudly somewhere later? That’s between us and Nashville.
Siren’s Pick
Best for: girls’ trips where everyone wants something slightly different.
Main character moment: hearing a songwriter perform something you’ve never heard before in a tiny listening room.
I’d book first: the music experience you really care about. Nashville has everything from Broadway honky-tonks to songwriter rooms, the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry.
9. New Orleans, Louisiana
I’d book it for: The food + stories + slightly mysterious weekend
This may be my favorite addition. McKinney-to-New Orleans service begins December 17. New Orleans gives me so many things I already love in one place: history, old buildings, food, music, strange little stories, folklore, bookstores, and just enough mystery. I don’t need Bourbon Street to be the entire trip.
Give me a beautiful old hotel, coffee in the morning, wandering through historic neighborhoods, something involving local folklore and live music on Frenchmen Street at night.
Frenchmen sits beside the French Quarter in the Marigny and is known for live jazz, blues and other music spilling from its clubs. That’s the New Orleans weekend I’m interested in.
Siren’s Pick
Best for: couples, girls’ trips, solo travelers and anyone who likes destinations with stories.
Main character moment: walking back to a historic hotel after live music with absolutely nowhere to be the next morning.
I’d add: a history or folklore experience rather than filling the weekend with generic sightseeing.
So Which McKinney Route Would I Book First?
This is harder than I expected. For Siren Shores-style soft adventure, I’m choosing: Fort Myers → Sanibel/Captiva.
For a girls’ trip: Nashville.
For a food weekend: New Orleans.
For nature: Denver.
For a quiet surprise: Orlando—but skip the parks and stay around Winter Park.
And for the trip where I want to come home with at least one story I probably shouldn’t tell everyone? Vegas. Obviously.
When Would I Choose McKinney Instead of DFW or Love Field?
This is the question I’d ask before getting excited about any fare. If you live in McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Prosper or another community in the northern part of the Metroplex, the biggest advantage may simply be time.
McKinney’s new commercial terminal is being built around a smaller-airport experience, and Avelo will initially operate Wednesday through Monday.
But smaller doesn’t automatically mean better.
Here’s how I’d decide.
I’d lean toward McKinney when:
The nonstop schedule works beautifully for my trip.
The total fare is competitive after adding any extras I need.
It saves me meaningful driving time.
I’m taking a short trip where airport convenience matters.
I’d still check DFW or Love Field when:
McKinney’s flight days don’t match my plans.
Another airport gives me substantially better departure and return times.
I need more flexibility if something changes.
Or another airline’s total price makes more sense.
That’s why I don’t think the question is going to be:
“Is McKinney better than DFW?”
It’s going to be:
“Is McKinney better for this trip?”
That’s a much more useful question.
One More Thing Before You Book
Avelo is currently selling the McKinney routes, but these are new routes and schedules can change. The airline also charges separately for some optional services, including carry-on bags and assigned seats, so don’t compare flights using the headline fare alone.
Look at the whole trip. What time do you leave? What time do you come home? How much luggage are you bringing? How far are you driving? How much is parking?
Are you losing an entire day because the “cheap” flight leaves at an inconvenient time? That’s the part of travel planning that isn’t very glamorous. It’s also the part that can make the difference between a weekend that feels easy and one that feels like work.
North Dallas Just Got Nine New Reasons to Pack a Bag
This is what excites me most about McKinney getting commercial flights. It’s not really about having another airport. It’s about what becomes easier because the airport exists.
As a Dallas-based travel advisor, I’ll be watching these routes closely—especially the schedules, fares and which ones actually work well for a long weekend. I’m not interested in recommending a flight simply because it’s cheap.
I want the trip to make sense, so if one of these nine destinations just made you start mentally packing your suitcase, tell me which one pulled you in. You pick the escape. I’ll figure out the details.
I’ll figure out the details.
Keep following what lures you in.
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