Hidden Gems Of Connecticut

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — Calling all who search for cheap airline tickets in the Nutmeg State ... this Hidden Gem is for you.

Welcome to the Frontier Airlines gates at Bradley International Airport.

It all started in late summer and the need to take care of some family business outside Raleigh, NC. A quick airfare shopping trip around the internet led to the discovery of a $139.98 round-trip ticket between Bradley and Raleigh-Durham on Frontier, the latest low-cost carried to come by this way.

The base price on the outbound flight was $19 and change.

Yes nineteen dollars. At that price, why not try it?

Frontier was a pleasant surprise, but one must be a little flexible, open-minded and able to improvise just a bit.

Frontier's schtick is lighter loads lead to less fuel consumption and therefore cheaper fares. so the basic ticket includes a bag that fits under the seat — in essence an average size backpack. Anything else — in the overhead compartment or checked — requires an additional fee. Rolling lighter material clothes is the way to go to maximize bag space while keeping it to one set of footwear.

Keeping with the "lighter is more efficient" theme means the seats have sparse padding, but it's not like a city bus either. They are adequate — even for someone built like an NFL linebacker. The tray tables do, however, seem to be the size of ping pong paddles.

The Frontier gate staffers and on-board crew were ridiculously polite. The airline offers "choice seating" for an extra fee, but even the el-cheapo way of choosing a seat 24 hours ahead yielded one aisle seat. The middle seat coming back was not an issue with less than 90 minutes of flight time, even for someone well taller than 6 feet.

In all, especially for a short flight, it was an experience well beyond expectation.

See more about Frontier at Bradley here.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut.

Columns in this series in 2022 include:

• Munson's Chocolates
• Connecticut River Valley Wildlife Museum
• LobsterCraft
• Center Springs Park
• MLK Monuments
• The Connecticut Historical Society

Columns in this series from 2021 include:

• The First Decorated Christmas Tree
• Bolton Notch Trail Bridge
• Civil War Drum
• Civil War Powder Keg
• Mile 4, Manchester Road Race
• The West Hartford Armory
• The Capitol's Nooks and Crannies
• Wickham Park Aviary
• 55 West Main, New Britain
• Fox Hopyard Golf Course
• The Dodd Center For Human Rights at UConn
• Manchester Ropes Challenge Course
• 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm
• Fuego Picante Food Truck
• The Amistad
• 9/11 memorials
• Club Champion Golf Fitters
• New England Civil War Museum and Research Center
• Avery's Soda
• Salt 2.0 Restaurant
• The Grave of Jonathan, The Original Husky
• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner