Load Error
American Airlines is doubling down on the Windy City in its latest network expansion.
The Fort Worth-based carrier confirmed to TPG it will add a slew of new and expanded leisure-focused routes from its Chicago O’Hare (ORD) hub come the summer, as it looks to capture demand from pandemic-weary travelers seeking outdoor-friendly escapes.
Two of the five new routes include service to Billings, Montana (BIL) and Fresno, California (FAT), both gateways to major national parks: Yellowstone and Yosemite, respectively.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free new biweekly Aviation newsletter!
Nantucket, Massachusetts (ACK) and Santa Barbara, California (SBA) are also getting new seasonal service, while Spokane, Washington (GEG) gets a new daily nonstop connection.
As for expanded routes, three Florida cities — Key West (EYW), Panama City (ECP) and Sarasota (SRQ) — are all getting big boosts, with service resumptions or schedule extensions.
You’ll find the full list of five new routes and six extended ones below. The new flights will be loaded to the schedule over the weekend and will be available to book beginning on Monday, March 1.
Of the new Chicago routes, Nantucket, Fresno and Santa Barbara are perhaps the most interesting.
In addition to an ORD flight, Nantucket is getting two new nonstops, one from the carrier’s Philadelphia hub and another operated by JetBlue from Newark as part of the new Northeast alliance. Currently, Cirium schedules show Nantucket will see roughly 15% fewer flights in July 2021 compared to 2019.
American’s Fresno and Santa Barbara routes will follow closely after Southwest Airlines begins serving both cities with nonstop service from a mix of its Denver, Las Vegas and Oakland bases.
Related: Southwest Airlines reveals routes, launch dates for two newest California cities
Video: Chicago’s Updated Travel Order (CBS Chicago)
Madigan Picks Second Successor For House Seat In Past Week
CBS Chicago
Car Crashes Into Building
CBS Chicago
Illinois Expands List Of COVID Vaccine Recipients
CBS Chicago
Illinois Expanding COVID Vaccine Eligibility, But Most Of Chicago Area Not Joining In
CBS Chicago
Kwyn Townsend Riley Was Inspired To Join Front Lines Of Black Lives Matter Movement
CBS Chicago
UISPS Accepting Online Applications For Chicago Positions
CBS Chicago
State Lawmakers Must Get Paid For Whole Month Even If They Serve Only A Day Under State Law
CBS Chicago
Former State Rep. Edward Acevedo Accused Of Tax Crimes
CBS Chicago
City Lawyers Challenge Effort To Take Them Back To Federal Court Over CPD Search Warrant Practices
CBS Chicago
Thieves Break Into Ukrainian Village Restaurant, Steal ATM Within Minutes
CBS Chicago
History Makers: Terrance Wallace
CBS Chicago
History Makers: Kwyn Townsend Riley
CBS Chicago
History Makers: Jeffery Beckham, Homer Hans Bryant
CBS Chicago
History Makers: Rev. Reginald Sharpe Jr., Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Jaquie Algee
CBS Chicago
Alderwomen Introduce Anjanette Young Ordinance; Mayor Lightfoot Has Separate Police Raid Reform Plan
CBS Chicago
Mayor Lori Lightfoot Caught Uttering Profanity Into Hot Microphone During City Council Meeting
CBS Chicago
Madigan Picks Second Successor For House Seat In Past Week
For the second time in only five days, former Illinois State Rep. Michael Madigan and other Democratic Party officials have picked a successor for his seat in the Illinois House, after his first choice was forced to resign less than three days after he was sworn in.
CBS Chicago
Car Crashes Into Building
According to the Chicago Fire Department, the incident took place in the 1200 block of West 63rd Street around 4:30 a.m.
CBS Chicago
Illinois Expands List Of COVID Vaccine Recipients
CBS 2's Mugo Odigwe reports some counties, including Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will aren't joining the expansion.
CBS Chicago
Both the FAT and SBA flights will be O’Hare’s only nonstop service to those cities. United last flew to Fresno in March 2020, before suspending the route indefinitely due to the pandemic.
Department of Transporation data from 2019 shows that there were roughly 60 and 30 daily passengers flying from Chicago to Fresno and Santa Barbara, respectively. Those figures only include flyers originating in Chicago, so if American can offer well-timed connecting itineraries through O’Hare, the new flights could be successful.
Most of the extended and resumed flights will compete head-to-head with American’s largest competitor in Chicago, United Airlines. Except for Harlingen, Texas and Ontario, California, United already plans to operate flights during the summer season to all of the other Florida and North Carolina destinations that American is boosting.
More in Miami: American’s major expansion
The Chicago push comes on the heels of another major expansion at the carrier’s Miami hub. AA’s adding new routes, including a new Miami-Tel Aviv long-haul flight, and boosting capacity to destinations with strong VFR (visiting friends and relatives) traffic across Latin American and the Caribbean.
In recent weeks, the carrier also announced new service to Eureka, California (ACV) and Idaho Falls, Idaho (IDA) to bring travelers to California’s redwood forest and Idaho’s abundant nature trails.
As American’s vice president of network planning, Brian Znotins, recently told TPG “we are boosting our domestic point-to-point flying to places with mountains and beaches. Our business hubs remain weak and that frees up airplanes to go and invest in traffic segments that aren’t as weak.”
Featured photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy
The new routes are as follows:
| Origin | Destination | Season | Aircraft |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Santa Barbara (SBA) | May 8 – Sept. 7 on Saturdays and Sundays | Airbus A319 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Billings, Montana (BIL) | June 3 – Sept. 7; daily | Envoy Embraer 175 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Fresno, California (FAT) | June 3 – Sept. 7; daily | Airbus A319 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Spokane, Washington (GEG) | June 3 – Sept. 7; daily | Airbus A319 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Nantucket, Massachusetts (ACK) | June 26 – Sept. 7; Saturday-only | Republic Embraer 175 |
Extended and resumed flights:
| Origin | Destination | Season | Aircraft |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Asheville, North Carolina (AVL) | June 3 – Sept. 7; weekly seasonal | Envoy Embraer 175 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Panama City, Florida (ECP) | June 3 – Sept. 7; weekly seasonal | Envoy Embraer 175 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Key West, Florida (EYW) | Year-round | Republic Embraer 175 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Sarasota, Florida (SRQ) | Daily year-round, except for 2x daily on Saturdays from June 3 – Sept. 7 | Envoy Embraer 175 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Harlingen, Texas (HRL) | Once-weekly Saturday flights extended through Sept. 7 | SkyWest CRJ-700 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | Ontario, California (ONT) | Twice-daily service resumes Aug. 17 | Boeing 737-800 |
Featured photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy.
SPONSORED: With states reopening, enjoying a meal from a restaurant no longer just means curbside pickup.
And when you do spend on dining, you should use a credit card that will maximize your rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Thanks to temporary card bonuses and changes due to coronavirus, you may even be able to score a meal at your favorite restaurant for free.
These are the best credit cards for dining out, taking out, and ordering in to maximize every meal purchase.
—
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Source: Read Full Article